Mosaics of Antioch, Zeugma & Edessa

Oceanus (Daphne; 2nd or 3rd century) (Hatay Archaeology Museum, Antakya)

Gipsy Girl (House of Maenad, Zeugma; 2nd or 3rd century) (Zeugma Mosaic Museum, Gaziantep)

Amazons (House of the Amazons, Haleplibahçe; 5th or 6th century) (Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum, Şanlıurfa)

Introduction

These portfolios feature mosaics from three major ancient cities in modern southern Turkey: Antioch, Zeugma, and Edessa.

Antioch on the Orontes (modern Antakya), founded around 300 BC by Seleucus I Nicator, was one of the leading cities of the Hellenistic world and the principal capital of the Seleucid Empire. Under Roman rule, it was one of the largest cities of the empire and a major centre of the eastern Mediterranean. Numerous floor mosaics have been uncovered in Antioch itself, its elegant suburb Daphne, its seaport Seleucia Pieria, and the surrounding region. Dating mainly from the 2nd to the 6th centuries, these works reflect both the city’s prosperity and its cultural diversity. Although Antioch was famed for its luxury and excess, it was also an early stronghold of Christianity. The mosaics reveal a continuity between the artistic traditions of the Greco-Roman world and the emerging visual language of Early Christian art. Their subjects range from mythological and naturalistic scenes to purely geometric patterns. Today, about half remain in the Hatay Archaeology Museum, while others are housed in collections across Europe and the United States.

Zeugma, also founded by Seleucus I, stood on the banks of the Euphrates and took its name from the pontoon bridge that spanned the river. In the Roman period, it flourished as a military and commercial hub, strategically positioned on the empire’s eastern frontier. The city’s mosaics remained largely unknown until the late 20th century, when large-scale excavations were carried out during the construction of the Birecik Dam to salvage artworks threatened by flooding. Dating mainly to the 2nd and 3rd centuries, these mosaics are celebrated for both their artistic sophistication and remarkable preservation. They depict mythological scenes, allegories, and scenes of daily life, offering vivid insights into the tastes, values, and prosperity of the time. Today, they are the centrepiece of the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Gaziantep, the largest mosaic museum in the world.

Edessa (modern Şanlıurfa, or Urfa), in Upper Mesopotamia, was refounded as a Hellenistic city under the Seleucids. From the 2nd century BC until the early 3rd century AD, it served as the capital of the Kingdom of Osroene, a state shaped by Syriac, Greek, Parthian, and Arab influences. Under Roman rule, it was an important frontier city on the border with the Sasanian Empire and a renowned centre of Christian learning. The mosaics unearthed here, dating mainly to the 5th and 6th centuries, are preserved in situ at the Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum.