It appears that
I have missed the construction of the new museum for the mosaics saved from Zeugma.
Since 2011, the Gaziantep Museum of Archaeology has housed the rich
collection from the earlier Zeugma Mosaic Museum,
and in 2017 the revamped museum finally reopened to the public. With its
Zeugma reached headlines in 1990 when the Dam of Ataturk on the
Looking at the events from the positive side, I have to admit that parts of Zeugma have been saved and preserved. They include the Hellenistic Agora, the Roman Agora, two sanctuaries, a theater, a Stadium, two bathhouses, and several necropolises. The Romans left their marks with a Legion’s Military Base, the city walls, and a good number of residential quarters. Archaeologists recognize the historical significance of this once prosperous city that has preserved testimonies from the ancient Semitic culture, Hellenistic and Roman occupation, and beyond.
Since its
foundation as
As can be expected, most of the mosaics exhibited at The Gaziantep Museum of Archaeology date from the 2nd century BC and are very much Hellenistic in style and imagery. However, there are exceptions where the scenes are purely Roman or display Greek and Roman gods side by side. Less often mentioned are the rare mural frescos that survived the earthquakes and mudslides that led to the abandoning of Zeugma.
Several
exceptional mosaics have been recovered in
extremis from one of the residential villas, of which there must be many
more. Imagine how much of old
No comments:
Post a Comment