An inscribed mosaic is one of the latest finds in the ancient city of Olympos in present-day Turkey, which was a Roman necropolis before it was converted into a residential area during the Byzantine period.
Anadolu AgencyThe mosaic was discovered at the entrance of a Byzantine-era church.
Since 2006, the ancient city of Olympos in present-day Turkey has turned up a number of incredible archaeological finds. During the most recent excavations at the site, this trend continued with the discovery of a mosaic floor set at the entrance of a Byzantine-era church.
The mosaic bears a message that was seemingly meant for early Christians in the region: “Only those on the righteous path may enter here.”
The Inscribed Mosaic In Olympos
Anadolu AgencyThe mosaic reads, “Only those on the righteous path may enter here.”
According to a press release from Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, the inscribed mosaic was discovered in Olympos, an ancient city now located in Antalya. Uninterrupted excavations in Olympos over the last four years have revealed a number of ancient structures, including “Church No. 1,” where the inscribed mosaic was found.
Archaeologists have also found several other floor mosaics at the church, most of which featured geometric shapes and botanical designs. This one, however, simply reads: “Only those on the righteous path may enter here.”
“This mosaic inscription is strategically placed at the very entrance of the church,” Gökçen Kurtuluş Öztaşkın, the head of the excavation team and a professor at Pamukkale University, told the Anadolu Agency. “Additionally, mosaics bearing the names of the church’s benefactors have been uncovered. These findings further confirm that Olympos was a city rich in mosaic floor decorations, especially within the Lycian region.”
Anadolu AgencyThe mosaic hints at Olympos’ past as a “city rich in mosaic floor decorations.”
Öztaşkın added: “Olympos continues to surprise us with its mosaics. In 2017, 2022, and 2023, we discovered richly decorated mosaic floors at the sites we worked on. This year, we uncovered and restored the floor mosaics of Church No. 1.”
Indeed, archaeologists have found a wealth of archaeological discoveries in the ancient city.
The Archaeological Past Of Olympos
The city of Olympos was founded sometime before the fourth century B.C.E., and archaeologists have found artifacts from the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods. Some of their discoveries include the city’s entrance complex, the Episcopal Palace, a bridge, the mausoleum of Lycian ruler Marcus Aurelius Arkhepolis, the Antimachos Sarcophagus, monumental “harbor tombs,” and several churches.
Anadolu AgencyThe ruins of the ancient city of Olympos, where archaeologists have found artifacts from the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods.
The site was once a Roman necropolis, but, as the population of the area grew, it became a residential area during the Byzantine period. Archaeologists have found a number of structures from the latter period, including another one from the fifth century. Though the building was seemingly destroyed by a fire in the sixth century, it was rebuilt. Archaeologists described it as a multi-room civilian residence with stone-paved floors.
Archaeological work has been carried out without interruption at Olympos over the last four years, and it’s set to continue in the future. This year, archaeologists will investigate a new structure that they believe is a temple. They’ll also continue to excavate other buildings, including a necropolis, the Episcopal Palace, and Church No. 3.
As such, there’s still plenty to discover in the ancient city of Olympos, a place that survived through several of history’s most pivotal eras. Though today it’s in ruins, discoveries like the inscribed mosaic make it easy to imagine how the ancient city once looked — with looming monumental structures scraping the sky and stunning stone mosaics adorning the ground.
After reading about the mosaic discovered at the entrance of a Byzantine-era church, discover the stories of some of the most incredible ancient mosaics found in recent years. Or, learn about Göbekli Tepe, the 11,000-year-old site that may be the oldest temple in the world.
