Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient statue buried beneath a park in central Istanbul, the Istanbul municipality announced on Monday.

The statue, believed to be from the Roman era, is of a torso wearing a himation, an outer wrap worn by men and women in ancient times, the municipality said in a press release.

The statue was found one meter underground at the Sarachane Archaeological Park at the Sarachane neighborhood. The park locates at the site of the ruins of the 1500-year-old Saint Polyeuktos Church.

Built between 524-527 AD, the church remained in use until the end of the 10th century. The church remained lost to time until 1960 when the construction of an underpass in Sarachane uncovered ruins. Istanbul Archaeological Museums and Oxford University began excavating the site in 1964 and found the church's foundations before the works paused four years later.

Now, the site of the church is a park in the Fatih district on the European side that frequently hosts archaeology-related events for the public.

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's Heritage Department restarted excavation at the park in June 2022. In addition to the Roman statue, the excavations have also unearthed 681 bronze coins, stamped bricks, pieces of marble, ceramics, oil lamps, and glass and metal artifacts.

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