30 June 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Millefiori Glass Plateques From the 5th Century AD Discovered in the Ancient Lycian City of Myra

One of the six leading cities of ancient Lycia and the birthplace of Santa Claus (or Sinterklaas in Dutch), the ancient city of Myra and its port, Andriake, yielded very remarkable findings:  millefiori (“A Thousand Flowers”) glass plaques.

The Ancient City of Myra is approximately 1.5 km from the town center of Demre, located on the Kaş-Finike road, in Antalya. Strabon writes that Myra is one of the 6 major cities, each with 3 voting rights in the Lycian League. The city was a rich and crowded metropolis, thanks to its port Andriake, which was an important point on the Mediterranean trade routes, and the fertile lands around it. It was the principal mint of the region and also led a sympolitea formed with Tyberissos and Teimiusa in the Late Hellenistic period. Myra preserved its metropolis status until the Byzantine period.

It was the most important political center of Lycia since the beginning of Christianity. St. Paul visited Myra and Patara in the 1st century BCE during his missionary journey. However, the city owes its real fame to St. Nicholas, who was born in Patara but founded his church in Myra in the 4th century CE to spread Christianity.

Excavations at Andriake recently uncovered a large number of decorative glass plaques created using the millefiori technique, a complex glassmaking process that involves fusing multiple glass rods of different colors to create intricate patterns that often resemble flowers or geometric shapes.

Considered by experts to be one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the year in Turkey, millefiori have been found in other parts of the world, but this is the first time they have been found in such abundance and variety in the country.

Photo: Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye

The discovery was made in the agora area of Andriake, specifically in the customs zone of the port. In the space identified as “Structure 42”, archaeologists found hundreds of pieces of millefiori plaques.

It appears from this discovery that the elite community in Andriake in the fifth century AD possessed highly sophisticated ornamental arts, which were not only visually stunning but also symbolic of authority and rank.

In addition to being ornamental, the millefiori plaques found at Andriake are evidence of the sophistication and luxury of interior design during that era.

In addition to the millefiori glass plaques, other decorative elements were discovered in the same context.  Among the findings are small glass rosettes with square and round forms, along with glass frames that go with the plaques, all of which point to a well-thought-out decorative scheme.

Photo: Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye

The discovery at Andriake, the harbor settlement of the ancient city of Myra, shows the presence of a very special and rich interior decoration at Andriake, with examples of bird figures in inlaid technique among the similarly sized plates that were found to have been used in wall decoration, and figures of saints, birds, and camels in opus sectile technique, which is also a unique discovery for Türkiye.

Located at the junction of the Granarium and Agora in Andriake, at the head corner of western Agora Street, in the most important place of the harbor, the building is thought to be an administrative building with its precious decorations and plan features.

Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye

Cover Image: Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye

Related Articles

1650-Year-Old Earthen Grills Unearthed in Assos Excavations

14 August 2021

14 August 2021

Excavations continue in Assos Ancient City, a rich settlement of the period, which is located within the borders of Behramkale...

Angkor Wat Reopens

26 April 2021

26 April 2021

After being temporarily closed on April 7 to prevent the spread of Covid-19 to locals, Apsara National Authority and Angkor...

Early Roman Aqueduct Discovered in Turkey’s Aydın Province

27 May 2021

27 May 2021

In the Kuşadasi region of western Turkey’s Aydin, archaeologists and scholars unearthed an approximately 2,000-year-old ancient Roman aqueduct. Experts believe...

Serbian Archaeologists Unearth Roman Triumphal Arch Dedicated to Emperor Caracalla

24 January 2024

24 January 2024

Archaeologists in Serbia have unearthed an ancient Roman triumphal arch dating back to the third century at Viminacium, a Roman...

Silver coins found near the ruins of the medieval monastery in Holy island

10 November 2021

10 November 2021

Archaeologists have discovered a silver coin on Lindisfarne, known as Holy Island, in the northeast of England. Dig Ventures is...

Rare gold gifts 2300 years old discovered in the famous Phoenician city of Carthage

17 August 2023

17 August 2023

Archaeologists excavating the sanctuary of Tophet, Carthage uncovered a collection of offerings, Tunisia’s Ministry of Cultural Affairs announced in a...

Norse Runic Text found in Oslo could be Prayer!

30 December 2021

30 December 2021

Archaeologists from the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Studies (NIKU) have unearthed two objects inscribed in Norse runic text in...

A well-preserved lion mosaic discovered in the Ancient City of Prusias ad Hypium

16 November 2023

16 November 2023

Archaeologists found a lion mosaic during excavations carried out in the Ancient City of Prusias ad Hypium. Excavations have been...

New research reveals the true function of Bronze Age daggers

30 April 2022

30 April 2022

A new study led by Newcastle University has revealed that the analysis of Bronze Age daggers has shown that they...

People may have been cooking curries in South-East Asia for at least 2000 years

22 July 2023

22 July 2023

Archaeologists have found remnants of eight spices on a sandstone slab from an archaeological site in Vietnam, showing the early...

3,000-Year-Old Cave Paintings Discovered in Itatiaia National Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

13 April 2025

13 April 2025

In a stunning revelation, a dedicated team of researchers from the National Museum, in collaboration with the Federal University of...

An Etruscan Home Discovered in Corsica “First-Of-Its-Kind Find for the Island”

11 July 2024

11 July 2024

Archaeologists have discovered the first Etruscan domestic structure, dating to the 6th to 4th centuries BC, off the east coast...

Evidence of Necromancy during Roman era in the Te’omim Cave, Jerusalem Hills: Oil Lamps, Spearheads, and Skulls

14 July 2023

14 July 2023

Te’omim Cave in the Jerusalem Hills may once have served as a local oracle where people communed with the dead...

1419-year-old Islamic inscription found in Saudi Arabia

13 June 2022

13 June 2022

Saudi Arabia has announced a new archaeological discovery in Makkah. The Islamic inscription found dates back 1419 years to the...

Staging of religion on rock paintings that are thousands of years old in southern Egypt desert

10 May 2023

10 May 2023

Egyptologists at the University of Bonn and the University of Aswan want to systematically record hundreds of petroglyphs and inscriptions...