GAZIANTEP, October 22. The second meeting of the Association of Research Institutes and Centers of Turkic World Archaeology (ARICA), operating under the auspices of the Turkic Academy, took place in Gaziantep - one of the most ancient cities of Anatolia.
The event was attended by President of the Turkic Academy Shahin Mustafayev, President of the Turkish Historical Society (Türk Tarih Kurumu) Yüksel Özgen, Chairman of the Turkish Institute of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Şaban Doğan, as well as leading archaeologists and scholars from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, Hungary, and Mongolia.
ARICA was established on the initiative of the Turkic Academy and was officially founded in 2023 in Samarkand. The organization aims to serve as an international platform for joint archaeological research, exchange of experience, and the development of a unified scientific approach to studying the history of Turkic civilization.
The first ARICA meeting was held in 2024 in Shusha, Azerbaijan, where key decisions on the development of joint projects were adopted. The second meeting is now being held in the Turkish city of Gaziantep.
The choice of Samarkand, Shusha, and Gaziantep is symbolic. Each of these cities represents not only an important point on the historical map of the Turkic world but also a guardian of ancient cultural layers connecting the civilizational space from Central Asia to Anatolia.
Speaking at the opening session, President of the Turkic Academy Shahin Mustafayev noted that during the Soviet period, archaeological studies in Turkic republics were conducted within the framework of their national histories, while in Türkiye they mainly focused on classical and Byzantine archaeology. As a result, he emphasized, a unified approach to the archaeology of the Turkic world did not emerge.
“It is necessary to develop the theoretical foundations of the concept of a ‘Common Turkic Archaeology’. This should become one of the key directions of our association’s work,” said Mustafayev.
During the meeting, participants presented reports and presentations detailing the progress of archaeological excavations in their respective countries, shared field experiences, and showcased key research results. At the conclusion of the meeting, they signed a memorandum of cooperation, confirming their commitment to developing joint projects and strengthening scientific collaboration among Turkic world countries.
Earlier in the week, Turkic world archaeologists visited Ankara, where they were introduced to the work of the Anthropology Laboratory and the HÜNİTEK Laboratory of Hacettepe University. In Gaziantep, the participants visited the Archaeometric Laboratory of the Turkish Institute of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, where they familiarized themselves with the latest methods of archaeological analysis and the outcomes of ongoing collaborative research projects.
