Zeugma Mosaics

Zeugma (Belkıs): one of the main crossings of the Upper-Euphrates., famous for the many mosaics excavated in the 1990s

Oceanus Mosaic in the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Gazi Antep
Oceanus Mosaic in the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Gazi Antep

In the 1990s, the Turkish government built a large dam in the Euphrates, just north of modern Birecik, wich would inundate the ruins of the ancient city of Zeugma. Although most of the remains were submerged, the famous Roman mosaics were saved, and they are now in display in the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Gazi Antep.

One of the remarkable aspects is the frequent representation of Oceanus and Tethys, the parents of the river Euphrates. It is also interesting that many mosaics were signed by the artist (e.g., Zosimus).