A special screening of the Stratonikeia Gladiators documentary, organized by Muğla Metropolitan Municipality, was held at the Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Cultural Center. Following the screening of the AI-supported documentary, which sheds light on the rich history of the ancient city of Stratonikeia, a talk was held with the participation of Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı and Prof. Dr. Celal Şengör.
Great Interest from Citizens in Stratonikeia Gladiators Event
The event was hosted by the Coastal Aegean Municipalities Union and Muğla Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Aras, and was attended by Muğla Deputy Selçuk Özdağ, Menteşe Mayor Gonca Köksal, Yatağan Mayor Mesut Günay, Köyceğiz Mayor Ali Erdoğan, Muğla Chamber of Commerce President Bülent Karakuş, EPOS7 Association President Arzu Sabancı, Stratonikeia Ancient City Excavation Director Prof. Dr. Bilal Söğüt and many citizens.
Excavation Site Visited
Before the documentary screening, Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı and Prof. Dr. Celal Şengör visited the Ancient City of Stratonikeia and received information about the excavations. Excavation Director Prof. Dr. Bilal Söğüt stated that a total of 2024 artifacts were unearthed in the 762 excavations, and that 592 of these belonged to the ancient period and 170 to the Turkish period. Söğüt emphasized that Stratonikeia was an important center not only in the ancient period but also during the Turkish Principalities period.
Prof. Dr. Ortaylı: “Archaeology and Art Should Go Hand in Hand”
Speaking at the Stratonikeia Gladiators talk, Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı touched upon the archaeological importance of Stratonikeia and said, “The excavations carried out here are being carried out with great care. Archaeology not only brings the past to light, but is also the point where science and art intersect.”
Although Ortaylı evaluated the use of artificial intelligence in documentary production positively, he emphasized that art should always be ahead of technology, saying, “We should bring our artistry, camera, decor and historical knowledge to the forefront.”
“Turkish Became the Language of Science with Archaeological Excavations”
Ortaylı also touched on Byzantine education and Turkish becoming a scientific language in the field of archaeology, saying, “Turkish has gained a strong place in archaeological literature with the excavations and scientific reports. Turkey is one of the richest geographies in the world in terms of archaeological artifacts. Here, there are not only Anatolian civilizations but also a wide cultural heritage extending to Egypt.”
“We Are Actually All Gladiators”
Ortaylı stated that Stratonikeia has been the intersection of many civilizations throughout history and concluded his words by saying, “The Caria region is a place where Hellenic and Persian cultures came together. In order to understand the history of this place, it is necessary to know both Greek and Persian culture well. We are faced with difficulties today, just as we were in the past. That is why historical awareness is very important. We are all actually gladiators.”
Prof. Dr. Şengör: “It is not enough to discover the past, it is necessary to understand it and carry it into the future”
Prof. Dr. Celal Şengör: “Here we see a multi-layered history extending from the gladiator fights in ancient times to the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. The excavations carried out in Stratonikeia and the artifacts found there reveal once again how great a cultural heritage Anatolia has. However, it is not enough to just discover the past; it is also necessary to understand it and carry it into the future. This documentary, prepared with artificial intelligence, opens the door to a new era in historical narration.”
President Aras: “Societies That Do Not Know Their History Cannot Build Their Future”
Muğla Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Aras expressed his pleasure in bringing Stratonikeia together with technology and said, “There are 110 ancient cities in Muğla and each has its own unique history. It is of great importance to protect and promote this vast cultural heritage that extends from Letoon to Labranda, from Halicarnassus to Knidos. When we consider the point that these cities, which had great theaters in ancient times, have reached today, we see that we have not been able to carry the heritage we received from the past far enough. However, societies that do not know their history cannot build their future.”
"Our history covers a wide process starting from ancient times, Anatolia becoming a Turkish homeland, the 600-year Ottoman period and continuing with the Republic. We must build our future on this deep-rooted history. In this sense, we are happy to bring together the past with artificial intelligence technology, to show our citizens a documentary reflecting that period and to keep our history alive," he said.
