The N.C. Museum of History presents a rare opportunity to hear firsthand about efforts to preserve the rich heritage of Selçuk, located near Ephesus, one of Turkey’s major tourist attractions. Selçuk archaeologist Yusuf Yavaş will be in Raleigh on Saturday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m. to discuss how the city is trying to preserve the excellent remains of its past civilizations, while simultaneously bringing development and prosperity to its citizens. Admission is free for Yavaş’s lecture titled “A City Saves Its Heritage.” Arrive early for a reception at 6:30 p.m.
Selçuk is home to the 14th-century İsa Bey Mosque, the Byzantine St. John Basilica, the Roman aqueduct, the one remaining column of the Temple of Artemis (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World), the Selçuk fort, and a regional museum.
Yavaş will highlight how Selçuk is trying to balance the initiatives to preserve the city’s heritage while preparing future economic opportunities for the region. He will discuss the tensions this brings, and he will share ideas that might combine the two efforts.
Yavaş studied classical archaeology at Erzurum Atatürk University and has worked for the Selçuk municipality since 2004. One of his recent projects took him to the Zeugma salvage excavations in southeastern Turkey.
His United States lecture tour will include a presentation at the Turkish Embassy in Washington. The lecture series is made possible through the support of the American Friends of Turkey.
For more information about the N.C. Museum of History, call (919) 807-7900, access the museum’s website or connect with the museum on Facebook and Twitter. The N.C. Museum of History is a unit of N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. For more information on North Carolina arts, history and culture, visit Cultural Resources online.