The Corpus of Mosaics of Turkey : A new international research project

An explanation of the international project to document all Greek, Roman and Byzantine floor mosaics in Turkey, setting out the organising principles of the project and the plans for its implementation. As well as recording all necessary factual information about the mosaics, their physical condition is also to be noted along with their architectural context. The paper ends by outlining some highlights and recent discoveries including: the Dionysiac pavement found in the Kocamustafapaşa district of Istanbul; medallions from a Justinianic mosaic showing peasant labourers, also from Istanbul; a floor with shield pattern enclosing a medallion with birds drinking from a crater from Antandros; busts of the Seasons from Metropolis; a fifth-century geometric mosaic now at Bodrum; geometric mosaics from a Christian basilica at Çiftlik; the recent discovery of mosaics at Ürgüp; and a Late Bronze Age cone mosaic from Alacahöyük.