The remaining piece of the 2000-year-old mosaic has been waiting to be removed from the barn for 22 years

The remaining piece of a 2000-year-old mosaic, believed to belong to the Roman period, has still not been removed after 22 years. The Tepecik Mosaic, located in the Sivas Archaeology Museum, was discovered on the floor of a barn in the Gürün district of Sivas.

The Roman-period floor mosaic, found in a citizen’s barn in Tepecik village in 2002, was excavated from its location through diligent efforts by the Directorate of the Archaeology Museum and the Restoration Center teams of the Kayseri Cultural Heritage Preservation Regional Board. It has been on display at the Sivas Archaeology Museum since 2009.

However, a long legal battle occurred between the barn owner and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism regarding the part of the mosaic that could not be removed. During this time, the barn and its surroundings were declared a protected site.

Expert art historian Yunus Budaktaş, speaking to IHA about the mosaic, stated, “The mosaic, known as the Tepecik Mosaic, was excavated from a citizen’s barn in the village of Gürün. It measures approximately 6 meters by 2.5 meters, covering an area of 18 square meters. The mosaic was discovered by a citizen while dealing with animals in the barn, and thanks to the intervention of the authorities, it was brought to light through diligent work.

The mosaic is dated between 30 BC and 395 AD and features various depictions. It is surrounded by a border approximately 60 centimeters wide, which contains various geometric forms and depictions. Among these, we can see a pattern resembling a diamond shape, which includes four-leafed plant motifs. The main composition of the mosaic consists of various animal depictions. Arranged in a sequence from top to bottom, the composition features partridges, ducks, hoopoes, and turkeys. Between these animal depictions, there are geometric and plant motifs.”

Describing the animal depictions in the mosaic, Budaktaş added, “Based on research and examinations, it is believed that the animal depictions and figures that form the main composition of the mosaic represent the animals found around Gökpınar Lake, which is a significant natural beauty of Gürün.”

Cover Photo: IHA