KASTAMONU, Türkiye

Relief stones from an ancient temple to the Roman god Zeus remain preserved inside the walls and foundations of buildings of a village in Türkiye’s Black Sea region, where they are treasured and protected, locals and officials told Anadolu.

According to the Museum Directorate for the Kastamonu province, the temple was founded by the pagan priest Gaios during the reign of Roman Emperor Caracalla (AD 198-217), a member of the Severan dynasty, and was completed in 279 by Alexandros (Alexander), Gaios’ son.

Relief stones of the temple, whose remains still stand today, were used in the past by locals in the foundations and walls of village houses. The stones, which have been numbered and registered by the directorate, capture the attention of visitors to the village.

Located within the boundaries of the neighborhood of Meyre, giving it its alternate name, the Meyre Zeus Temple, the site holds great value for the region, Mustafa Cetin, headman for the village of Aktastekke, told Anadolu.

Cetin said the temple suffered damage over the centuries, with stones taken in the past and reused in village houses, but said the museum directorate documented and protected the stone reliefs during a 2007 cleanup, adding that renovations could boost regional tourism.

Villager Cemal Cetin told Anadolu that locals carefully protect the temple stones that were incorporated into their houses and that they hope excavations will be carried out at the site.

Necmettin Sahin, another villager, said similar relief stones remain undisturbed in the foundation of his family home inherited from his father, some bearing carved figures, including tree and animal motifs.