"One of the control drillings found the remnant structure of a possible altar," he said. "We excavated the site to see if it had the same architectural structure and characteristics as the temple," said the archaeologist.
Stating that the structure possibly dates back to the first century, Öztepe said the excavations have reached seven meters (almost 23 feet) below the surface, with a deep foundation beneath.
"It mostly lost all of its coatings and architectural ornaments," he added. "It is important that a structure that we can call an altar has been unearthed in front of the temple."
Öztepe pointed out that the structure will be open to visitors once environmental protection measures are taken for their safety. "The altar, as well as the temple, will be explained to visitors," he stated.
He added that visitors will see the visuals of the altar in 3D on a transparent plate and that they will be able to access information related to the structures by scanning a QR code on their smartphones.
