29 March 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

1500-Year-Old Mosaic Saved in illegal Excavation Operation

During the illegal excavation operation carried out in Izmir’s Aliağa district, a monastery built during the Roman period and about 1500 years old mosaic were found.

Provincial Gendarmerie Command teams started work upon the notification that illegal excavations were carried out in the mountainous area where there is no means of transportation by vehicle. The teams, which organized an operation to the specified address, caught 2 people trying to take off the historical remains about 2 meters below the ground.

Upon the informing of the gendarmerie, the experts of the Izmir Archeology Museum made an investigation in the region. At the end of the studies, the ruins of a Roman monastery and a 1500-year-old mosaic, which is said to be rare in the world, were found and the region was taken under protection.

The article on the work decorated with ivy motifs, stating that the mosaic was “made by a man from the elders of the church for the welfare of his family” drew attention.

The mosaics will be taken to the museum after the studies. A separate work will be done for the monastery.

izmir mosaic
During the illegal excavation operation carried out in Izmir’s Aliağa district, a monastery built during the Roman period and about 1500 years old mosaic were found. Photo: Mehmet Emin Mengüarslan / AA

“It is a very difficult region to reach”

İzmir Archeology Museum Director Hünkar Keser told Anadolu Agency correspondent that the region is a registered area.

“This is a mountainous region and very difficult to reach. Upon the notification of the gendarmerie, we came to the area with our experts. We detected the floor mosaics. This place was used as a monastery and has a basilica” she spoke.

Stating that the work is of great importance in terms of archeology, Keser said that after the procedures here, they will carry the mosaics to the museum.

Explaining that they estimate that the monastery was used from the 4th century to the 14th century, Keser said, “The mosaics here are very valuable archaeologically. It is located at a point that can be reached by a tractor from the pathways. This is a universal cultural asset and a rare artifact. We will take the mosaic and bring it to the museum. We thank the security forces for their sensitivity. ” found the assessment.

Hünkar Keser added that the experts will initiate more detailed investigations in the region.

Source: Anadolu Agency 

Related Articles

3800-years-old Akkadian Cuneiform Tablet found in Turkey’s Hatay

11 August 2023

11 August 2023

A 3,800-year-old Akkadian cuneiform tablet was found during the archaeological excavations carried out in the Aççana Mound, the old city...

Salvage Excavations Started in Giresun Island on Turkey’s Black Sea Coast

18 May 2021

18 May 2021

Rescue excavations are starting again on Giresun Island, where the first examples of human settlement in the Black Sea Region...

New discoveries have been made at a 9,000-year-old Amida mound in Turkey

1 January 2022

1 January 2022

The most recent archeological investigations at the 9,000-year-old Amida Mound in southeastern Turkey’s Diyarbakir province have uncovered fresh finds that...

A Roman sarcophagus containing two skeletons was found in Bath, England

29 June 2021

29 June 2021

Stone walls, a Roman sarcophagus, and a cremation burial have been unearthed in a renovation project at the Bathwick Roman...

Archaeologists Discovered a Luxury Roman Village in Southeastern Sicily

17 October 2024

17 October 2024

In the province of Catania, archaeologists have excavated the remains of a Roman house with a mosaic floor dating from...

9,300-year-old Gre Filla Mound in southeastern Turkey to be relocated

20 September 2022

20 September 2022

While public criticism continues due to the fact that Gre Filla, known as Diyarbakır’s Göbeklitepe, is under the dam, Diyarbakır...

A Gold Belt Weighing 432 Grams Unearthed During Excavations in Ani Ruins is on Display

2 July 2024

2 July 2024

The gold belt discovered 22 years ago during excavations in the ancient city of Ani, often referred to as the...

New Evidence for Roman’s Emerald Production in Egypt’s the Eastern Desert

16 April 2021

16 April 2021

Archaeological excavations in Egypt’s eastern desert provide new data. Excavations in the Egyptian Eastern Desert delivers proof of emerald mines...

An ancient Roman road has been discovered in the Venice Lagoon

24 July 2021

24 July 2021

Researchers discovered a Roman road submerged in the Venice Lagoon. The finding suggests that substantial communities may have existed in...

Medallion of Emperor Caracalla Minted in Pergamon Found in Roman Tombs in Bulgaria

13 February 2024

13 February 2024

One of the valuable discoveries from the Roman tombs discovered near the village of Nova Varbovka in Strazhitsa municipality in...

Ceremonial meals may have been served in the 4500-year-old structure unearthed in the Yumuktepe Höyük in Southern Turkey

3 November 2021

3 November 2021

A 4,500-year-old structure containing a jar, many pots, and food fossils has been unearthed at the Yumuktepe Höyük (mound) in...

Scientists unlock the ‘Cosmos’ on the Antikythera Mechanism

13 March 2021

13 March 2021

Scientists may have finally made a complete digital model of the 2000-year-old Cosmos panel of a mechanical device called the...

Are Istanbul’s First Hosts Really Megarians?

14 February 2021

14 February 2021

When it comes to the first establishment of Istanbul, the first to come to mind are the stories of Megarians...

Medieval gold ‘lynx’ earrings from Ani Ruins

29 December 2022

29 December 2022

A pair of lynx-shaped gold earrings have been unearthed near the ruins of Ani, the once great metropolis known as...

The Ground Zero of History: Göbeklitepe Site Targets 1M Visitors in 2021

3 April 2021

3 April 2021

Göbeklitepe, which is called “the zero point of human history” and “The place where civilization was born’’, is located takes...