Astatue depicting Apollo, a god associated with fire, light, sun and reality in Greek mythology, was found during the excavations in the ancient city of Prusias ad Hypium in northwestern Turkey's Düzce province.

According to a statement by Düzce Municipality, excavation teams and archaeologists have been continuing their research in the ancient city, located in the Konuralp region, with the permission of the Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums. During their latest work focused on the area in front of the ancient theater's stage in Prusias ad Hypium, they discovered several historical statues. Among the statues, the one depicting Apollo stands out due to its intact state.

A view of the parts of the Apollo statue found in the ancient city of Prusias ad Hypium, Düzce, Aug. 19, 2022. (DHA Photo)

After the discovery, experts contacted to the Istanbul Archeology Museums for the recovery phase of the sculptures.

The ancient city of Prusias ad Hypium was known as “Hypios” and “Kieros” in earlier periods. It was captured by Prusias I of Bithynia, and the people of Bithynia named the city in honor of their king.

However, Bithynia later went bankrupt due to the opulent lifestyle of its citizens. The people of Bithynia bequeathed the kingdom to the Romans, which started the Latin influence on the city. The city was already rich in terms of architecture but flourished more under the Romans. It became known as Prusias ad Hypium.

The city then passed into the hands of the Byzantines and Ottomans, respectively. Under the Ottoman rule, it was handed over to Konuralp Bey, one of the first Turkish commanders who served in the establishment of the empire, by Osman Ghazi, the founder of the empire. This is how the region of the city received its current name, Konuralp.