Nov 14 - The most well-known tourist attraction in Gaziantep is the Zeugma Mosaic Museum. It is currently the largest such museum in the world, with 2,448 square meters of Roman floor mosaics. Prior to its opening in 2011, the Bardo National Museum in Tunis was the largest (I visited that one in 2001). We walk there this morning from the old city. I am impressed with how well maintained the city center is here, with wide sidewalks and clean streets.
The namesake of the museum, Zeugma, was a town on the banks of the Euphrates River east of here, founded during Seleucid times but with continued settlement in Roman times. Little was known of this town outside of Türkiye until a nearby dam project began to raise water levels in the canyon upriver. There was a flurry of activity in 2000 to excavate ancient settlements before they were submerged, and that is when archaeologists realized the immense value of the Zeugma mosaics. The complexity and skill of the artwork is incredible.
I’m a bit taken aback at the hordes of people here today. It is Monday morning, and yet the museum is crowded. I see almost no one I can identify as a foreigner, meaning that the visitors are mostly Turkish.
There are a few other pieces of archaeological interest here, salvaged from the rising waters.
This basalt stele shows the Commagene king Antiochus I shaking hands with Herakles. Antiochus I was the person responsible for the strange god heads scattered on top of Mt. Nemrut. The Commagene pantheon was a mix of Greek and Persian deities, reflecting the border zone that the kingdom straddled.
The Oceanos and Tethys Mosaic. This god and his wife represent rivers and seas, and are often shown with a sea serpent (Cetos) around or between them. Also in the scene are fish, Pan, and Eros riding a dolphin. Originally this formed the floor of a shallow pool.
The god of the Euphrates River, originally an Assyrian deity. He is similar in representation to Oceanos above.
A rendering of Gaia, personification of the earth.
Dionysus in the center, obviously drunk and leaning on the satyr Skyrtos for support. Telete is to his left, maybe trying to pull off his pants.
A rendering of the scene in which Zeus, disguised as a bull, carries off Europa.
A close-up of Oceanus again, in one of the rare displays where I could get really close and the lighting was good. In general there wasn’t so much light available.
This 4th century floor mosaic has some Syriac written on it. It was interesting to see it after all the older Greek lettering. Syriac is a derivation of the Aramaic alphabet, and was a very important language for early Christianity (4th to 8th centuries).
Head back to the old town and walk the alleys, looking at some of the older structures. Gaziantep’s mosques have some very particular minaret designs.
Şirvani Mosque, just south of our hotel. It is one of the oldest in the city, though I never saw a construction date specified.
Boyaci Mosque. Note the use of black and white stones (black are basalts). This is another interesting flourish I have not seen on mosques in other parts of Türkiye.
A small market shop selling spices.
Gaziantep Castle, located on a steep hill in the old city. It is first recorded as a defensive post in Hittite times, greatly expanded under the Romans. It served some use during the Turkish Independence struggle against the French after WWI, when the Ottoman Empire was being carved up by the European powers. To this end, there is an incredibly detailed exhibit in the castle regarding this conflict, touting to no end the Turkish war heroes who took part in that struggle.
A view from Gaziantep Castle, to the west across the newer parts of town.
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