Archaeologists unearthed an impressive mosaic floor dating to the second century B.C. near the monumental fountain in the ancient city of Side, located in the southern province of Antalya, which has a figure of the Greek mythological goddess of poetry Calliope at the center, Turkish media outlet Hürriyet Daily News reports.
The Greek mythological goddess of poetry Calliope was a character who in Hesiod’s Theogony, was the foremost of the nine Muses; she was later called the patron of epic poetry.
The harbor city dates back to the seventh century B.C. and was the most important port city of the Pamphylia region – a small coastal region in the South of today´s Turkey – in ancient times. The room where the mosaic was uncovered was also decorated with frescoes on its walls.
The artifact was discovered during works underway by the Turkish ministry’s Heritage to the Future Project, Hürriyet reports.
feature image credit Nick Irvine-Fortescue
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