Archaeologists have identified new areas linked to the worship of the Greek god Dionysus at a 2,300-year-old castle on Turkey’s Black Sea coast. The discoveries at Kurul Castle add to earlier finds of religious figures and offer further clues about the beliefs of people who lived there.
Excavation director Süleyman Yücel Şenyurt said this year’s work revealed areas more specifically associated with Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, theater and religious exstasy. Earlier excavations produced a figure of Dionysus as a child, an image of Pan described as his caretaker, and goat-shaped composite vessels linked to their cults.
The team previously uncovered a statue of Cybele, an ancient mother goddess, estimated to be about 2,150 years old. Şenyurt said the latest discoveries draw fresh attention to the presence of both deities at the site. The Cybele statue was found in 2016, while the Dionysus and Pan figures emerged in 2018.
New evidence of Greek god Dionysus at Kurul Castle
Kurul Castle stands in the Bayadı neighborhood of Ordu’s Altınordu district. Archaeologists from Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University are conducting the excavations with support from Ordu Metropolitan Municipality. Work began in 2010. The municipality describes Kurul as the eastern Black Sea region’s first site of scientific archaeological excavation.
The fortress was built during the reign of Mithridates VI, who ruled the ancient Kingdom of Pontus from 120 to 63 B.C. The king fought a series of wars against the Roman Republic. The site preserves remains from the period when his kingdom resisted Roman expansion.
Şenyurt said Kurul had already attracted attention for its discoveries associated with Cybele. He also pointed to its large-scale architecture and the many objects recovered by archaeologists. The newly identified areas linked to Dionysus, he said, could help researchers understand the place of both deities in the region’s ancient religious life.
Excavations reveal more than a military fortress
Ordu Mayor Mehmet Hilmi Güler visited the excavation site and received an update from Şenyurt. Güler said about 40% of the work had been completed and described the finds as valuable to researchers and the surrounding region.
“This is not just a castle, but also a settlement,” Güler said, referring to the objects uncovered there. He said the discoveries could explain more about the region’s past and contribute to its cultural importance.
Şenyurt said Kurul could serve as an example for future archaeological work. “There is hidden cultural heritage in the eastern Black Sea region, which is covered by vegetation,” he said. He believes the excavation could encourage further investigations into the region’s archaeological past.
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