Jaw-dropping mosaics abandoned to fate on Med coast

Anamur locals recount that all of the houses in the settlement had floor mosaics but that most of them were stolen.

Anemurium is one of the oldest settlements in the mountainous Cilicia region, but despite being home to priceless mosaics, there is little oversight to protect the breathtaking relics The mosaic reliefs in the ancient town of Anemurium, designated as a historical zone by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, are in pitiful condition, as rags protect the 1,500- to 1,700-year-old mosaics.

There are neither security cameras nor warning signs for the mosaics prone to every kind of physical harm. Some of the mosaics have disintegrated, while some of the tesseras (small pieces of stones that form the mosaic) are plastered with concrete to stop their disintegration.

Anemurium is one of the oldest settlements in the mountainous Cilicia region. The centuries-old settlement, which still stands tall on Anamur Point, the southernmost point of the Mediterranean, has not received necessary attention and protection. One of the most important features of the ancient town is the ground mosaics. However, most of the mosaics are gone, stolen or destroyed by natural elements.

We visited the fourth-century church at the entrance of the Anemurium during a recent trip to Anamur. Only the foundations and a piece of the dome structure remain from the church. While I took photographs, a section covered with rags drew my attention. Usually archaeologists who find fresh mosaics and paintings during excavations use this as a protection measure before commencing scientific research. I opened a small piece of the rags, guessing there was a mosaic underneath.
We saw a mosaic of incredible beauty. If we had lifted the mosaic a little more, we might have seen a mosaic with a bird figurine or a depiction of a mythological god. But afraid to...

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