pieces of history; A trip to the most beautiful ancient mosaics in the world

Mosaics are colorful works of art that can decorate surfaces; For example, mosaics are used to cover ceilings, floors, and sculptures. Over time, mosaics were produced with more attractive shapes and each of them tells the story of its period. Among the most beautiful mosaics in the world, we can mention Alexander mosaic in Italy, Shahcheragh mosaic in Iran and Gladiator mosaic in Germany. Continue with Kojaro to see the famous mosaics of the world and read their story. (Love Exploring)

One of the most famous mosaics of ancient times is “The Alexander Mosaic”, which was discovered in Italy in the ancient city of “Pompeii”. This mosaic dates back to about 100 BC. This mosaic shows the image of the Macedonian-Greek leader, “Alexander the Great” (Alexander the Great) rushing to the battlefield with a horse; While “Darius III”, the Persian king of the Achaemenid period, looks back while fleeing in his chariot.

Photographer: LeemageCorbis / Vertical.com

In the past, the ancient Greeks and Romans created works of art in the form of “Medusa’s head” (Medusa) were made and placed in their homes; They believed that by doing this, Nahsi will be removed from them. Medusa was a girl who was transformed into some kind of Greek mythological monster and anyone who looked at her turned into stone. In the ancient city of “Volubilis” in Morocco, a mosaic has been discovered that shows the image of Medusa; The age of the mosaic of Medusa’s head reaches approximately 150 to 200 years AD. (Description of Gorgon–britannica)

Photographer: nicscurry / shutterstock.com

In 1852, a Roman mosaic named “Gladiator Mosaic” was discovered from a villa in the village of “Nennig”. This village, located in Germany, was inhabited by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago. This mosaic has remained surprisingly intact and features various images such as organists, trumpeters, various gladiatorial contests, and spear throwers. Other images of this mosaic include fighters and wild animals.

Photographer: nicscurry / shutterstock.com

“Trojan War Mosaic” (Trojan War Mosaic) was made during the Roman era and dates back to approximately 1,600 years ago. This mosaic was discovered in the city of “Al-Rastan” in the north of Syria. According to the hypotheses, it is possible that this mosaic is the floor of an ancient bathroom. This 120 square meter artwork depicts a scene from the Trojan War, which includes soldiers with swords and shields. The Trojan War is a legendary war between the ancient Greeks and the mythical city of Troy.

Photographer: LOUAI BESHARA-AFP / Vertical.com

The “Madaba Map” mosaic is kept in the “Church of Saint George” in Jordan. The Madaba map, which dates back to 542-570 AD, is one of the oldest examples of ancient cartography in the world. This mosaic includes quotes from the Christian Bible and more. In fact, this mosaic was designed to display Christian themes and was not used for navigation. This map has more than one million mosaics.

Photographer: David Pineda Svenske / shutterstock.com

“Cosmati Pavement” in “Westminster Abbey” located in England and London is an artistic masterpiece. This mosaic floor with an area of ​​56 square meters was built in 1258 by order of “King Henry III”. This floor covering has an abstract design, which distinguishes it from other 13th century floor coverings. Stones such as “porphyry” and opaque colored glass are used in this flooring.

Photographer: David Pineda Svenske / shutterstock.com

Shahcheragh Mausoleum is located in Shiraz, Iran. From the outside, this tomb looks like other religious places in Iran; But when you enter it, you will see extraordinary and different decorations. The entire interior of this building, i.e. the floor, walls and ceiling, are covered with mosaics, colorful tiles and glass and mirror pieces. The attractive mirroring of this mausoleum has made it known as the “mirror mosque”. This building was built in the 6th century AH.

Photographer: Mostafameraji / Wikimedia

In Greece, on the volcanic island of Nisyros, there is a village called Nikia, whose square floor is covered with black and white mosaics. The Nikia mosaics, although simple, have an attractive design and provide a good opportunity for photography. These mosaics were created by a native artist during the 1800s. These mosaics can be seen in other parts of Greece, such as the island of Rhodes.

Photographer: unknown / website nisyrosgeopark.gr

“Mosaic mask of Quetzalcoatl” is made of cedar wood and turquoise tiles are used to decorate it. This work, which dates back to the early 15th century, shows two entwined snakes. These entwined snakes have created an image of a nose and two big eyes. Those interested can see this work in the British Museum.

Photographer: Unknown / reddit.com

St. George’s Church is located in Topola, Serbia. Inside this church, there are about 40 million glass mosaics that cover different parts of this church, such as the floor and walls. This church is actually the tomb of the royal family of Serbia, which was built by the order of “King Peter I” and its construction was completed in 1930.

Photographer: Unknown / loveexploring.com

Are mosaics interesting to you and do you pay attention to them during your trips to ancient monuments? We would be happy if you share your thoughts with us and our colleagues.

Cover photo source: Wikimedia site; Photographer: Ali.infinite (Shahcharagh; Shiraz, Iran)