The discovery in southern Turkey of five small round loaves — probably intended for the Eucharist — more than 1,300 years old, one of which features an image of Jesus Christ, took place in Topraktepe, an ancient Roman and Byzantine center known as Irenopolis, located in the present-day Turkish province of Karaman. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Karaman Governorship
ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 16, 2025 / 15:41 pm (CNA).
AteamofarchaeologistshasdiscoveredatasiteinsouthernTurkeyfivesmallroundloaves— probablyintendedfortheEucharist— morethan1,300yearsold,oneofwhichfeatures animageofJesusChrist.
ThediscoverytookplaceinTopraktepe,anancientRomanandByzantinecenterknownasIrenopolis—the“CityofPeace”—locatedinpresent-dayKaramanprovinceinthehistoricalregionofAnatolia.
Theloaves,madewithbarleyanddatingfromthesixthtoeighthcenturies,havebeenexceptionallywellpreservedthankstotheircarbonizationandtheoxygen-freeenvironmentwheretheywerefound.Accordingtoresearchers,theyarethebest-preservedexamplesoftheirtypefoundtodateinAnatolia.
Oneoftheloavesdepictsthef
