German Research Foundation awards funding to a University of Münster excavation project

For more than 20 years, the staff of the Asia Minor Research Centre at the Department of Ancient History of Münster University has been investigating the cultural legacy of the ancient city of Doliche in south-eastern Turkey. The German Research Foundation (DFG) is now funding the project with around 800,000 euros for a further three years. Under the direction of Prof Engelbert Winter, researchers are investigating fundamental aspects pertaining to the construction and development of the ancient city. "In ancient times, Doliche was part of Northern Syria and was known as the home of the Iuppiter Dolichenus, one of the most prominent deities in the Roman Empire. From 2001 to 2015 we carried out excavations in the sanctuary of this god, which lies outside the city area. The results of these excavations are of great importance for the religious history of the Near East. Since 2015, however, the ancient city itself has been the focus of a new research project," explains Engelbert Winter.