Mosaics restored in ancient Metropolis

İZMİR

Newly restored mosaics in the ancient city of Metropolis in the Torbalı district of the western province of Izmir shed light on history dating back to 1,800 years.

Excavation and restoration work by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Manisa Celal Bayar University in the Yeniköy neighborhood reveals the secrets of Metropolis, known as the “City of the Mother Goddess.”

Restored with modern techniques to preserve colors and grains, mosaics use the paintings of Eros, Dionysus, and his wife Ariadne, the gods of Greek mythology.

Metropolis combines Central Anatolia and the Aegean and therefore host rich and fertile lands, said Professor Dr. Serdar Aybek, head of excavations. He said restoration works are continuing in an area that his team thought was a “guest house.”

“We think that the guests who came to Metropolis for the theater were hosted here. Therefore, Dionysus, who is known as the god of theater and entertainment, his wife and Eros, were often used in the mosaics,” he told the state-run Anadolu Agency.

“This mosaic was unearthed in the 1990s. In 2021, with the help of restorer experts, we’re trying to make these important mosaics in Metropolis look better and make them protected.”

Metropolis is located 40 kilometers from İzmir and 45 kilometers from the ancient city of Ephesus.