Reception Hall with Rare Mosaics from the 4th Century Discovered in the Ancient City of Hadrianopolis

JAKARTA - Excavations in the ancient city of Hadrianopolis in Turkey's Black Sea region, Karabuk Province, have uncovered a 4th-century AD reception hall featuring a rare mosaic design last month, experts say.

Led by archaeologist Ersin Celikbas from Karabuk University, this year's excavations, carried out under the Heritage for the Future Project of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Eskipazar, focused on the inner fortress of the site, where a large mosaic-floored room was discovered.

"We identified this room as a reception hall, which indicates that this room was part of the palace complex in Hadrianopolis," Celikbas told reporters, calling the find "very significant" for Black Sea and Anatolian archaeology, reported Anadolu (1/1).

The mosaic features a peacock drinking from a fountain, geometric patterns, ribbon designs, eight-pointed stars, and motifs that have never been recorded in academic literature. About 80 percent of the mosaic's surface is still intact.

Several human figures were also found, although most were damaged. Celikbas said further work would continue in 2026 to uncover additional parts of the palace.

"We still can't determine whether the figure is mythological or religious," he said, noting that the mosaic shows a very striking pattern.

He added that this discovery is very significant for Anatolian archaeology, stressing that several motifs, including one particular motif, have been identified here for the first time and have never been recorded in the region before.

Meanwhile, Eskipazar Mayor Serkan Civa said interest in Hadrianopolis continues to grow, adding the site recently received official status as a "ruin" and will soon offer new visitor facilities to accommodate an increased number of guests.