Archaeologists have uncovered a rare ancient river port beneath the historic Greek city of Trabzon (Greek: Tραπεζοῦς) on Turkey’s Black Sea coast — a city founded in the 8th century BCE.
The structure, buried nearly eight meters (about 26 feet) below the modern city, is connected to the Kuzgundere Stream and is now recognized as one of only three known river harbors identified worldwide.
Researchers say the discovery sheds new light on the long commercial history of Trapezus, which began as a trading outpost established by settlers from Miletus. While the surviving quay dates to the early Roman period, the city’s maritime identity traces back to its Greek foundation.
A rare inland harbor system
Unlike traditional sea harbors built directly along open coastlines, river ports functioned as controlled transfer points between inland waterways and maritime routes. Such systems were uncommon in the ancient world and required advanced engineering to connect land caravans with ships.
Architectural analysis dates the quay to between the 1st century BCE and the 1st century CE, during the early Roman era. Stone construction methods support this timeline. However, archaeological layers show the harbor remained active for centuries after its initial construction.
Researchers say the port likely expanded upon earlier Greek commercial traditions. In 401 BCE, the Greek historian and soldier Xenophon described reaching Trapezus during the retreat of the Ten Thousand in his work Anabasis. His account confirms the city was already a functioning Greek maritime hub centuries before Roman rule.
A harbor shaped by four civilizations
Archaeological evidence shows the port operated continuously from the Roman period through the Byzantine and Ottoman eras, and into the early years of the Turkish Republic.
Roman stonework forms the core of the quay wall. Byzantine ceramics and structural repairs indicate later use. Ottoman modifications suggest the space was adapted for storage and commercial handling of goods.
Beneath modern Trabzon, archaeologists uncovered a rare ancient river port linked to the Greek colony of Trapezus. Dating to the Roman era, the quay shows 2,000 years of continuous Black Sea trade and complex inland logistics.#Archaeology #AncientGreece #BlackSea pic.twitter.com/pJXjae0M1B
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) February 11, 2026
In the early Republican period, parts of the harbor were built over as urban expansion intensified. Eventually, the structure disappeared beneath modern development. Researchers describe the site as a long-standing commercial asset reshaped by successive empires rather than a short-lived installation.
Massive quay wall and trade complex uncovered
Excavations intensified in 2024 after preliminary digs revealed the wall extended deeper than expected. Archaeologists uncovered a quay wall measuring approximately 135 meters (443 feet) long and about 2 meters (6.5 feet) thick.
The wall includes evidence of two large gates. One features an arched design, while the other appears older. Experts believe these gates controlled the movement of goods between docked vessels and adjacent storage or market areas.
Additional perpendicular walls found at lower levels are interpreted as possible warehouse foundations or commercial shops. Their layout suggests the port formed part of an organized trade district rather than a simple docking site.
Artifacts confirm Black Sea trade networks
Objects recovered during excavation underline Trabzon’s international connections. Among the most notable finds is an oil lamp produced in Crimea, discovered near the quay’s front section. Archaeologists say the artifact provides concrete evidence of trade between Trabzon and Crimea, an important commercial partner in Black Sea exchange networks.
Byzantine-era pottery fragments, ceramic vessels, and everyday trade goods were also uncovered. Some materials date to periods before the Common Era. These finds push the documented commercial history of the city further back than many written sources suggest. Experts note that imported objects often provide stronger proof of trade relations than surviving texts.
Careful restoration underway
The quay wall suffered damage over centuries, particularly from modern cement-based repairs that trapped moisture and stressed the ancient masonry.
Restoration teams are removing incompatible materials and replacing them with lime-based mortar. Hydraulic lime injections are being used to stabilize internal voids. Once reinforcement is complete, conservators will repair joints and install a protective capping system to prevent water infiltration.
Specialists stress that preservation efforts aim to protect the original fabric of the structure without altering its historical character.
A deeper understanding of ancient logistics
Founded as Trapezus, the city occupied a strategic position linking Anatolia, the Caucasus, Persia, and the Black Sea. Greek merchants first integrated it into regional maritime trade. Roman authorities later reinforced their infrastructure. Byzantine and Ottoman administrations adapted it to new economic realities.
The newly identified river port confirms that Trabzon’s economy relied not only on open-sea access but also on complex internal harbor systems that allowed goods to move efficiently between land and sea routes.
Archaeologists say the Pazarkapı river port offers rare insight into how ancient cities designed flexible trade infrastructure capable of surviving shifting political powers.
The discovery stands as one of the most significant archaeological finds in the Black Sea region in recent years. Beneath modern Trabzon lies a maritime legacy shaped first by Greek colonists and sustained for nearly two thousand years by successive civilizations that depended on its strategic gateway between continents.
