Mosacis in Turkey |
All around Anatolia, it is possible to come across the most beautiful examples of mosaic art made of fragments of tiles and pottery which, in history, was first applied by the Sumerians 5000 years ago. The unique mosaics from the Roman and Byzantine Empires, which survived the historical events and natural disasters, are today on display in major museums of Turkey. The world's second and third biggest mosaic museums are found in Antioch (Antakya) and Zeugma (Gaziantep).
In addition to the ancient and Byzantine mosaics, Anatolien is also embellished by the mosaics pertinent to the Islamic era. Islamic architecture used mosaic technique to decorate mosques and palaces since the Arabs conquered the eastern provinces of the Byzantine Empire in the 7th century.
| The Great Palace Mosaics Museum, Istanbul |
In ancient times, the palatial hill from the Sea of Marmara to the Hippodrome. The palatial district extended from Hagia Sophia and the Hippodrome to the cost line, where the sea wall acted as a mighty boundry of great military value. Its basic layout, first determined by Emperor Constantine, soon housed a collection of state buildings with courtvards, throne rooms and auidience rooms, churces and chappels gardens and fountains, libraries, assembly buildings, thermal baths and stadiums. Throughout the centuries palaces decayed due to fires, earthquakes, and other reasons. Finally, whatever remained were covered by earth.
British scientists from the University of St. Andrews in Edinburg made extensive excavations at the Arasta Bazaar in Sultan Ahmet square (1935-38) and (1951-54). Which partly opened up one of the south-western buildings, so called "Great Palace". The Great Palace had got a big courtyart with perisyle (1872 mē). It was decorated with mosaics. It was at this point that the Austrian Academy of Sciences undertook to rescue. (Supervised by Prof. Dr. Werner Jobst) study ane preserve the famous palace mosaic and to carry out additional archeological examinations (1983-1997) within the scape of a cooperation project with the Directorate General of Monuments and Museums in Turkey.
When the peristylle of The Great Palace was redone under Justinian I. (527-565). The Great Palace mosaic was the largest and the most beautiful landscape in antiqity (VI. century A.D). No where in the world of late antiquity can we find a building with a tessellated pavement of similar size and perfection of workmanship. It was probably made by an imperial workshop that surely have employed the best craftmen gathered from all corners of the Empire, guided by a master artist. It is this circumstance which makes it difficult to compare the piece with creations, and thus to date it by means of typological and stilistic methods. Composing the tessalated pavement, with its many coloured lime, terracotta and glass cubes of 5 mm. One square metre of floor space consumed about 40.000 cubes, which makes for 80.000.000 tesserae for entire area. The mosaic was brought to light only in fragmenta and sections, which together make-up about one seventy the original expance, but these suffice to convice us that it is one of the most magnificent compositions known to us from antique mosaic art.
In The Great Palace Mosaic the main field of the composition was 6 metres in width. On either side of its edge it is accompained by an exquisitely arranged border of folliage each 1.50 metres wide, sufficient to cover the entire hall depth of 9 metres with a tesselleted pavement. The frame is dominated by a highly naturalistic acantus scroll. Acantus are filled with masked heads, exotic fruit and animals. The frame, which sembolises a garden of eden. After frame when looking at the scenes we find a movement from left to right in the notheastern hall. The pictures describe open-air scenes, the life of herdsmen the labour of peasants and the prowess of huntsmen. Scenes of children playing of wilde beast and grazing animals alternate with mythological motifs animal fables and fabulous creatures from exotic countries, animals, hunting, games, bucolic scenes nature and myths are the leading themes in the succession of pictures. On surviving parts of the mosaic we still count 90 different themes populated by some 150 human and animal figures.
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| Kariye Chora Mosaics Museum, Istanbul |
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This church near Edirnekapi at Istanbul is famous for its mosaics and frescoes. It was built by Maria Dukaina, mother - in - law of Byzantine Emperor Alexius Komnenos, and was later expanded. It was dedicated to Jesus Christ. Most of the mosaics and frescoes were made during 1305-1320. It was converted into a mosque during the reign of Bayezit II. It was restored in 1929, the mosaics revealed and, after Ayasofia, was opened to public as a museum. It is also referred to as the Mosaic Museum.
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| The Great Palace Mosaics Museum |
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| Kariye Chora Mosaics Museum |
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| Zeugma Mosaics Museum, Gaziantep |
Zeugma is an ancient city of Commagne, currently located in the town of Nizip, forty-five kilometers away from Gaziantep.
The significance of Zeugma is the Roman villas and their floor mosaics. Zeugma had captured the public attention, when the Birecik Dam Project brought up the possibility that Zeugma could have been inundated under the dam's waters. Majority of the Roman villas were brought to day light within the framework of a rescue excavation which was intensified in 2000. Yet, the total of the excavations, which were originally started in 1987, have discovered only a small number of these unique mosaics.
Today in the Zeugma Mosaics Museum 500 meter square-wide mosaics, 35 mosaic panels as well as the famous 1, 50 cm-long bronze Mars and Aphrodite statutes are in display. The museum is proudly the second biggest mosaic museum of the world.
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| Antakya Mosaics Museum, Hatay |
Scientific excavations were started for the first time in 1932 in Hatay and collected Roman art 2 and 3 centuries old, are the property of Antoninus and Severius period .Roman and Byzantine mosaics found in to the structure of Zeus, Tethys Okeanos, Apollon, Psykhe, Eros, Satyros, Aphrodite, Baccus .Construction of the the Hatay Archaeological Museum began in 1934, inspired in part by the excavations of ancient Antioch that began in 1932 and on the recommendation of the French archaeologist M. Prost. The museum was completed in 1938, and a year later the Hatay province was reunited with Turkey. The museum was reorganized and reopened in 1948, and again in 1975.
The collection of the Hatay Archaeological Museum is spread throughout seven rooms and two halls, arranged according to where the artifacts were found. The rooms are tall and full of large windows, providing plenty of natural light. Most of the labels are in Turkish and English.
One of the most famous mosaics in the Antakya Museum is the Megalopsychia Hunt Mosaic, a large mosaic pavement dating from 450-75 AD. Discovered in Yakto village near Daphne, the mosaic is especially celebrated for its border, which depicts major landmarks and daily activities in ancient Antioch and Daphne. It is an important source for archaeologists, since virtually no structures from these ancient cities survive today.
Other highlights of the superb mosaic collection include the Boat of Psyches, the Drinking Contest, a rare Menander with Glykera and Comedy, the Buffet Supper with dishes full of ancient foods, and the magical Evil Eye mosaic that was intended to deflect curses from a 2nd-century home.
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| Edessa Mosaics Museum, Sanliurfa |
Urfa was reconstructed by Seleukos on the ruins of greek city remains and it was named as Edessa. Urfa had a very important cultural position with the reign of Edessa Kingdom. This reign continued 376 years. So far more than 100 mosaiscs have been discovered in Urfa. Most of the mosaics found out in Yakubiye neighbourhood. Here was a cemetery of 'Selama's son Abgar' The Edessa kingdom was making the portrays of family members of the dead person on the floor of tomb.(for example; Abgar Mosaics). It is estimated that there had been lots of mosaics craftmans in Urfa at that period. The mosaics done in Urfa reflect the Parth art which is persian origined in style and technique. The frame motives has been taken classical Greek- Roma repertoir.
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| Misis Mosaics Museum, Adana |
Located between Adana and Ceyhan, on the historical Silk Road, at a distance of 26 km. from Adana.
It is a museum where various periods can be viewed in chronological order and floor mosaics belonging to a Basilica located within the boundaries of the Misis Ancient City is exhibited in situ. It was discovered in 1956 and the the mosaic covered area was revealed by prof. Dr. H. Theodor Bosset and Dr. Ludwig Budde from the German Archaeology Team, who at the time were carrying out excavations at the Misis mound.
At the very center of the composition there is chicken coop built in the shape of a table or side table surrounded by 23 birds or fowl taken by Noah onto his ship and behind this group there are various wild and domestic animals. It is from 4th century.
Misis Mosaic Museum has been enriched with the transfer of works which were taken to the Adana Museum after the Misis Mound excavations and the mosaics which were previously kept there, and by bringing together the dispersed architectural elements found around Misis.
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