Antioch Mosaics

Artists in the ancient city of Antioch were famous for their mosaic craftsmanship. Using small cubes of stone and glass called tesserae, they created colorful scenes of animals, plants, and people, as well as decorative patterns.

The mosaics shown here come from Antioch and the nearby city of Daphne, located in present-day Türkiye. During the Roman Empire, Antioch was a major center for trade and cultural exchange connecting Asia and the Mediterranean world.

Many mosaics once decorated public buildings, as well as reception halls and dining rooms in private homes between the first and sixth centuries. These spaces allowed hosts to display artistic taste while entertaining guests.

Early designs were influenced by Greek traditions, but later mosaics also reflect ideas from the Sasanian Empire in western Asia. Together, these artworks show how different cultures shared artistic ideas in the ancient world.