Tokat, is at the mid Black Sea region of Anatolia. Its Landscape is unuven. The fertile plains watered by the Yesilirmak, Kelkit and the Cekerek drew attention and the area became important for settlement.

As we known Tokat's history started with the first bronze period. The area had become one of the important places of settlement of the Hittites, Phrygs, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans. The archaeological treasures belonging to the first brozne periods, Hittites and the Phrygs, were found at the Aktepe (Bolus) at the central part of Tokat, and the Masat Hoyuk of the Zile region. These were not only the first sites of settlement for Tokat but for the whole of Anatolia. Tokat was also the first place in Anatolia conquered, and settled by the Turks. Yagibasan medresses of Niksar and Tokat, Ulu mosque of Niksar, and the Garipler mosque of Tokat are the important architectural works of the Turkish period.

Tokat was also important during the Ottomans. The voyagers of that period in their writings say that; Tokat is a second beautiful place and appropriate for settlement after Bursa. With its mild climate and geographical position the area became archaeologically one of the rich placces in the world.

Sebastopolis The Antique City
Sulusaray (Sebastopolis) is a town about sixtyeight kilometers from the city centre of Tokat, and about thirty kms. from the city of Artova. The city is situated on a plain surrounded by mountains and the river of Cekerek runs near the city.

The foundation of this antique city is not yet known. According to some sources it was first established in the first century A.D. During the Roman emporer Trajan's period (98-117 A.D.) the city was separeted from the Pontus Galaticus Polaminiacus districts and was included in the Capatocia region. There is an epitaph about this. The epitaph was written as a monument for the Arrian, the Governor of the Capadocia region.

The word Sebastopolis is Greek. Sebasto means huge, great or magnificent. Polis means city. Therefore Sebastopolis means: great, magnificent city. In some of the resources the city was named as Heracleopolis.

Heracleopolis means the city of Herakles. Herakles symbolized power and strength in the Greek and Roman mythology.

Architectural pieces recovered during the diggings organised by the Directorate of the Tokat Museum in 1987, showed that the city was an important place of settlement during the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods.

The pieces recovered at the Comana Pohtica (Antique Tokat) are seen to be very similar to those recovered from the city of Sebastopolis. This let us to think that these two antique cities had a close relationship to each other.

The route running from east to west (Sebastia-Sivas Sebastopolis; Sulusaray, Ankara route) and the route joining southern and central parts of anatolia to the Black Sea coast, passes through Sebastopolis. This shows the importance of the City of Sebastopolis in the network of routes during the Roman and Byzantinian periods.

Localization Plan of The City of Sebastopolis
During our diggins we discovered that the city was surrounded by a city wall. This wall was made from small, neatly cut stones. They were put together without using mortar. These are supported by rectangular ston supports, and at some positions there are semicircular towers. The bath and the temple were also spotted during the digging. The architectural elements found at the surface let us think that the theatre is near the temple.

The palace, other temples, Agora, streets and other public buildings will be found at the end our digging plan.

As far as we discovered, there is a great similarity between our antique city and the antique city of Bergama.

The Temple
The temple was discovered at the northeast side of the city the digging of the wall was going on. The temple has semicircular shaped apsis at the eastern direction, it is cornered from outside and has a smaller semicircular shaped apsis in the inside. The walls are built in blocks. The neatly cut stones are put together without mortar. İnside the big apsis, there is another semicircularly shaped building made from rough stones showing that there had been another addition to the main building. Under the beginning of the curve of the big apsis, just beneath, and under the support of the neatly cut stones, there is a grey coloured octagonal column with writings on it. As it is seen from the remains, the floor of the temple was covered with dark coloured marble. On the eastren part we discovered other insitu marble pieces. These had different colours and were put together in a zigzag pattern, the rest of which is under a house in use for the time being.
We can't say to whom it has devoted till the end of the digging. The marble floor and the circular shape let us to think that the temple belongs to the same period as the Temple of Aesculapius of Bergama Aesculapium.

The Bath
It is situated the eastern part of the antique city. At first the part with the earth floor, with rough stone walls was discovered. Later on the there are neatly cut stones leading to the chamber inside. This wall is built in three steps. Between these steps there are two column bases. One of the bases is still insitu while the other was removed by the peasants years ago. The space between the base insitu and the step was used as a door leading to a chamber with evenly cut stone floor. On the floor there is a water discharging channel which comes from the north-south direction and runs towards the eastwest direction. This shows us that we have not yet discovered the main bathing room and the source of the water. To the south of the steps we discovered two columns placed symetrically. Except for its upper part, one of the columns is still intact. The other column serves as a support to a building which we think was built later on. We also discovered a stone basin to the north of the columns.

The sulphur traces still found on the walls of the bathroom shows us that during the antique period, the water needed was recovered from the thermal spring located about 3 kilometres to the southwest of the city. One thinks that the thermal spring was a holy spring, like the one at the antique Bergama.

The City Wall
The wall found at the eastern part of the city had a height of seventeen meters. It is built from big stones without using mortar. We dug out only three rows of it. There are two rectangular support. about a hundred meters to the east of this wall there is a semicircular building built from laruge stones which is supposed to be a tower.

Open Air Museum of Sebastopolis

The antique pieces recovered in 1987 from the excavations organized by the directorate of the Tokat Museum have been exhibited in an appropriate place. Moore than sixty of these pieces are now on display at an open air theatre given by the Municipality. The theatre is open to the public. The number of the antique pieces on display is increasing every day as we continue our surface digging.

Statue of Lion
Shows a lion sitted. It is dull light brown in colour. The head is missing but the manes can be seen. It is carved on a stone base. There is a picture of a cavalry on a horse on the might be another statue of a lion and they were decorating the etrance of the place of Sebastopolis. Helenistic period 1-3, century B.C.

A Piece of Frieze
A bull's head and a medusa is carved between the girlants. The hair of the medusa is full and neatly arranged. Roman, second century A.D.

A Piece of Frieze
There are bulls head and helezon shaped rosettes carved between the girlants. Hellenistic, 1-3 century B.C.

A Piece of Frieze
Consists of simple rosette and bulls head. Girlants are smooth. Hellenistic, 1-3 century B.C.

Heading of A Column
It is rectangular in shape and it widens at the top. There is a medusa carved at the top and three are elegantly carved acanthus leaves at the bottom. Rest of the faces of the heading are destroyed. Hellenistic, 1-3 century B.C.

Heading of A Column
An interesting heading. It is rectangular in shape and it widens at the top. There are 3 arches on each face. Corners are decorated with leaves.

A Piece of Frieze
A human head carved on a girlant; hanged on the heads of two bulls. On top there is a row of eggs. Hellenistic, 1-3 century B.C.

An Architectural Piece
Most probably belongs to a street decorated by columns. One similar to it is found at the colonnade of Bergama Aesculapium.

An Architectural Piece
Most prabably it belongs to the theatre.

A Piece of A Column
It is made of marble and is one of the piece found at the village.

A Grave Stel
It is triangular at the top. There are leaves carved at the corners, one of which is broken. At the centre of the triangle there are vegetables carved. There are seven rows of writings written in Latin. The bottom part of it is broken. Hellenistic, 1-3 century B.C.

A Grave Stel
Top part of it is broken. There are writings on two sides of a carving. Last row of the writing is quite interesting.

A Grave Stel
The writings is lined by a rectangular boundary. There are cypress and leaf carvings on the top. In the middle there is a shape which is similar to the one on the stel.

A Grave Stel
It is composed of 3 parts: first part is composed of a semicircular arch, and a hole; the second part has a similar but smaller hole, on top of which there are writings and a cross; and the third part has a girlant, most of which is broken.

Epitaph
It is rectangular in shape with eight rows of writings carved on it. The name of the city, "Sebastopolis", can be seen written on the fourth row.

EPITAPH
It is a light brown coloured rock with thirteen rows of writings carved on it.

Epitaph
It is rectangular in shape, with eleven rows of writings, some of which are ruined.

Rescuing Project of Sebastopolis
Sulusaray is a town with 4.000 dwellers, all of whom are still living on top of the antique city. Antique pieces are still used as building materials for their houses. We should evacuate the town so to be able to continue our diggings and protect the further destruction of the antique city. on the 10^th of May, 1988, with the 187 numbered resolution of the Culturel and Naturel Resources Protecting Committee, it was decided that the hoyuk, where the town is situated has a first and third of archaeological importance and therefore the are should be evaculted so as to continue the excavation. They are working going on in progression by the authorities so to evacuate the town and settle the dwellers to another place.

How Can We Reach to Sulusaray
After we rest in the Hotel built at the side of the river of the Yesilirmak, and we visit the historical and natural beauties of the city of Tokat we are ready to see the antique city of Sebastopolis. The city is on the Tokat-Sivas main road.

On the way from Tokat to Sivas we should turn to the right so to reach the town of Artova. This area has a beautiful ladscape. After we visit Artova and Yeşilyurt disctricts we should travel five more kilometers. There, we are in a plain surrounded by mountains. This plain was once the site of the city of Sebastopolis.