Gordion Dig House and Yassihoyuk

The Gordion dig house.

I am staying at the dig house, located in the Yassihoyuk, the ancient city of Gordium. The house is a quaint wooden structure with mud brick/plaster walls. There are 7 bedrooms in the house, and most of the rooms are shared between 3-4 people. There is a long tradition of villagers who work at the house. The original cook and house manager started when he was a young teen and has recently passed. The current house manager began working here in his teens, and currently, his 16 year old nephew, Arda, is being trained on house and kitchen duties.

By bed at the Gordion dig house.

While the house is rustic, we do have modern bathrooms and showers, which are located in a separate structure. Our meals are prepared by the house staff, and our laundry is sent out twice a week. Since Gordion Excavations has been around for so long, there are many traditions that give life here a wonderful sense of charm. For instance, everyone meets 5 times a day, for the 4 meals (breakfast, second breakfast, afternoon tea, and dinner) and for cocktail hour, which occurs right before dinner. Arda rings a bell when each meal is ready. Several of us work at the museum and tomb, so Ken, the director, brings second breakfast to us everyday. Many people have been working together at Gordion for double digit years, giving it a family-like atmosphere.