2,000-year-old assembly hall unearthed in Türkiye's ancient city of Laodicea

DENIZLI, Türkiye / ISTANBUL

Excavations in the ancient city of Laodicea in southwestern Türkiye – part of UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites – have uncovered a 2,000-year-old assembly building, believed to be the administrative heart of the ancient metropolis.

The discovery came during the 2025 excavation season, marking a milestone in 22 years of archaeological and restoration efforts in the city, now situated in the modern province of Denizli, with a history stretching back to 5500 BC.

Previous finds in Laodicea include intricately frescoed travertine blocks, a three-meter-tall (nearly 10 feet) statue of the distinguished Roman Emperor Trajan, the Traian Fountain, a statue of a priest’s head, and a group sculpture featuring the Scylla, a fearsome monster from Homer’s The Odyssey.

This year’s work focused on the ancient assembly building, which archaeologists now believe functioned as the city’s political and judicial center.

Excavations uncovered a unique assembly building with pentagonal outer walls and a hexagonal plan, unlike any seen before in ancient Anatolia.

Dating to the late first century BC, the structure held 600–800 members and remained in use until the seventh century AD. Names inscribed on the seats identified elders, youth, and citizens in the assembly.

A seated statue, likely of a chief judge, featured a later-added head, suggesting leadership changes over time.

Surrounded by a political agora, archive halls, a major bath complex, and the region’s largest stadium, the site confirms Laodicea’s key role as a Roman administrative and judicial center.