Mosaic of Trojan War hero found in Osmaniye

OSMANİYE

The mosaic of Trojan War hero Aeneas has been found in the ruins of a Roman villa, unearthed during the foundation of a construction in the southern province of Osmaniye’s Kadirli district.

It has been reported that the mosaic, depicting the Trojan war hero Aeneas, which is also mentioned in Homer’s epic “Iliad and Odyssey,” is unique in the world.

Remains of the Roman villa were found in Dere neighborhood of Kadirli district in 2015. Later, the mosaic was unearthed during the excavations carried out by the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism. With its visual quality and descriptions, the mosaic is said to be as good as the famous Zeugma mosaic in Gaziantep.

It is reported that the mosaic area, which is thought to have been built in the first and second centuries, adorned the floor of a villa of the period.

Historian and author Cezmi Yurtsever, stating that the Aeneas mosaic is unique in the world, said, “The mosaic was found in 2015 on the floor of a building in Kadirli. In one scene, a warrior is riding a horse with a spear in his hand and a woman is going to hunt lions. This woman’s name is mentioned as Dido in the articles. The hero’s name is Aeneas. This warrior Aeneas was a great hero who participated in the Trojan war, fighting a lion.”

Stating that this place was the ancient city of Flaviapolis, built during the Roman era, he said, “This mosaic was built here in the third century. A hero of the war was depicted in the ancient city of Flaviapolis exactly 1,500 years after the Trojan War. It is a magnificent work that is unique in the world. If the excavations are finished and this place is brought into tourism, Kadirli and Osmaniye will be known throughout the world.”