Archaeological excavations in the southern Turkish province of Adana’s Yumurtalık district have unearthed a rare mosaic depicting the ancient Greek god of the sea, Poseidon. It is believed to date back to the 3rd or 4th century AD.
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| Mosaic depicting the Greek god Poseidon from the ancient Greek city of Aigai [Credit: AA] |
Adana Provincial Culture and Tourism Director Sabri Tari said the coastal Yumurtalık district was called Aigai in the ancient era.
Tari said the city served as a naval base in the era of the Roman Empire and it was also a famous place for Asclepius, the god of medicine in ancient Greek religion and mythology.
“One of three big Asclepius temples of the ancient world is in this city,” he added.
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| The mosaic was discovered in the frigidarium of a Roman bath in the ancient city of Aigai with an inscription in Greek at the bottom of the mosaic saying: “Greetings to all of you bathing” [Credit: AA] |
“We found a new mosaic during recent excavations. The Poseidon mosaic, which is a rare one in terms of its beauty, was unearthed in the grounds of the frigidarium,” he said.
Adana Museum Deputy Director Nedim Dervişoğlu said they continued to place a big importance on excavations in order to further boost the province’s tourism potential, with such works carried out in a number of different parts of the city.
“During excavations, we found a mosaic on a field over a space of 11.39 square meters. It is separated into two main panels. The depiction in the southeastern part of the mosaic has been completely destroyed while the depiction in the north shows Poseidon carrying a trident. There are dolphins in the right and left of Poseidon. When the excavations are completed around the mosaic, the depiction will be meaningful. We believe it dates back to the 3rd or 4th century AD.,” Dervişoğlu said.
Source: Hurriyet Daily News [August 22, 2016]
