Abstract:

In the north part of Bursa Hisar Region from Tophane Park to Haşim İşcan Park where today Officer’s Club is also located, remains of a structure associated with ‘Beysarayı’ as it’s mentioned in the old recordings exist. According to the decision of Bursa Region’s Preservation Board date: 17.02.2000, number:7712 , the city walls and it’s vicinity declared as the first degree archaeological site and the inner part as the third degree. In 2007, Osmangazi Municipality initiated the project of ‘Geophysical Research for Archaeological Purposes in Hisar Region of Osmangazi Municipality’ to determine the archaeological potentiality of the region using geophysical ground penetrating radar, seismic and electrical resistivity methods. Because of the intense settlement in the region, plausible excavation areas are very rare and therefore application of the archaeo-geophysical techniques is restricted in these settled areas. However, open spaces with potential of the ancient structures are identified and studies are focused around 1 Sümbüllü Bahçe Mansion, 2 Haşim İşcan Park, 3 Tophane Park, 4 Gardens of Officer’s Club, 5 Yerkapı and 6 Fetih Kapı. A total of 8228m radar recordings taken along various profiles within the Hisar Region using 250 MHz antenna. Remains of some old foundations, natural caves and vaults had been found in Hisar Region by the limited number of excavations during the Republican era. In the investigation area, there is an artificial fill having 2 or 3 layers with a total thickness of 2-4m on a travertine basement of geothermal origin. It’s presumed that ground penetrating radar records in Hasim İşcan Park and parking lot at NW side of Hisar Region might indicate the ruins of ancient walls, channels or even some vaulted structures. ‘Beysarayı’ which had been used by the authorities during the Bithynia, Byzantine and Ottoman periods -without any clear document such as a plan, etc.- is recently located on Officer’s Club area. Total length of ground penetration radar records in the garden of Officer’s Club along 51 profiles is 1571m. Plenty of anomalies possibly refferring to the remains of some old structures have been identified in this region. Group-I Anomalies next to the northern walls of the garden, especially radar anomalies appeared on O23 profile correspond with the location of a structure marked on Suphi Bey Map 1982 . These anomalies are evaluated as ‘to be examined first’ with a rescue excavation

Keywords: