Turkey unearths rare statues of Roman Emperor Hadrian, Empress Sabina in ancient Mediterranean city

Nearly 2,000-year-old statues of Roman Emperor Hadrian and his wife, Empress Sabina, have been restored after being unearthed at the ancient city of Kibyra, Turkey’s Council of Higher Education (YOK) announced in late August.

Kibyra, located in southwest Turkey on the Mediterranean coast, came under Roman rule as part of the province of Asia in 133 BCE, following the Roman Republic's annexation of the Attalid Kingdom.

The two statues were among four discovered in recent excavations to uncover one of the city's key structures, the Monumental City Gate, spearheaded by a team from Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKU).

Standing at a height of approximately 2.14 meters after restoration, Hadrian’s statue is made of high-quality marble taken from the Afyon-Iscehisar region. 

The statue’s portrait confirmed that it belonged to Hadrian, making it an important, rare example of depictions of the emperor found in Anatolia, explained MAKU Professor and Kibyra Excavation Director Dr. Sukru Ozudogru.

Total of 20 statue fragments found at site

Ozudogru explained that the statues are thought to have been carved around 130 CE, in the midst of Hadrian’s reign.

He added that they may have been commissioned ahead of a visit by Hadrian to the region, as was common practice in the Roman period.

Hadrian’s statue is depicted wearing military garb, with the features of a lion and eagle carved into the emperor’s armor.

The statue of Sabina, while standing at the same height as Hadrian’s statue, is not as complete and is still missing fragments that archaeologists are hoping to uncover in future excavations. 

An additional armored emperor statue, standing at roughly 1.86 meters tall; a female statue whose upper and lower body were found in two separate pieces; and a 30-centimeter-tall male statue head were also found at the gate dig site.

All four statues are thought to have been displayed on the upper part of the gate and have already been found at the gate,

Özüdoğru said, explaining that they had likely shattered after falling during the earthquake of 417 CE.

Once the four statues have been restored as completely as possible, they will be carefully transported and put on display at the Burdur Museum.

Twenty statue fragments, including arms, legs, and feet, have been unearthed in total during excavations in the city.

Notably, a bust of the Graeco-Egyptian deity Serapis and a statue of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, were found in 2019. A year later, an additional statue of Asclepius and the head of a bust of Serapis were found as well.

Over 2,000 blocks moved since start of excavations 

Ozudogru noted that excavations on the gate, which has since antiquity collapsed into a pile of blocks, began in 2025.

Since, about 2,500 blocks have since been moved and taken in for classification and cataloguing.

According to him, the team will be able to complete excavations of the structure in one more season, and then the project could move forward into the formal restoration and redesign of the ancient gateway.

"These efforts also allow us to better understand Anatolia's history and the interaction between different civilizations throughout time,” said YOK President Erol Ozvar. “We consider it extremely important that our universities contribute to uncovering our history and cultural heritage through scientific research, and that they pass on these values to future generations by preserving them."