IstanbulGuide |
Istanbul`s ancient past unearthed
Digging through thick mud and an ancient swamp of black clay, archaeologists in Istanbul have discovered a grave that proves the city is 6,000 years older than they previously thought. The skeletons of two adults and two children lie curled-up, perhaps to save space. Alongside them are pots: gifts placed in the grave to use in the afterlife. The ancient family was unearthed at the site of a 21st Century rail project. Marmaray Project Istanbul
Project Background The idea of a railway tunnel under the Istanbul Strait was first raised in 1860. However, where the tunnel under the Istanbul Strait crosses the deepest parts of the Strait, the old-fashioned techniques would not allow the tunnel to be on or under the seabed, and therefore the design indicated a "floating" type of tunnel placed on pillars constructed on the seabed. Such ideas developed further during the following decades, and a similar design was developed in 1902 also showing a railway tunnel under the Istanbul Strait, but this design indicates a tunnel placed on the seabed. Since then, several different ideas have been tested and new te |