The first madrasa on the site was built by Sultan Ali ibn Yusuf in the mid 14th century. Belonging to the Marinid dynasty, this period saw the expansion of education – and particularly art and literature – across Morocco. The current madrasa dates to the 16th century: it was commissioned by Saadian Sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib.
The madrasa is believed to have housed up to 900 students in its 130 dormitory cells – it was one of the biggest educational centres in North Africa. Look out for the inscription above the gateway, which reads ‘You who enter my door, may your highest hopes be exceeded’. The ornate decoration shows Andalusian and earlier Moroccan influences, and the zelijj tiles are one of the most notable and recognisable features of the building. Some have drawn comparisons with the Alhambra, and there have been suggestions that craftsmen who worked on it were commissioned to work on the madrasa too.
The madrasa finally shut its doors in 1960, and following a refurbishment project, was re-opened to the public in 1982 as a place of historical interest and significance.
The madrasa is one of Marrakech’s most popular attractions, and it’s often busy. The building is something of a maze: it centres around the main courtyard, and everything pretty much stems off from there. As with many Islamic buildings, the main courtyard has a reflective pool in its centre.
The student dormitories are clustered around the courtyard on the first and second floors: they’re open for exploring but watch your head and avoid them if you’re claustrophobic as they’re small and cramped. Many of them would have had multiple students sharing in order to accommodate everyone
Keep your eyes peeled for various Quranic inscriptions (and some praising Sultan Abdullah) across the building.
The madrasa is normally open daily – visit early or late to avoid the worst of the crowds. The madrasa was undergoing restoration work until spring 2020 – it’s unclear precisely when it will re-open.
The madrasa is on Place Ben Youssef, next to Ben Youssef Mosque and close to the Museum de Marrakech. The medina area is hard to navigate by anything other than foot given its winding streets, but it’s not hard to locate. If you’re coming from further afield, get a taxi to drop you on Rue Sid Abd El Aziz.
]]>This early Byzantine church in Madaba, Jordan holds the famous Madaba Map of the Middle East; a floor mosaic dating back to the 6th century AD depicting an area from Lebanon to the Nile Delta, and from the Mediterranean Sea to the Eastern Desert. It is the oldest known geographic floor mosaic in art history.
Most probably made by the Christian community of Madaba, it contains cartographic depiction of the Holy Land and especially Jerusalem which is the largest and most detailed part in the center of the map. It faces east towards the altar which coincides with the actual compass directions of locations.
After conquests and earthquakes, the mosaic was rediscovered in 1884, during the construction of a new Greek Orthodox church and underwent restoration by the Volkswagen Foundation in the 1960s.
In 1967, excavations in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem revealed the Nea Church and the Cardo Maximus in the exact locations depicted by the Madaba Map. In 2010, the discovery of a road running through the center of Jerusalem as shown on the map again proved its accuracy and priceless value for the archaeologists.
The church of Saint George is one of the most beautiful churches in the world and it’s one of the main places of worship and pilgrimage across Jordan. Decorated with sumptuous interiors, elegant colonnades and various mosaics, the Greek Orthodox Basilica of Saint George hosts the mosaic map of the holy land.
Note that on Friday and Sunday mornings the church opens at 7am for Mass (visitors are welcome); viewing the map at these times is not permitted.
The church is roughly 38 kilometres south of the city of Amman in Jordan. If travelling by car from here, take route 35 southbound (40 minutes approx.) until you reach Madaba.
]]>Archaeologists have recreated these decorated rooms, allowing you to get a feel of what they really would have looked like thousands of years ago.
Zeugma was one of the most important cities of the Roman Empire in the East. Originally founded around 300 BC by Alexander’s general Seleucus Nicator, the city was a vital military and commercial point across the Euphrates river, with as many as 70,000 people living in the city at its peak.
However, a devastating attack in 256 AD by Sassanid king Shapur I led to the city’s decline. Though Zeugma remained an important Roman and subsequently Byzantine city well into the 6th century, the mounting pressure on the Empire’s borders led to its eventual abandonment.
The remains of Zeugma are 45 kilometres away on the bank of the Euphrates and now lie mostly underwater due to the construction of a number of modern dams. Before the dams were built, great conservation efforts were put in place to preserve the ruins of the city.
Everything that could be moved was excavated, not just portable objects but wall paintings, mosaics and frescoes – with many of the finds move to the Zeugma Mosaic Museum. An unimaginable amount of work has gone into removing, restoring and reassembling these mosaics.
The Zeugma Mosaic Museum itself is among the largest mosaic museums in the world, exhibiting thousands of square metres of truly awe inspiring mosaics, originating from the Roman and Byzantine periods. Alongside this there are other excavations including the frescoes, fountains, sculptures and an intimidating bronze statue of the God Mars.
Sadly, the archaeological site was subject to looting over the years, so many mosaics are therefore incomplete. The museum today attempts to raise awareness against the looting and trafficking of artefacts such as these.
Despite this, some of the most impressive mosaics in the museum are vast works, depicting famous characters such as Poseidon, Dionysus and Achilles.
Loctaed in the centre of modern Gaziantep, the Gaziantep Zeugma Mosaic Museum is easily found just off the D400 road and is a 2.5 hour drive from Adana along the E90.
]]>First discovered in 1933 and later fully excavated in the 1950s, the mosaic floors were found under the modern Arasta Bazaar and now form the core of the Istanbul Mosaic Museum. The floor was originally part of a peristyle courtyard in the Great Palace and is one of the very few elements of this Byzantine palace to have survived. The mosaics themselves were probably commissioned under Justinian I during his major renovations of the palace in the 6th century.
The museum itself is on the northern side of the courtyard ruins and houses mosaics that made up the pavements outside the original palace as well as the floor of the courtyard. The original mosaic is believed to have been far larger than the remnants on display, and it is thought much of this ancient treasure remains hidden beneath the surrounding buildings.
The Great Palace mosaics that make up the museum have been dated between 450 and 550 AD and depict scenes from daily life, hunting nature and mythology rather than religious figures. Visitors can walk around and above the excavated mosaics and read detailed information points which describe the content and history of each mosaic section.
Located next to Sultanahmet Square, Hagia Sophia and the Boukoleon Palace, the Istanbul Mosaic Museum is in the heart of Istanbul’s historical district, within easy walking distance from all the famous sights of the city.
Located at the mouth of the Bosphorus into the Sea or Marmara, Istanbul Mosaic Museum is easily found when exploring Istanbul on foot or via public transport. Bus BN1 stops along Kennedy Cd, a 5 minute walk from the museum, or you can get T1 tram to Sultanahmet, a 9 minute walk.
]]>A villa stood on the site for over 300 years before its eventual destruction and abandonment. Today Lullingstone Roman Villa is operated by English Heritage and boasts a number of impressive mosaics and even evidence of early Christian worship in Britain, with the remains of an ancient Christian chapel.
Other features at Lullingstone Roman Villa include Roman artefacts, video recreations and interactive attractions for children such as Roman board games and costumes.
Lullingstone Roman Villa is among the most outstanding surviving Roman villas in Britain. Situated in the village of Eynsford in Kent, the villa was built during the Roman occupation of Britain along with six others, including in Crofton, Crayford, and Dartford, which were all close to a Roman road which could connect them to London, Rochester, Canterbury, and Richborough.
It was likely constructed in around 80-90 AD, and was expanded in around 150 AD to include a heated bath block and hypocaust (central heating). It was later rebuilt in around 290 AD after being left abandoned for around a century.
Two marble busts were found in the cellar which may depict the owners of the villa. However, there is some evidence that the busts may depict Pertinax, governor of Britannia in 185-186 AD (and later Roman emperor) and his father.
In the 3rd century, a large furnace to supply the hypocaust as well as an expanded bath block were added, as well as a temple-mausoleum and large granary.
In the 4th century, the dining room was equipped with a fine mosaic floor with an illustration of Zeus or Jupiter.
The villa was repeatedly expanded and occupied until it was destroyed by fire in the 4th or 5th century, after which it was abandoned and forgotten until it was excavated in the 20th century.
It was also re-discovered in 1750, when workers fencing a deer park dug post holes through a mosaic floor.
It was only in 1939 that excavations were able to properly take place after Roman walls and mosaic fragments were unearthed beneath a blown-down tree.
In the 1960s, English Heritage took over the site, preserving the ruins under a specially-designed cover, and opening them to the public.
Today, the villa is open to visitors, who can enjoy the ruins and its mosaics under the purpose-built roof.
The pagan shrine, which later became one of Britain’s earliest Christian chapels, is also a particular highlight, as is the Romano-Celtic temple-mausoleum which was constructed in 300AD to hold the bodies of two young people. Though the female’s coffin was robbed in antiquity, the other remained undisturbed and is now on display at the site.
From the centre of Dartford, the villa is reachable in around 20 minutes via the A225 road by car. There is also a regular schedule of connecting buses and trains which take just over two hours from the centre of Dartford.
]]>
The current name of Mithraeum House derives from the artefacts found there relating to the cult of Mitra.
Located on the southern slope of Mount San Albín, the building was discovered in the early 1960s. It is a house built at the end of the 1st century and the beginning of the 2nd century AC outside the city walls, without any restrictions to its growth. Its size and the decoration of some of its rooms undoubtedly show that its owners were people of Hellenistic culture who were important within the society of Mérida. The building is set up around 3 courtyards and was once a grand residence. It is possible that the house belonged to a priest from the temple.
The whole house was built in blocks of unworked stone with reinforced corners. It demonstrates the peristyle house with interior garden and a room of the famous western sector Cosmogonic Mosaic, an allegorical representation of the elements of nature (rivers, winds, etc.) overseen by the figure of Aion. The complex has been recently roofed and renovated.
It is believed that the site is not the actual mithraeum but a domus. The remains of the mithraeum are uphill from it in a plot corresponding to a current bullring. This site has rendered prime examples of the remnants of Mithraism.
Casa del Mitreo was not all built on one level. The remains of a staircase suggest that a first floor was present. Also, some of the surviving rooms are underground. When visiting Mithraeum House lookout for the mosaic known as the Cosmological mosaic. It depicts the creation and evolution of Cosmos and contains terrestrial, marine and celestial elements.
There are several other noteworthy sites in the area including the museum, theatre and amphitheatre. The train station is within walking distance.
]]>These artfully crafted mosaic floors and the remains of one of the largest Roman Villas in Aargau offer a snapshot into the long history of Zofingen.
In ancient times Zofingen was a settlement of the Celtic Helvetii. Around the middle of the 2nd century, at a time when Roman Switzerland was generally experiencing a cultural and economic boom, this villa and its mosaic floors were built.
The first written mention of Zofingen was in 1231, which in 1299 came in the possession of the Habsburgs. In 1415 the Bernese conquered the city and in 1528 they introduced the Reformation. Since 1803 Zofingen has belonged to the canton of Aargau and has become a regional centre. The entire village of Zofingen is designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.
The Roman estate was discovered by chance in 1826 when a hemp roast was being built. The following excavations, financed by the city, lasted until the autumn of 1827.The bathroom and the middle part of the residential building with the well-preserved mosaic floors were excavated. The ancient residence is over 100 m in length and, with its axially symmetrical construction, belongs to the villas with an open portico and protruding parts of the building.
The mosaic floors were in remarkably good condition. Two protective structures were built in 1830 in order to protect the mosaics from the weather whilst keeping them visible.
The entire homestead was enclosed by a courtyard wall. From the northern enclosure wall with the north gate and part of an economic building were found. Because of the pottery and coin finds, the building is dated to around the middle of the 1st century. The complex has undergone various renovations over the centuries such as the bath complex and was in use until about the 4th century AD.
From 1938 to 1940, renovation work was carried out on the mosaics for the first time. The construction of a kindergarten on a neighbouring property led to further exploratory excavations in 1949. Between 1973 and 1975 the mosaics were extensively conserved and the protective structures were restored.The protective structures have been under the protection of the Swiss Confederation since 1975. In 1986 the Aargau Canton Archeology carried out further excavations in the southern part of the site.
The mosaics are usually during the day with free entry. There are picnic benches on the meadow between the two protective structures.
The mosaics are located in Zofingen, Kulm. It is a short walk from town and the nearest train station which is Zofingen train station.
]]>