Şişecam Sheds Light on 2,000 Years of Glassmaking History at Perge Ancient City in Its 90th Anniversary

Şişecam, a global player in Turkey's glass industry, is marking its 90th anniversary with a significant project shedding light on glass's ancient roots. The initial analyses of Roman-period glass furnaces and production remains unearthed at Perge Ancient City in Aksu, Antalya—which has been on UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List since 2009—have been completed with Şişecam's support.

Under the project scope, five glass furnaces dating to the 3rd–4th centuries A.D. and surrounding remains are being examined and placed under protection. While Şişecam contributes to the furnaces' restoration, it is also conducting chemical analyses of glass samples found in the excavations at its Science, Technology and Design Centre. Initial findings reveal that both tank-type furnaces for raw material production and shaping furnaces were used in Perge, with direct glass manufacturing taking place. Furthermore, the analyses show that ancient production recipes align with known formulations in the Mediterranean world.

This discovery, which demonstrates that glass-production techniques have remained largely similar from ancient times to today, proves that Perge was one of the leading glass-manufacturing centres of the Mediterranean. The unique findings will also make a significant contribution to Perge's candidacy for UNESCO's permanent World Heritage list. The work conducted with Şişecam's contributions represents a valuable step not only for the archaeology and scientific communities but also for the preservation of Turkey's cultural heritage.