18 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Mosaics found in Türkiye’s Sinop belong to dining room of a wealthy family

The pebble mosaics unearthed during the excavation of a building complex in the province of Sinop on Turkey’s Black Sea coast turned out to belong to the dining room of a wealthy family from the Hellenistic period.

New findings of importance for the scientific world continue to emerge during the excavations in the Balatlar Building Complex in the city center of Sinop.

Excavations continue under the leadership of Professor Gülgün Köroğlu, one of the distinguished faculty members of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University.

The structure was recently determined that the artifact belonged to the “dining room of a wealthy family from the 4th century B.C.”

“Dating back to the 4th century B.C. in the Hellenistic era, the mosaics are believed to have adorned the dining room of a wealthy family. These intricate mosaics serve as a testament to Sinop’s prominence as a flourishing hub for trade, religion, and settlement at that time. The mosaic designs exhibit a diverse range of motifs, including religious symbolism, depictions of everyday life, and unique patterns have also been found in various sections of the mosaic,” Köroğlu said.

Pebble mosaic belonging to the Hellenistic period, Sinop, Türkiye. Photo: IHA

Sinop Provincial Culture and Tourism Director Metin Süren said, “Pebble stone mosaics that are rarely seen in the remains of buildings dating back to the classical period and the Hellenistic period in the 4th century B.C. have been unearthed in the Balatlar excavations that have been carried out for 11 years.”

Stating that Sinop may be among the most important ancient cities in the world after Rome, Süren said, “Sinop, which has hosted many civilizations from the prehistoric period to the present, is one of the most important ancient cities in the world.”

“We found these mosaics during the recent excavations. There is also a claim that these pebble mosaics are unique in our country and may be rare in the world, perhaps they are found only in ancient cities in Greece or Rome. There are those who claim that Sinop is such an important ancient city that it may be one of the most important ancient cities in the world after Rome, but unfortunately, there are no scientific excavations to confirm these claims except for Balatlar, although nearly 150-200 mounds have been identified and registered so far,” he added.

According to legend, Sinope was founded by the Amazons, who named it after their queen, Sinova. The city’s ancient inhabitants ascribed its foundation to Autolycus, a companion of Hercules. Destroyed by the equestrian nomadic Cimmerians, it was refounded toward the end of the 7th century bce by a colony of Milesians.

Related Articles

Origin of Ivory Rings Found in Elite Anglo-Saxon Burials

2 July 2023

2 July 2023

An elite class of ancient Anglo-Saxon women were buried with hundreds of ivory rings, and the origin of these ivory...

1900 years old funerary altar of a teenage girl discovered in Rome

9 May 2022

9 May 2022

A funerary altar indicating the location of the remains of Valeria, a 13-year-old girl who died in the 2nd century...

Neanderthal Fingerprint on 50,000-Year-Old Pebble Could Be Europe’s Oldest Portable Artwork

29 May 2025

29 May 2025

New analysis reveals that a pebble marked with ochre and a fingerprint could be the earliest known example of transportable...

Excavations in and around Yazıkaya, one of the monumental works of the Phrygians, start again after 71 years.

23 July 2022

23 July 2022

Archaeological excavations at Midas Castle in Yazılıkaya Midas Valley in the Han district of Eskişehir, located in northwest Turkey, will...

Network analysis of prehistoric relationships using raw archaeological finds and AI

24 July 2023

24 July 2023

A project of the Cluster of Excellence ROOTS uses archaeological raw material finds for network analyses from the Middle Stone...

1.5 Million-Year-Old Hand Axes and Seven Paleolithic Sites Discovered in Iraq’s Western Desert

30 January 2025

30 January 2025

Archaeologists from the Free University of Brussels (VUB) uncovered hand axes dating back 1.5 million years and discovered seven Paleolithic...

Well-Preserved Wooden Houses Over 2,000 Years Old Discovered in Zhejiang, China

15 March 2025

15 March 2025

In a remarkable archaeological find, researchers in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, China, have uncovered exceptionally well-preserved wooden houses dating back over...

The famous archaeologist says he will announce the discovery of the mummy of Queen Nefertiti, one of Egyptology’s main riddles, next month

14 September 2022

14 September 2022

On December 9, 2021, Egypt’s archaeological mission, headed by renowned Egyptologist and former Antiquities Minister Zahi Hawass, resumed its search...

Underwater excavations start at 1,700-year-old ancient Black Sea port Kerpe

20 September 2021

20 September 2021

The traces of the ancient harbor on the Black Sea coast of Kerpe, in Kocaeli’s Kandıra district, are being brought...

Remains of 240 people found beneath Ocky White department store in Wales

13 October 2022

13 October 2022

Archaeologists found skeletal remains of over more than 240 people, from beneath a former department store in Pembrokeshire in Wales,...

Feline and anthropomorphic 29 new geoglyphs discovered in Peru

21 December 2023

21 December 2023

In Ica, a region south of Lima on the coast of Peru, 29 geoglyphs were found by an archaeologist from...

Egyptian archaeologists discovered 16 meters long ancient papyrus with spells from the Book of the Dead

19 January 2023

19 January 2023

Archaeologists working in Egypt’s Saqqara region have unearthed a 16-meter-long ancient papyrus for the first time in a century. Saqqara...

Golden Tongues and Nails discovered on mummies from the Ptolemaic Period in Egypt

18 December 2024

18 December 2024

Archaeologists have uncovered tombs decorated with colorful inscriptions and ritual scenes, as well as unusual mummies and unique funerary objects,...

8,500-year-old buildings discovered on Abu Dhabi’s Ghagha island

17 February 2022

17 February 2022

Archaeologists in Abu Dhabi have discovered startling new evidence of the Emirates’ first known structures, which date back more than...

Discovery of immense 4,000-year-old fortifications surrounding the Khaybar Oasis, one of the longest-known Oasis

10 January 2024

10 January 2024

Archaeologists have recently made a groundbreaking discovery in northwestern Arabia, unearthing immense fortifications that date back an astonishing 4,000 years....