An ancient marble statue, estimated to be 2,500 years old, has been discovered in Sardis, an ancient city referenced in the Book of Revelation. The fifth-century B.C. artifact was recently announced by Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Sardis is located in Manisa’s Salihli district, approximately 45 miles from İzmir.

Excavation teams have revealed the well-preserved facial features of this monumental statue at the archaeological site. The statue, depicting a young man, stands about 7.2 feet tall.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy praised the find as an “extraordinary discovery.” Pictures show the sculpture originally used as paving material during Roman times, which preserved its details over centuries.

Ersoy noted that specific clothing details point to Lydian cultural influences. The statue, seen holding a fruit, provides insights into life, religious practices, and cultural interactions in Sardis during that era.

Officials have described its “larger-than-life dimensions” as rare for its time. The young man wears a thick himation and a chiton with distinct horizontal lines, showcasing unique local characteristics not observed in similar Greek or Anatolian sculptures.

Sardis was the capital of the ancient Lydian Kingdom and later a significant city in the Persian Empire, the era to which this statue belongs. The city is identified as one of the seven churches in Asia Minor addressed in the Book of Revelation.

Plans are underway to examine the statue for any remaining paint traces, as ancient marble statues were often painted. Conservators will carefully remove the hardened deposits covering the statue.

Upon completion of conservation and restoration, the statue will be exhibited at the Manisa Museum in western Turkey. This discovery is among the recent archaeological finds from cities mentioned in the Book of Revelation. Notably, an ancient mosaic was found in Smyrna, and in Ephesus, archaeologists uncovered a Roman-era marble bathtub and a statue fragment reused as pavement.