It was stolen in 2017! A 1,600-year-old tomb stele was found in Ankara.

The tombstone, which was stolen from the garden of the Museum Directorate where it was exhibited in 2017 and is approximately 1,600 years old, was caught in Ankara.

This tombstone, dating back to the Late Roman period and approximately 1,600 years old, was dedicated to a commander named Diodoros, who served as an Optio (a rank that undertakes almost every duty and therefore performs a variety of tasks) in the Roman Army. It was seized on October 31, 2010, when four individuals, determined to be selling historical artifacts from Nevşehir to the Yalvaç district of Isparta, were stopped near Eğirler Village.

STOLEN IN 2017

The artifact, which entered the inventory of the Yalvaç Museum Directorate and began to be exhibited in 2014, was stolen by unidentified individuals from the garden of the Museum Directorate, located between the Yalvaç Government House and the Courthouse, surrounded by iron railings, in 2017.

The historical artifact, listed in the Missing Cultural Heritage List on the website of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, was returned to the inventory through an operation conducted by the Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Department of the Ankara Police Department.

As a result of the operations, three of the four individuals who were caught and detained were arrested and sent to prison, while one was released under judicial control.