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A few years ago, the world’s largest intact ancient mosaic opened to the public in Antakya, Turkey.
The sixth-century stone mosaic, spanning some 1,200 square meters and made up of geometric shapes and non-repeating figures, was probably used as a public space in its time, archaeologists believe.
The stone is distinctive due to its curved, rug-like surface, and the artifact grew curved as a result of earthquakes in 526 and 528 AD.
Despite the quakes, however, the mosaic never broke, and made it to the present day intact and unbroken.Unearthing the piece took nine years of hard work, and other historical artifacts were brought out during the excavation.
The massive mosaic proved that the mosaics of Antakya – ancient Antioch, in the Hatay province – are the finest historical artifacts not only in Turkey, but in the entire world.Note: I hope it survived this last earthquake. “A series of devastating earthquakes and aftershocks in Turkey and Syria, which have left more than 21,000 people dead, have also badly damaged cherished cultural landmarks in the region. According to an NBC news report, the United Nations cultural agency Unesco has found that several historic structures in the ancient cities of Antakya, Sanliurfa and Aleppo sustained damage or collapsed completely in the wake of the quakes.” But I was unable to find the status on this particular mosaic.
Done in colored pencil by a friend of mine.
Stunning photography
Made from shells and sea glass.
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