Medusa Mosaic to be shielded for winter protection

BURDUR

Teams will cover a 2,000-year-old mosaic of the snake-haired Greek mythological monster Medusa in the southwestern province of Burdur to protect the ancient work from the harsh winter conditions.

Located around 100 kilometers outside Burdur city center, the Medusa mosaic is at the heart of the Odeon, an ancient concert hall, in the ancient city of Kibyra.

With the Kibyra Ancient City, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Temporary List, continuing to be a popular destination for visitors this year, during the first nine months of this year, approximately 19,000 people visited the city, and the Medusa mosaic drew the most attention.

In a bid to ensure the Medusa mosaic remains unaffected by the winter conditions, it will once again be placed under protection. The mosaic, which is unveiled for public viewing every May, will be covered on Nov. 15.

"The Medusa is the only known mosaic from antiquity which has reached us through the technique of Opus Sectile, involving the assembly of colorful thin marble plates cut in various geometric shapes and sizes. This is why, for the purpose of preservation, the Medusa mosaic is annually covered for a specified period,” said academic Şükrü Özüdoğru from Mehmet Akif Ersoy University’s Archeology Department.