The largest ancient floor mosaic in Turkey lies in Antakya, ancient Antioch. Workers found it in 2010 while digging the foundations of a hotel. Today the one-piece floor stays where it was found, inside the Necmi Asfuroğlu Archaeology Museum, on the ground floor of the Museum Hotel.
| Where | Antakya (ancient Antioch), Hatay Province |
|---|---|
| Found | 2010, during the building of a hotel |
| Size | More than 1,000 square meters, in one piece |
| Date | Believed to be 6th century AD |
| Shown in | Necmi Asfuroğlu Archaeology Museum |
This massive one-piece floor mosaic of 1,200 square meters, found during the construction work of a hotel in Hatay in 2010, attracts attention with its geometric figure diversity, will meet its visitors soon. The mosaic, which is thought to belong to the 6th century AD and was a “public space” and it is considered to be “the world’s largest single piece floor mosaic”. This unique artifact, which archaeologists worked intensely to unearth, also draws attention with its hand-woven rug-like appearance.
In Hatay city, famous for its rich mosaics, the mosaic, which covers an area of 1,200 square meters impresses people with its gigantic size, geometric shapes and the content of figures that do not repeat each other. It draws attention as it is curved like a carpet. Because of the great earthquakes in 526 and 528 AD, the work was bent in that way. Partly preserved, partly damaged in certain parts.
Where Can You See the Largest Ancient Floor Mosaic?
You can see it in the Necmi Asfuroğlu Archaeology Museum in Antakya. The museum sits in the ground floor of a hotel, and the mosaic lies there in the place where it was found. When the workers reached the floor in 2010, the plans were changed and the hotel was built around the mosaic instead of removing it.
Antakya suffered badly in the earthquakes of February 2023, so please check the museum’s visiting rules before you go.
The museum shows more than this one floor. It also displays remains of streets, baths, shops and workshops of the old city, other mosaics and smaller finds.
Another mosaic floor that came out of the ground under a building is in Istanbul. I wrote about it in my post on the 2nd century AD Roman mosaic discovered in Istanbul.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which museum in Antakya has the giant floor mosaic?
It is the Necmi Asfuroğlu Archaeology Museum. Do not mix it up with the older Hatay Archaeology Museum, which has mosaics from earlier digs.
Is this the largest mosaic in the world?
It is described as the largest single-piece floor mosaic in the world. That means one continuous pavement laid in place, not panels taken from different rooms.
