Luxurious 1,700-year-old Roman bathhouse unearthed by archaeologists after surprise discovery

Archaeologists recently unearthed an ancient Roman bathhouse in Turkey – a relic as luxurious as it is old.

The discovery was covered by Turkey’s Anadolu Agency (AA). A landowner in the area was planting sour cherry saplings in 2023 when he stumbled across a Roman-era floor mosaic. 

Thanks to underground imaging radar, archaeologists found the bathhouse about 230 feet south of the mosaic.

MYSTERIOUS 1,600-YEAR-OLD SETTLEMENT EMERGES FROM SOIL WITH RARE ROMAN MILITARY FINDS

The 1,700-year-old structure, which measures 75 square meters, dates back to the Late Roman era. 

It had an underfloor heating system and distinct cold, warm and hot zones – the ancient equivalent of a modern spa, AA noted.

The bathhouse also featured sweat rooms, pools and separate channels for clean water and wastewater.

Turkish officials plan to open up the site for tourism in the future. 

ARCHAEOLOGISTS EXCAVATE ANCIENT WORKSHOP WITH UNFINISHED SCULPTURES ON GREEK ISLAND

Ahmet Demirdağ, provincial director of culture and tourism, told AA the bathhouse and mosaic are just a few of many “significant remains” in the area. 

“The bath is truly a distinctive and important structure.”

“Looking at it overall, we believe this area was an urban settlement,” Demirdağ observed. 

“We will continue our excavations.”

Excavation site archaeologist Emre Çayır told AA the bathhouse is likely the first of its kind in the area.

“The fact that this architectural layout has survived to the present day is important,” he said.

Çayır added, “The cold, warm, and hot sections have survived with their full, planned engineering intact. In this respect, we can say the bath is truly a distinctive and important structure.”

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The bathhouse is one of many fascinating discoveries made in Turkey in recent months.

Over the summer, archaeologists discovered a fifth-century Christian church with an ominous message that hadn’t been seen in over 1,000 years.

Earlier in 2025, archaeologists announced the discovery of ancient bread in central Turkey. 

The loaf dated back to the Bronze Age.