Source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Archaeologists excavating in the Ciragan Archaeological Park in Istanbul, Turkey, have discovered a cemetery of statues, including a statue depicting one of the ancient Roman gods in the Church of St. Polyeuctus, one of the largest churches built in Constantinople.
The statue dates back to around AD 323, around the same time when the ancient city of Byzantium was chosen as the new capital of the Roman Empire, and the city’s name was changed to Nova Roma, or “New Rome” by Emperor Constantine the Great.
The statue is 20 cm high and 18 cm wide. The left arm and lower body parts were found broken in place. The drawing shows the deity holding a flute, which is a musical instrument consisting of several tubes that are gradually increasing in length.
Archaeologists also recently found a stone stump from the late Roman period, dating back to around the third to fourth centuries AD.