The rarest ancient mosaic will be open to the public

The rarest and largest mosaic will be open to the public in the Turkish city of Antakya. This ancient monument will become an exhibit of a local museum, recently opened at the base of one of the hotels. A 1,300-year-old mosaic, measuring 9,000 square meters, was unveiled in 2010.

According to scientists, this huge mosaic with a complex geometry was once part of a public building located in the ancient city of the Seleucid Empire - Antioch. It was damaged by an earthquake of 526 and 528, but the mosaic survived.

Today this Turkish city is known to the world due to the discovery in its territory of a large number of mosaics. Archaeologists were afraid to damage the aforementioned "hulk", so it was decided to leave it at the hotel and make a museum at its base.

The Antakya Museum Hotel is located near St. Peter’s Church, a crusader-era church built around a cave, which is considered one of the oldest Christian churches in the world.