Honoring Turkey’s Mosaic Art
(4 min read) Several earthquakes shook southern Turkey and northern Syria on February 6th. The humanitarian and social aftershocks have been catastrophic and devastating. It is estimated that at least 50,000 people died, and millions lost their homes. It’s been over a month and it seems the world has gone silent. Turkey and Syria will take a lot of time to recover, so we’ll keep them in our thoughts and prayers. Today we are honoring Turkish mosaic art. We will honor Syrian art in a separate article, as both countries have such rich cultural lives, they deserve their own posts.
Turkey has one of the richest histories of all European countries. Its lands were the home of many civilizations. Among some of the most prominent ones, were the Roman and Byzantine Empires, known for their stunning mosaic skills. Keeping that in mind it is no wonder that some of the most important mosaic masterpieces are situated in Turkey.
At this point, we can’t be sure how many of them survived the earthquakes, and human lives are more important, so no one is looking into that at the moment. However, once the dust settles and things start returning to normal it will be important to check how many of these amazing art pieces were left unscathed.
All of those gorgeous mosaic artworks that grace the floors and walls of ancient buildings, those charming patterns that adorn pots and plates, and even those tiny mosaic medallions with their questionable purpose and beauty, all tell a story of our past. Mythological scenes, subjects from daily life, and important characters depicted in these glorious mosaics stand as a testament to our past times and future progress. As such, they truly are of immense value.
One of the sites severely damaged in the earthquake is the famous Gaziantep Castle, one of the most prominent historical areas in Turkey. This magnificent and seemingly unremarkable castle has a unique history, with its mound being settled since prehistoric times. The small city of Gaziantep is also home to the amazing Zeugma Mosaic museum. This glorious building houses some of the finest Roman Empire mosaics.
This Roman-era castle is just one among the thousands of structures that were damaged or destroyed by the deadly earthquakes that struck Turkey. Nearby 17th-century Sirvani Grand Mosque also collapsed, as well as Adiyaman Ulu Grand Mosque and Karagoz Grand Mosque. Damage done to other historical and cultural heritages will be estimated in months to come.
In the end, art matters. It is what’s left behind those who came before us and it is what will remain after we leave. To quote Marcel Duchamp: “What art is, in reality, is this missing link, not the links which exist. It’s not what you see that is art; art is the gap.”
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18 Comments
It is sad that many of the structures that have been standing for centuries were destroyed by the earthquake. I hope that the people in Turkiye will quickly recover from the disaster. I am also in awe at the mosaic art. It must be so labor intensive to create one as beautiful as those.
These are such beautiful works of art and love each one! I always love your site and the amazing creations you display all of the time. it is so beautiful and would love to learn this art form 😉
These are all lovely, I love how you can see a storry in them and know there is more to being just. a mosaic picture
I love going to see old mosaics when I go away. We used to go and visit the ones in Cyprus loads when I was younger x
The earthquakes devastated so many lives. It’s so awful that so many lost their lives, loved ones, and homes.
It’s so nice of you to dedicate an entire blog post to honoring Turkish mosaic art.
I love Turkey 🇹🇷. Many of my English students are Turkish and I love the architecture and the mosaics. Very beautiful!
Mosaic artwork is incredible – these pieces are beautiful! The intricacy is amazing!
Wow! Just wow! I really love art. Interesting, I will save this and check this out later. Especially the “Honoring Turkey’s Mosaic Art”.
These are all lovely pieces, the earthquakes were so shocking and upsetting to watch
The Turkish mosaics are so beautiful. It is really devasting what the country has been through after that terrible earthquake. So much loss.
I love how wonderful their mosaic art is and the level of detail it has me amazed.
I love Turkey. Thanks for sharing. I will share this article with my Turkish students and we will talk about it
The devastating earthquakes that recently occurred in Turkey and Syria, is indeed heartbreaking to hear about the loss of lives and homes, and it is important to keep those affected in our thoughts and prayers. Turkish mosaic art is truly a testament to the rich history and culture of the region, and it is saddening to think about the potential damage that may have been inflicted upon these masterpieces during the earthquakes. However, as you have mentioned, art is what remains after we leave, and it is important to preserve and protect these treasures for future generations to appreciate and admire. Thank you again for sharing this article and honoring the beauty and significance of Turkish mosaic art.
I don’t know what happened to my previous comment but I wrote about how I love turkey and most of my students are from turkey
I absolutely adore classic mosaics. It’s very curious just how the mosaics from Turley differs from one of Greece despite it being the same country
Wow, totally loving each and everyone of these Turkish mosaic art which is super inspirational. I love love the look and feel of them, so much history and culture behind it
Great information and lovely feature on mosaics. I love seeing old art!