Zeytinburnu Mosaic Museum: Exploring four eras of history under one roof

Whenever excavations are made in Istanbul, it is nearly impossible not to encounter the traces of ancient civilisations underground.

Unsurprisingly, the recent archeological discoveries in Istanbul’s Zeytinburnu district — mosaics, a cist-type tomb, a marble sarcophagus and skeletons — are stirring excitement.

“We are aware that Istanbul is home to numerous mosaics, but this is the first one we have uncovered beyond the city walls. And it fills us with great excitement, as it signifies a fresh addition to Istanbul's unique history, providing new evidence of its past,” said Omer Arisoy, the Mayor of Zeytinburnu and former Culture and Tourism deputy minister.

The artefacts were discovered during the restoration work of an Ottoman-era building, where the Zeytinburnu municipality office was located for 25 years. Reinforcement and renovation work began in 2015 with the idea of transforming the historical building into an art centre under the name of Kazlicesme Art Complex.

The floor mosaics, dating back to the late Roman-early Byzantine period, were unexpectedly discovered under the foundation blocks of the main section of the building, during the renovation.

Based on the patterns on the mosaics, it was decided that test excavations outside the building needed to be carried out, on the assumption that the mosaic could be spread over a larger area.

The archaeologists' search for new mosaics yielded successful results; all of them had been found and uncovered by 2019.

“Together with the one found indoors, we discovered mosaics covering approximately 186 square metres in total,” Arisoy added.

As the excavation unfolded, a cascade of unforeseen historical artefacts emerged, adding layers of unexpected richness to the unfolding narrative.

“After the mosaic was found inside the building, we followed it to its end and reached a sarcophagus, containing the skeletal remains of two individuals, a man and a woman. According to the carbon-14 test conducted by Tubitak, the sarcophagus dates back approximately 1,750 years.” Tubitak is the scientific and technological research council of Türkiye.

Interdisciplinary artist Celaleddin Celik, the designer and architect of the Mosaic Museum and Kazlicesme Art Complex, expressed his astonishment and excitement for the artefacts found in the midst of the art centre project.

"This was a complete surprise for us. This was a process that completely changed the course of the project and stopped all work. No one could have foreseen that this would happen," Celik said.

‘Happy to have found our oldest neighbour’

The mosaics, yielded in the excavations, dates back to the mid-4th and early 5th centuries CE; a sarcophagus, a few coins and terracotta potsherds date back to the 4th and 10th -11th centuries CE.

In addition to the skeletal remains in the sarcophagus, human remains were found in a cist-type tomb from the Roman period; however, the bones in the brick grave were completely crumbled.

According to the analyses, one of the two skeletons in the sarcophagus is 1,750 and the other is 1,775 years old; the woman was in her 30-40s and the man was in his 40-50s.

“They are the oldest residents of Zeytinburnu, as far as we know," Celaleddin Celik stated. The Mayor also said that they are happy to have found their oldest neighbour.

The skeletal remains of the man and the woman were found together on a purple robe, considered the colour of royalty in the Byzantine Empire, decorated with gold embroidery.

Additionally, the man displayed signs of a broken rib and suffered from rheumatic disease.

DNA tests are currently ongoing at the Middle East Technical University in the capital Ankara.

‘Architectural fairytale’

Upon these exciting findings, Arisoy decided to transform the site into a mosaic museum to exhibit the newly discovered historical artefacts on site, with the joint work of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums Directorate and Zeytinburnu Municipality.

"When we started the Kazlicesme Art Complex project, we didn't think there would be a mosaic museum here," Celaleddin Celik said.

Constructed in the early 1800s, the historical building served as a military hospital during the Ottoman period. Over time, it transformed into a dormitory, military office and public bazaar hall, before being acquired by Zeytinburnu Municipality in 1984.

“This historic building reveals four layers, each representing four different historical periods that have existed in the same space; the Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and modern Republican eras,” the Mayor Arisoy emphasised.

Celik, the architect, stated that the construction of an annex to the historical building to exhibit the newly discovered artefacts outside the building was an exciting, ongoing process, but also had architectural challenges.

"The challenges here are multi-layered. Because the structure was built as a military hospital in the reign of Sultan Abdulhamid II, which is a historical heritage. Right next to it, a mosaic was found that is more than 1,000 years old. This is a completely different layer. Both are cultural assets and both need to be protected. We designed a contemporary addition to the historical building that approaches both of them with utmost respect and sensitivity," Celik said.

“You have to exist without damaging anything. On the other hand, you have to exist within the historical texture without competing with it and without getting ahead of it hierarchically. Also, you have to exist here in a contemporary language without imitating the historical texture.”

Celik also noted that the facade design reflects the concept of a mosaic, a kind of abstraction.

"This restoration project has become an architectural fairytale for us," he said.

The Kazlicesme Art Complex comprises a library, an art gallery, as well as restaurant and cafe areas.

The ground floor of the museum currently functions as an art gallery, with the Mosaic Museum located outside the building.

The top floor of the museum has also been turned into an art library which has an observation terrace with a magnificent view of Istanbul.

The Mayor underlined that the Zeytinburnu Mosaic Museum will breathe a new life into Istanbul's cultural tourism.

“We consider it our responsibility to reveal all the potentials of Zeytinburnu, to increase its richness and promote harmony and happiness among our people of all backgrounds.”

Was the structure where the mosaics were discovered a palace, a mansion, or a castle? Or, were the man and woman found buried together in the tomb “lovers" of the early Byzantine period?

Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to answer these questions.

The mystery of the mosaics, the sarcophagus and the people found buried there continues to be investigated.