Turkey uncovers one of Anatolia's largest Roman villas at Pompeiopolis

Archaeologists excavating in the Kastamonu province of northern Turkey have uncovered a massive Roman villa in the ancient city of Pompeiopolis. The residence, spanning roughly 3,000 square metres and possibly larger, is ranked among the three biggest Roman villas ever found in Anatolia. Its lavish floor mosaics, judged to be comparable in quality to the famed Zeugma mosaics, are being painstakingly dismantled, cleaned and restored.

The 2025‑2026 excavation season involves a team of 45 specialists, including 15 Italian archaeologists, led by Dr. Mevlüt Eliyuşuk of Karabük University. Work is focused on the triclinium, a 112‑square‑metre dining hall, with the aim of preserving the mosaics and eventually opening the site to tourists. The villa dates to the 2nd century CE and was inhabited for nearly four centuries until the 6th century.