A 1,500-year-old pair of lady’s sandals adorned with a heartwarming message inscribed in Greek was discovered in Istanbul by archaeologists. The message, which reads “Use in health, lady, wear in beauty and happiness,” adds an element of charm to this already remarkable Eastern Roman (Byzantine) era discovery.
The discovery of these Byzantine-era sandals was just one small part of a booty of as many as 60,000 artifacts that have been uncovered in Constantinople’s ancient Harbor of Eleutherios since 2004. These priceless artifacts, are currently undergoing preservation at the Istanbul Archaeological Museum until a permanent home is found for them, Ancient Origins reported.
The sandals were found along with a range of artifacts, but despite the impressive size of the collection, the pair of sandals has quickly become the museum’s hottest attraction. Scholars believe that the sandals belonged to a Greek woman from the Byzantine Empire, according to a report published in Arkeonews.
The discovery serves as a testament to the importance of the highly ambitious Marmaray project, a major infrastructure project taking place in Istanbul that has involved the construction of a railway tunnel under the Bosporus, connecting the European and Asian sides of the city.
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