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Explanation: In this early May night skyscape, a mountain road near Bursa, Turkey seems to lead toward bright planets Mars and Saturn and the center of our Milky Way Galaxy, a direction nearly opposite the Sun in planet Earth's sky. The brightest celestial beacon on the scene, Mars, reaches its opposition tonight and Saturn in early June. Both will remain nearly opposite the Sun, up all night and close to Earth for the coming weeks, so the time is right for good telescopic viewing. Mars and Saturn form the tight celestial triangle with red giant star Antares just right of...

Excavations at a tower in the Tophane portion of Bursa’s city walls have revealed a basilica from the early Roman era that could be one of the oldest structures ever discovered in the northwestern province. Architect İbrahim Yılmaz, who has been conducting the restoration projects on Bursa’s city walls, said the Tophane city walls restoration project included an area of 1,200 square meters from the north of the Saltanat Gate to the Kaplıca Gate... Speaking about the technical features of the basilica, Yılmaz said: “There is a round apse [the place for religious ceremonies] and a window bay in front...

For more than two centuries, a dark and sinister secret has laid buried deep within the walls of the ancient Bithynian kingdom. Archaeologists excavating the 2,300-year-old remains of the region in modern-day Bursa, Turkey have uncovered a series of dungeons and tunnels that would have been used to lead prisoners to their death. Inside these dungeons, the researchers also found torture chambers, death pits and even a well covered in what appears to be blood. Archaeologists excavating city walls of the 2,300-year-old region of Bithynia in modern-day Bursa, Turkey, have uncovered a series of dungeons and tunnels. Stock image of...