Bayburt: Archaeological excavations have begun at Bayburt Castle, a centuries-old fortress in eastern Trkiye that once served as a strategic stronghold along the historic Silk Road, revealing traces of settlements dating back thousands of years.

According to Anadolu Agency, the excavation project, launched by Trkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, aims to uncover the history of the castle, which was ruled by Roman, Byzantine, Arab, and Turkish civilizations over the centuries. Located on rocky hills overlooking the city of Bayburt, the castle was used as both a military outpost and a residential area. Its exact construction date remains unknown, but researchers say new findings could shed light on different periods of settlement at the site.

A 51-member excavation team, including academics from Istanbul Medeniyet University, has been working in two areas of the castle for about a month, uncovering new settlement remains and numerous artifacts. The castle covers an area of around 150,000 square meters (1.5 million square feet), making it one of the largest castle complexes in Trkiye. Its surrounding walls stretch about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) and rise up to 30 meters (98 feet) in some sections.

Bayburt Governor Mustafa Eldivan said authorities aim to transform the castle into a major cultural and tourism destination. 'We want to open this site to history, tourism and our cultural life. Our citizens are very excited about this,' Eldivan told Anadolu. He said excavations have already uncovered new settlement areas and remains believed to be linked to the 19th-century Ottoman-Russian War. The governor said archaeological evidence shows that the castle remained a place of habitation until relatively recent times.

Resul Yelen, an assistant professor at Istanbul Medeniyet University's Department of Art History and head of the excavation team, said researchers have identified five structures, including possible homes and workplaces. 'In one of these areas, we found cooking remains and a tandoor oven,' Yelen told Anadolu. The team also discovered evidence believed to be linked to the Ottoman-Russian War of 1828, including burned walls, charred wooden remains, and a layer of destruction. 'We believe these fire traces were most likely caused by the 1828 Ottoman-Russian War,' Yelen said.

Yelen said some ceramic fragments discovered at the site could date back to around 3000 B.C., indicating the presence of the Early Bronze Age Kura-Araxes (Karaz) culture, which spread across parts of the Caucasus and eastern Anatolia. 'Today, we have confirmed that the Karaz culture, centered around the Caucasus and Erzurum, also existed in Bayburt,' he said. Researchers have also found clay pipe fragments, coins, glass bracelets, metal cannonballs believed to have come from an Ottoman ammunition store, and ceramics from the Byzantine, Seljuk, Saltukid, and Ottoman periods. Of the five structures identified, three have been excavated so far, with work on a fourth expected to begin within weeks. Alongside archaeological excavations, restoration work will also be carried out at Bayburt Castle, officials said.