HATAY, TURKEY—The Anadolu Agency reports that excavation of the site of a sixth-century basilica with three naves near Turkey’s southeastern coast has uncovered another mosaic. “There are peacocks and an inscription on the mosaic. And that shows heaven,” said Ayse Ersoy of the Hatay Archaeology Museum. With the inscription, a formerly enslaved person thanked God for freedom, she explained. Another inscription at the site revealed that the church was called the Church of the Three Apostles. Ersoy expects to find a large settlement in the area. To read about a fifth-century basilica found at the ancient city of Nicaea, go to "Sunken Byzantine Basilica."
Mosaics Revealed at 6th-Century Christian Basilica in Turkey
News January 13, 2022
Recommended Articles
Digs & Discoveries September/October 2025
Dead Drunk

Digs & Discoveries September/October 2025
A Day at the Hunt

Features July/August 2025
The Home of the Weather God
In northern Anatolia, archaeologists have discovered the source of Hittite royal power

Features May/June 2025
Goddess at the Crossroads
Why a city put its trust in a Greek deity feared throughout the Mediterranean world

-
Features November/December 2021
Italian Master Builders
A 3,500-year-old ritual pool reflects a little-known culture’s agrarian prowess
(Ministero della Cultura) -
Features November/December 2021
Ghost Tracks of White Sands
Scientists are uncovering fossilized footprints in the New Mexico desert that show how humans and Ice Age animals shared the landscape
(Jerry Redfern) -
Features November/December 2021
Piecing Together Maya Creation Stories
Thousands of mural fragments from the city of San Bartolo illustrate how the Maya envisioned their place in the universe
(Digital image by Heather Hurst) -
Features November/December 2021
Gaul's University Town
New excavations have revealed the wealth and prestige of an ancient center of learning
(Digital image by Heather Hurst)