Zeugma Mosaic Museum breaks visitor record

GAZİANTEP

The Zeugma Mosaic Museum in the southeastern province of Gaziantep, home to the world-famous "Gypsy Girl" mosaic and many other significant works, has hosted 3,536,460 visitors since opening on Sept. 9, 2011.

Located near the Belkıs neighborhood in the Nizip district along the banks of the Euphrates River, the museum sits on the site of the Zeugma ancient city, where rescue excavations began in 1998. Roman-era villas unearthed during the excavations revealed the "Gypsy Girl" mosaic, a statue of Mars and numerous other artifacts.

To display the artifacts, the Culture and Tourism Ministry constructed the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in the Şehitkamil district on İpekyolu Street. The modern museum covers a total of 30,000 square meters, including 25,000 square meters of indoor space and features exhibition and conference halls for cultural and artistic events.

One of the largest mosaic museums in the world, the Zeugma Mosaic Museum has received the Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Award. Among the 150 works on display are 12 pieces of the "Gypsy Girl" mosaic, which were returned from the United States to Türkiye in 2018 after 52 years.

Visitor numbers peak in 2024

Zeugma has consistently been a top destination for both domestic and international tourists. Annual visitor figures are as follows: 71,323 in 2011, 169,038 in 2012, 179,297 in 2013, 206,684 in 2014, 178,995 in 2015, 108,835 in 2016, 169,773 in 2017, 267,552 in 2018, 340,569 in 2019, 99,643 in 2020, 249,932 in 2021, 424,989 in 2022, 217,920 in 2023, 466,102 in 2024, and 385,808 in the first eight months of 2025, totaling 3,536,460 visitors.

Gaziantep Museum Director Özgür Çomak told the state-run Anadolu Agency that Zeugma is one of the world’s most important museums. Highlighting its mosaics inspired by Roman and Greek mythology, especially the "Gypsy Girl," Çomak said visitors continue to flock to the museum.

“We have reached 385,000 visitors so far this year. With autumn tourism, we expect to surpass last year’s numbers by year-end. We started 2025 strongly in terms of visitor numbers. On May 17, we set a daily record with 8,167 visitors. Now that autumn has begun, tours are coming more frequently. The Gypsy Girl is not just a Turkish treasure but an internationally recognized work of art,” Çomak added.

Çomak noted that the museum hosts various cultural and artistic activities throughout the year. “We are a child-friendly museum. Under a protocol with the Provincial Directorate of National Education, we bring one class here daily during the academic year, except on official holidays and weekends. Students tour the museum, receive museum education and participate in drama activities,” he said.