Dara
Anastasiopolis
Turkey · Mardin
In brief
Dara was founded in 505 during the reign of Emperor Anastasius as a garrison city guarding the Sasanian frontier. Excavations are uncovering its necropolis, water infrastructure and commercial buildings.
What was found?
- 1Large water cisterns
The city's large cisterns are surviving parts of its water storage system. They are important for understanding the infrastructure of a frontier garrison city.
- 2Drinking water channel
Excavations identified a 30-metre section of a 400-metre-long drinking water channel described as 1500 years old. The find provides tangible evidence of the city's water conveyance system.
- 3Shops and workshops in the marketplace
More than 10 shops and workshops were uncovered around the agora. These spaces reveal the commercial and productive life of the garrison city.
- 4Roman and Late Antique ceramics
Ceramic research identified examples from different parts of the Mediterranean and from Iran together. The vessels make it possible to trace Dara's connections beyond the region.
What does it point to?
Dara's defensive function was accompanied by urban life with water infrastructure and commercial spaces. Ceramics from different production regions indicate that the frontier city was connected to an extensive network of goods circulation.
What did it teach us?
- Showed that storage and conveyance structures were used together to meet the garrison city's water needs.
- Revealed the city's spaces for trade and production through the shops and workshops around the agora.
- Documented the presence of ceramics of Mediterranean and Iranian origin in the same city.
Images
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Latest news / selected archive
Excavations in 2024 uncovered more than ten shops and workshops in the marketplace; a section of a drinking water channel approximately 1500 years old was identified.
Record
- Culture
- Eastern Roman
- First modern dig
- 1986
- Team / historical
- Mardin Museum
- Coordinates
- 37.1778°, 40.9411°
Sources
Nearby excavations
- Tell Mozan / Urkesh 14 km
- Tell Brak 58 km
- Zerzevan Castle 62 km
- Boncuklu Tarla 88 km
- Tell Halaf 89 km
- Karahantepe 145 km
- —
- —
- 12.000
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All excavation sites (465)
Türkiye
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- Phaistos
- Philippi
- Sanctuary of Apollo at Despotiko
- Sanctuary of Artemis at Amarynthos
- Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus
- Sanctuary of Demeter and Kore at Eleusis
- Sanctuary of Dodona
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