A new archaeological survey at the ancient city of Selinus in southern Turkey has mapped ancient tombs and the area around Trajan’s temple as researchers build a detailed record of the site’s surviving remains. The 2026 fieldwork also covered the acropolis, defensive walls and slopes overlooking the ancient harbor, bringing several major parts of the city into a single documentation project.
The survey was carried out from Sept. 7 to Sept. 21 under authorization from Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It was led by associate professor Tuna Akçay of Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University.
Researchers divided the hillside burial area into separate sectors and recorded the location, architectural features, and preservation condition of individual tombs. They also used mapping, architectural documentation, photography, and drone imagery to create a digital record of the site.
Mapping tombs and Trajan’s temple across the ancient city of Selinus
The latest campaign builds on decades of archaeological work at Selinus by bringing the burial grounds, monumental structures and surrounding landscape into a more systematic record. The new mapping provides researchers with updated information on the location and condition of remains that can guide future excavation, conservation and interpretation of the ancient city.
The monument associated with Trajan is commonly known as Şekerhane Köşkü. Archaeological investigations have shown that the structure includes a Roman-period monumental building that was later extensively remodeled during the Seljuk period.
Earlier researchers often identified the Roman monument as a cenotaph for Emperor Trajan, who died at Selinus in A.D. 117 while returning from campaigns in the East. Later architectural and geophysical studies showed that the structure had a temple-like design.
Archaeologist Michael C. Hoff argued in 2016 that the monument was more likely a temple dedicated to the deified Trajan rather than a cenotaph. He also suggested a possible connection to the emperor’s cremation site, although that interpretation remains under scholarly discussion.
Survey builds on earlier archaeological work
Additional evidence for the cult of Trajan at the ancient city of Selinus comes from Roman provincial coinage. One known coin from the city depicts a four-column temple containing a statue of the deified emperor.
The 2026 campaign is part of a broader Selinus research program announced by Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University in 2025. That project called for digital mapping, 3D documentation, and other modern survey techniques to improve understanding of the ancient settlement and its surroundings.
The university has not yet published a complete count of the tombs recorded during the season or the full archaeological maps and final catalogue. The survey, however, has created a new foundation for examining how the burial areas, monuments and wider urban landscape of Selinus developed over time.
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