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Turkish authorities have released footage showing a man attempting to set fire to the interior of Hagia Sophia, the 1,500-year-old Byzantine landmark in Turkey. Security guards at the historic site quickly intervened and stopped the arson attempt, preventing any major damage. The incident took place on July 11 but the video was only made public now, drawing renewed attention to Hagia Sophia’s Byzantine heritage The man tried to ignite the Bible behind the lectern According to a police statement, the suspect wore a red cap and partially covered his face as he ignited a Bible near a column behind several...

A burial in southeastern Turkey revealed a 35‑square‑meter mosaic with a Greek inscription, marking one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in the region. While preparing a grave in the rural Özbilek neighborhood of Diyarbakır’s Ergani district, locals uncovered the mosaic, which experts believe dates to the late Roman or early Byzantine period. Discovery made during a routine burial The find features elaborate geometric patterns and two striking elements: a six-line inscription in ancient Greek and a Star of David enclosing a Christian cross. Museum officials say this combination of Jewish and Christian iconography is exceptionally rare and could shed...

Archaeologists in Sicily, Italy have uncovered a striking mosaic depicting what appear to be Roman-era flip-flops, adding a new chapter to the rich artistic heritage of the Villa Romana del Casale. The sandals, crafted in the fourth century A.D., were found in the villa’s southern bath complex during ongoing excavations. The discovery includes more than the footwear motif. Alongside the sandals, researchers identified a mosaic inscription and three columns with capitals. Specialists say the artifacts highlight the villa’s exceptional craftsmanship, providing fresh insight into decorative themes used in elite Roman residences. Part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site The Villa...

Anadolu Agency reports that excavations at the site of Olympos in the current-day region of Antalya revealed new evidence that attests to the site's early Christian history. Inside a building known as Church No. 1, the team uncovered mosaic floors featuring geometric patterns, floral motifs, and Greek inscriptions, some of which bear the names of individuals who are believed to be among the church's early benefactors. "These finds confirm Olympos as one of the richest ancient cities in the Lycia region in terms of mosaic flooring," said excavation director Gökçen Kurtuluş Öztaşkın. Another inscription near the structure's entrance reads, "Only...

During the Roman period, Apsaros was an important port and garrison on the Colchis coast—a term that refers to a historical region on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, roughly corresponding to what is now western Georgia—Karasiewicz-Szczypiorski said. Apsaros, constructed around 2,000 years ago, was of particular importance in the time of the Roman emperors Trajan (who ruled from A.D. 98-117) and Hadrian (who ruled from A.D. 117-138).The votive plaque found during the 2024 excavation season at the site, which ran from mid-May to the end of July, is essentially a thin gold plate. It features a Greek inscription...

Artnet News reports that a section of opus sectile flooring has been discovered at Baiae, a luxurious Roman town now underwater in the Gulf of Naples, by a team of divers from C.S.R. Restoration of Cultural Heritage, Underwater Archaeology and Technology. Opus sectile flooring is made up of large, polychrome stones cut into precise shapes and was popular among elites during the first century A.D. Such large stones made it more expensive than mosaic flooring, which was made with small tesserae. This floor, made with recycled materials, was installed in a villa's porch reception area overlooking the sea. Baiae eventually...

A five-year dig into the side of Rome's Palatine Hill yielded treasure last week when archaeologists discovered a deluxe banquet room dating from around the first or second century BC, featuring a sizable, intact and brightly colored wall mosaic.Estimated to be around 2,300 years old, the work is part of a larger aristocratic mansion, located near the Roman Forum, that has been under excavation since 2018.Almost five meters long (16.4 ft) and featuring depictions of vines, lotus leaves, tridents, trumpets, helmets and mythological marine creatures, the mosaic scene was painstakingly created using mother of pearl, shells, corals, shards of precious...

Boston, Mass., Jan 13, 2023 / 14:00 pm A team of Israeli archaeologists has discovered a sixth-century Byzantine church with highly decorated mosaic floors. The Civil Administration’s Archaeology Unit, which oversees historical sites in Judea and Samaria, announced Wednesday that the church was found in Jericho, a Palestinian town located in the West Bank, according to The Times of Israel. The agency is part of the government of Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories, which is part of the Ministry of Defense. The outlet reported that the church is 250 square meters large, which would have made the...

While cleaning one set of Byzantine mosaics in Hippos of the Decapolis, the archaeologists found more mosaics. An unknown bishop, a goldsmithing priest and an anxious couple have come to lightPeople of yore were deeply religious, it seems – including in Hippos (Sussita) of the Decapolis, a Greco-Roman city perched high above the Sea of Galilee. No less than seven churches have been found in the city from the early Christian era. Now, four inscriptions newly discovered in one of its ancient churches – the Martyrion of Theodoros, or “Burnt Church” – during the summer 2022 excavation season shed rare...

Last spring, a Palestinian farmer was planting a new olive tree when his shovel hit a hard object. He called his son, and for three months, the pair slowly excavated an ornate Byzantine-era mosaic that experts say is one of the greatest archaeological treasures ever found in Gaza...The floor, boasting 17 iconographies of beasts and birds, is well-preserved and its colors are bright."These are the most beautiful mosaic floors discovered in Gaza, both in terms of the quality of the graphic representation and the complexity of the geometry," said René Elter, an archaeologist from the French Biblical and Archaeological School...

...The villa was laid out around two courtyards and the many rooms were adorned with mosaic floors. In addition to geometric patterns, there were also motifs of various mythological figures and scenes taken from Greek mythology; e.g. Princess Europa being abducted by the god Zeus in the form of a bull and Aphrodite at sea in her seashell.Motifs from the stories of the much younger Roman author Virgil are also represented.Inscriptions in the floor have revealed that the owner was named Charidemos and that the villa was built in the mid-fifth century.Mosaic flooring was a costly luxury: expensive raw materials...

Mosaics depicting Christian figures in Istanbul’s ancient Hagia Sophia will be covered with curtains during Muslim prayers, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Sunday, as work to prepare the building for use as a mosque continues. Hagia Sophia dates back to the sixth century and has a history as both a church and a mosque before it was turned into a museum. In an interview with broadcaster NTV, Kalin said some mosaics of Mary and Gabriel that are positioned in the direction of Qiblah, where Muslims face during prayer, would be covered with curtains. He said other mosaics of...

Boston-born Thomas Whittemore, a friend of Turkish reformer Atatürk, uncovered the gems that had been hidden for 500 years.If Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia gets turned into a mosque, as many expect it will, its precious Byzantine mosaic icons are likely to be covered up during Muslim prayers. The mosaics were plastered over for centuries when the former cathedral of the Church of Constantinople served as a place of Muslim worship. On July 10, in an address to the nation, Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, announced that Hagia Sophia would be reopened for Muslim worship on July 24. The Turkish Council of...

Villa Romana del Casale, Sicily, Italy in 4K (UHD) HDR

The walls of Russia’s new Orthodox cathedral dedicated to the Armed Forces will be decorated with the faces of President Vladimir Putin, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Soviet leader Josef Stalin, the MBKh News website reported Friday. The 95-meter Armed Forces cathedral, a symbol of close defense-church ties in Russia, is expected to open on May 9 — the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II — at a sprawling military-themed park near Moscow. Once completed, the building will become one of the tallest Orthodox churches in the world. Following MBKh News' report, the...

Pieces of a renowned Roman mosaic that were looted and eventually sold to an American university are to be returned to Turkey, thetimes.co.uk reports. The twelve fragments once formed parts of the border of the "gypsy girl" mosaic in the ancient Roman settlement of Zeugma, close to the modern Turkish city of Gaziantep, and show human faces and birds. The near-complete main part of the mosaic, which has remained in Turkey, depicts a girl with windswept hair and an intense stare. It is on display in Gaziantep's Zeugma mosaics museum and has become an unofficial symbol of the city. The...

Restorers, after clearing away centuries of dirt, discovered the Church of the Nativity had a seventh mosaicAn Italian team has completed restoration of Crusader-era mosaics in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The mosaics will only be unveiled publicly after work on lighting, electricity and a fire alarm system. The work involved removing the layers of centuries-worth of soot and dirt – a result of the smoke of candles lit by pilgrims coming to venerate the site traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus – from about 1.55 million tiny mosaic pieces that were reviewed and restored. “I...

Conservators have completed work on a fourth-century A.D. mosaic that was discovered in the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Augusta Traiana in 2011, reports Archaeology in Bulgaria. The mosaic was discovered during rescue excavations, and once decorated a triclinium, or formal dining room. It depicts followers of the god Dionysus during a celebratory procession. On the right is Silenus, the tutor and companion of the god, who leads two dancing women. Local archaeologists describe the work as skillfully done, pointing to the subtle use of color and the depiction of shading in the clothing of the dancing women.The...

At least 19 people have been killed in Tunisia after two gunmen stormed the Bardo national museum – one of the country’s leading tourist attractions in the capital, Tunis – sparking a three-hour hostage siege. Tunisia’s prime minister, Habib Essid, said on Wednesday afternoon that 17 of the dead were foreigners – from Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland – calling the attack a cowardly assault targeting the economy. Three hours after the attack started at about midday local time (11am GMT), an interior ministry spokesman said two gunmen had been killed, as well as one security officer, and that all...

Cattedrale di Monreale in Sicily. Rome, Italy, Apr 19, 2013 / 02:03 am (CNA).- The Italian bishops' conference have produced a twelve-part television series presenting the Creed from  Sicily's Monreale cathedral, a 12th century church covered in rich mosaics which explain the faith. “Step by step, from inside the cathedral, Fr. Innocenzo will unveil the 'spirit' of the images and therefore of the sacred narration, following the outline of the articles of the Creed,” wrote Sandro Magister in his April 18 post for the Italian magazine l'Espresso. Magister is one of the creators of the program, called “The Creed...