Historic Larende Gate and a 195-metre stretch of city wall uncovered in Konya

Excavations are under way in Konya, Türkiye, to uncover the historic Larende Gate and the city walls. On October 22, Konya Metropolitan Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay toured the dig with journalists, and Konya Museum Director Ömer Faruk Türkan briefed them on the work.

The excavations have revealed the gate's original stones and walls, along with stretches of wall and bastions to its east and west. The gate's foundations, the piers of a wooden bridge in front of it and a moat were also found. The exposed wall is about 195 metres long, and the gate is thought to have been a monumental structure some 24–25 metres high from its foundations.

Excavation of one of the two eastern bastions is finished and work continues on the other. Research indicated that the walls may have survived here because buildings in the Larende area were single-storey and had no basements. Restoration and reconstruction began before the dig was complete, and officials noted that Konya served as a capital for about 200 years.