Archaeologists working at the ancient city of Kibyra in south-western Turkey have reconstructed a monumental marble statue of Roman Emperor Hadrian from fragments discovered during excavations, providing a rare example of a nearly complete depiction of the emperor from Anatolia.
The restored statue stands 2.14 metres tall and portrays Hadrian in military dress, with elaborate reliefs decorating his armour. Archaeologists have also uncovered parts of a statue believed to depict his wife, Empress Sabina, alongside the remains of several other Roman sculptures.
The discoveries were made during excavations led by Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ) as part of Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Legacy for the Future Project.
Restoration of the Hadrian statue was completed in 2026 by the excavation and conservation team under the supervision of Professor Ünal Demirer of MAKÜ’s Gölhisar Vocational School.
Hadrian Identified From Surviving Portrait
Excavations at Kibyra have been under way since 2006, with recent work concentrating on the city’s Monumental Entrance Gate.
Professor Şükrü Özüdoğru, head of the Kibyra excavations, said archaeologists discovered fragments belonging to four marble statues that are believed to have once stood in the upper section of the monumental structure.
A particularly important discovery was a well-preserved portrait head of Hadrian. Researchers were subsequently able to join it with an armoured torso uncovered during earlier excavation work, allowing much of the original statue to be reconstructed.
Hadrian ruled the Roman Empire from AD 117 to 138 and travelled extensively through its provinces, including several journeys through Anatolia.
According to the excavation team, the statue’s portrait features provide firm evidence that it represents the emperor.
Lion and Eagle Reliefs Decorate Armour
The statue was carved from high-quality marble, with researchers identifying stone originating from the Afyon-Döğer and İscehisar areas of Turkey.
Hadrian is portrayed as a military commander wearing elaborately decorated armour. Among its most striking features are reliefs depicting a lion and an eagle.
Researchers believe the sculpture dates to around AD 130, placing its production firmly within Hadrian’s reign.
The statue is particularly significant because relatively few substantially complete sculptures of Hadrian are known from Anatolia.
Statues May Have Been Made for Imperial Visit
The location and date of the sculptures have raised the possibility that they were commissioned in preparation for a visit by Hadrian.
Cities throughout the Roman Empire erected statues and monuments honouring emperors, particularly in connection with imperial visits. Hadrian’s extensive travels made such preparations an important way for provincial cities to demonstrate their loyalty and status.
Özüdoğru said there is currently no documentary evidence proving that Hadrian personally visited Kibyra. However, the city may have commissioned the sculptures in anticipation of one of his journeys through Anatolia.
If so, the statues would have formed part of the monumental architectural setting through which visitors entered the city.
Empress Sabina Statue Also Identified
Hadrian was not the only member of the imperial family represented among the discoveries.
One of the four sculptures has been identified as Empress Sabina, Hadrian’s wife. Significant portions of her statue have survived, although some pieces remain missing.
Archaeologists also uncovered an armoured imperial statue approximately 1.86 metres tall, a female statue surviving as separate upper and lower torso sections, and a male portrait head measuring around 30 centimetres high.
Across different phases of excavation, approximately 20 sculptural fragments — including arms, legs and feet — have been recovered from the area.
Researchers hope that further excavation may uncover additional missing pieces, allowing more of the statues to be reconstructed.
Earthquake Likely Shattered Statues
The sculptures appear to have met a violent end during Late Antiquity.
Archaeologists believe they probably fell from the upper section of the monumental gateway during a major earthquake in AD 417. Falling from considerable height would explain why the statues were shattered and why their fragments became dispersed around the structure.
Their remains subsequently lay among the ruins for centuries.
Once conservation and reconstruction work has been completed, all four sculptures are expected to be assembled and placed on public display in the Burdur Museum.
2,500 Stone Blocks Removed From Monumental Gate
The statues form part of a wider archaeological investigation of Kibyra’s Monumental City Entrance Gate, one of the ancient city’s most imposing structures.
The gateway features round towers on either side and a central passage formed by three arches. It stood at a key entrance to the city, where the main road from the necropolis approached the urban centre.
Excavations began at the gate in 2025. Archaeologists initially encountered the monument largely as a collapsed mass of architectural stone.
Around 2,500 individual blocks have since been moved, documented and classified as researchers work to understand the structure and prepare for its eventual restoration.
Excavation of the gateway remains incomplete, with another season of archaeological work expected before the project can move into its full restoration and reconstruction phase.
The discoveries add to the growing archaeological record of Kibyra, an important ancient city whose surviving monuments provide evidence of urban life in Roman Anatolia.
Erol Özvar, head of Turkey’s Council of Higher Education, said the work demonstrated the role universities can play in researching and preserving archaeological heritage, praising the academics and excavation teams involved in the Kibyra project.
Sources : AGENCY
