Samsun Museum visitors show great interest in ‘Amisos Mosaic’ 

The 56 m2 Amisos Mosaic, which is thought to belong to the 3rd century A.D., is exhibited in a special area reserved for it in the Samsun Museum together with Achilleus and Thetis motifs

The Amisos Mosaic was found in 1958 in the ancient city of Amisos (Samsun-Ilkadim) during excavation for the foundation of today’s May 19 Hearing Impaired Secondary School. The mosaic was removed from its original place in 1959 and placed in the old Samsun Archeology Museum.

While the mosaic floor, which originally consisted of 10 panels, attracted attention with its 56 m2 dimensions, the removal of the mosaic was carried out in 1.5-meter panels, divided into 31 pieces, not as one whole piece.

Achilleus and Thetis mosaic dazzles

The central panel in the middle of the mosaic, which is currently exhibited in a special area allocated to it at the Samsun Museum, features Achilleus and Thetis (the mother of Achilleus, the best warrior of all time according to Greek mythology, and the wife of Peleus, the Phtian king).

Surrounding this panel are busts personalizing the four seasons, and between them are 4 panels with a unique depiction of a Hypocampos (seahorse), sea monsters and Nereids (mermaid) carried by a Triton (human above the waist, fish below).

In addition to these, the mosaic is composed of a panel depicting the host during a sacrificial ceremony. These panels are surrounded by two different geometric patterns and are presented to visitors.

The mosaic, which was transported in pieces and reassembled, is subjected to the intense interest of locals at the Samsun Museum. 

Source: Newsroom