A section of a floor mosaic first noticed 11 years ago during sewer works in İznik has been uncovered this year following new archaeological excavations.
The mosaic, located on Afyon Sultan Street in the Beyler neighborhood, first came to light in 2014 when crews encountered tiles featuring a human face. Work was halted, and the area was covered for future archaeological study. After the necessary expropriations were completed, excavation began this year under the supervision of the İznik Museum Directorate.
The mosaic, dated to the 3rd century and measuring roughly 50 square meters, is believed to have been part of either a public building or a luxurious residence from the Roman period. The floor features a woman holding a basket of fruit, a female face interpreted as a personification of Lake İznik with crab-claw hairpins, as well as other figures, geometric designs and three-dimensional motifs.
Archaeologist Yusuf Kahveci, a member of the excavation team, said the mosaic floor was discovered during 2014 sewer works and later determined to continue beneath the road and an adjacent plot, prompting expropriation efforts.
Excavations launched this year revealed the entire mosaic floor within the expropriated area, along with structural remains and upper layers of the building. Kahveci said the dig covers a 350-square-meter area, 50 square meters of which contains mosaic flooring, adding that the mosaic continues beneath the road and neighboring parcels.
He said the motifs, colors and patterns, along with ceramic and coin findings, indicate the structure dates to the 3rd century A.D. “We determined that the main walls were once decorated with wall paintings and the floors were covered with marble, but both were later damaged and removed. Most of the mosaic has survived in good condition,” he said.
The mosaic consists of three panels framed by a border of pomegranate and ivy leaves. Near a threshold opening into a room, two pairs of sandals are depicted, symbolizing entry and exit. Kahveci estimates the full mosaic may span a 20-meter edge, suggesting a much larger layout yet to be revealed.
He noted mythological depictions on the left panel, including a goddess of abundance flanked by figures with abbreviated inscriptions. “This is a very new discovery, just a few weeks old, and scientific analysis has yet to begin,” he said.
The central panel features female figures, including one identified by the inscription “Askania,” the Roman-era name for Lake İznik. The figure is portrayed with seaweed-like hair, crab-claw ornaments and wave-like patterns around the neck. “They depicted the lake as an ancient female being,” he said.
Kahveci added that the surrounding braid motifs were crafted using three to four shades of each color, accompanied by geometric patterns such as labyrinths and Gordian knots. The tiny “tesserae” were made of stone, marble and glass, some as small as half a cubic centimeter.
He said the quality of the wall plaster, paint and mosaic indicates an exceptionally wealthy structure. The building may have been a public facility or an elite residence, and possibly even a bath complex, although more evidence is needed.
According to Kahveci, the structure was destroyed at the end of the 4th century, followed by new constructions in the 5th, 8th, 10th and 11th centuries. In the southern section, remains of an Eastern Roman structure from the 10th–11th centuries were identified. “This area saw continuous construction from the 3rd century to the 15th–16th centuries, with even early Ottoman ceramics found in the upper layers,” he said.
