People look at a large mosaic dating from the Roman era in the town of Rastan, Syria, Wednesday.
Omar Sanadiki / AP
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People look at a large mosaic dating from the Roman era in the town of Rastan, Syria, Wednesday.
Omar Sanadiki / AP
RASTAN, Syria – Syria discovered a large intact mosaic dating from the Roman era, describing it on Wednesday as the most significant archaeological find since the country’s conflict began some years ago. 11 years.
Journalists were shown the mosaic in the central town of Rastan near Homs, Syria’s third largest city.
The mosaic, which is 120 square meters (about 1,300 square feet), was found in an old building that Syria’s Directorate of Antiquities and Museums is excavating. Lebanese and Syrian businessmen from the neighboring country’s Nabu Museum bought the property that dates back to the 4th century and donated it to the Syrian state. Each board is filled with colorful, square-shaped small stones about half an inch each side.
Dr Humam Saad, deputy director of excavations and archaeological research on the board of directors, said that among the scenes the mosaic shows is a rare portrait of mythical ancient Amazonian warriors. Roman.
“What’s in front of us is a rare discovery on a global scale,” Saad told The Associated Press, adding that the images were “rich in detail” and included scenes from the Trojan War between the Greeks. Lap and the Trojans.
In ancient Greek and Roman mythology, the demigod hero Hercules killed Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, in one of his 12 labors.
The mosaic also depicts Neptune, the ancient Roman god of the sea, and his 40 mistresses.
A detail of a large Roman mosaic is seen in Rastan.
Omar Sanadiki / AP
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Omar Sanadiki / AP
A detail of a large Roman mosaic is seen in Rastan.
Omar Sanadiki / AP
“We can’t determine the type of the building, whether it’s a public bath or something else, because we haven’t finished the excavation yet,” Saad told the AP.
Sulaf Fawakherji, a famous actress in Syria and a member of the board of directors of the Nabu Museum, said she hopes they can buy other buildings in Rastan, which she says are filled with heritage sites. and artifacts waiting to be discovered.
“There are other buildings, and obviously the mosaic is a lot more expansive,” Fawkherji told AP. “Historically, Rastan is an important city, and it can be a very important heritage city for tourism.”
Despite Rastan’s historical significance to the country, Saad says there were no significant excavation efforts in the town prior to the country’s armed conflict.
Syrian officials say the mosaic is the most important archaeological find since the conflict began 11 years ago.
Omar Sanadiki / AP
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Omar Sanadiki / AP
Syrian officials say the mosaic is the most important archaeological find since the conflict began 11 years ago.
Omar Sanadiki / AP
“Unfortunately, there are armed groups that tried to sell the mosaic at one point in 2017 and list it on social media platforms,” he said.
Syria’s legacies have been looted and destroyed over the past decade due to the ongoing violent conflict.
Among the most notable cases was the fact that the Islamic State group Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which boasts towering 2,000-year-old Roman colonnades and priceless artifacts, and partially demolished a Roman theatre. Meanwhile, Syria’s cash-strapped government has slowly rebuilt Aleppo’s centuries-old bazaar after recapturing it from the armed forces in 2016.
Rastan was once a major opposition stronghold and the site of intense clashes, before the Syrian government recaptured the city in 2018.
