Mosaics from ancient times adorn ceilings and walls, and in some cases the floors of palaces and cathedrals. Despite the thousand-year history, to this day they have not lost their beauty. Tens of thousands of fragments of tiles are combined into one composition, which makes one admire the work of masters. Their special design allows mosaics to be preserved for centuries. Nowadays, there are many mosaics in different styles, from ancient Impressionism to modern pixel art. Many ancient mosaics have kept secrets for years, which will be discussed in this article.
1
Hidden Angel in Hagia Sophia (Turkey)
A few years ago, in the Hagia Sophia Cathedral, founded back in Constantinople (now Istanbul), a mosaic depicting a six-winged angel was found. It was Seraphim, occupying the very top in the angelic hierarchy. The mosaic has been hidden from the human eye for more than 150 years, being under several layers of paint and a metal screen. The painting is placed in one of the parts of the central dome. Scientists suggest that her age is 700 years. The mosaic was hidden by Muslims, as Islam rejects the depiction of images in temples.
The find was made during the restoration of the cathedral. The last person to see the seraph before the New Age is considered an architect from Switzerland Gaspar Fossati. He was engaged in the restoration of the church in the 30s of the XIX century during the reign of Sultan Abdul-Majid I. The cathedral was built on the fault line, and for centuries it was destroyed due to earthquakes. In 558, as a result of an earthquake, the dome and the altar were destroyed.
2
Secret Burial Map (Israel)
While digging a pit for an industrial zone in the Israeli city of Kiryat Gat, workers found a mysterious mosaic, which, according to preliminary estimates, was about one and a half thousand years old. The map depicted on it was the floor for one of the cathedrals of Byzantium, destroyed several centuries ago. A map of the city of Cortaso, namely it was depicted in mosaics, allegedly led to the burial of the prophet Habakkuk, which is mentioned in the Old Testament. True, a lot of controversy is unfolding on this issue, since according to Christian legends, the exact burial place is unknown, and not only Israel, but also Iran is claiming the location of the grave of the prophet. Parishioners of each of the churches believe in their connection with the burial place.
Map mosaics are a rare occurrence in Israel. In addition, it is unusually detailed, not only houses are applied in a three-dimensional image, but also the external decoration, including sidewalks and balconies, is shown. On one of the streets are different birds, as well as deer and roosters. In another part of the mosaic, you can find the flow of the Nile. Archaeologists counted 17 colors in which pieces of tile were painted. Such fine work and detail is not found in any Israeli mosaic.
3
Space Invader (Worldwide)
For 20 years now, the public has been worried about the question of who the Invader is. This name was nicknamed the artist from France, who leaves signatures in the form of mosaics around the world. He earned such a nickname precisely with his mosaics, which depict images from the popular pixel game "Space Invaders". His creations adorn the streets of Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Mombasa, Paris and other cities in the world.
While in New York in 2013, the Invader portrayed famous Big Apple residents, such as Woody Allen, Andy Warhol, Joey Ramone and Lou Reed. The image of the first is often associated with the sensational story of Allen's marriage with his stepdaughter. Despite the fact that the identity of the Invader is still unknown, he earns considerable amounts by receiving public transfers and selling "replicas" of his mosaics. The price of some copies reaches $ 15,000 per copy. The invader has already invaded many cities, leaving more than 3 thousand works. Three years ago he “signed” even on the ISS.
By the way, we have an interesting article on the most beautiful French medieval castles on most-beauty.ru.
4
Giant mosaic of Amphipolis (Macedonia)
A huge mosaic was found on the territory of the largest tomb of ancient Greece. It is located near the ancient city of Amphipolis, which is in the territory of modern Macedonia. Of the many small tiles laid out a picture depicting a chariot with the messenger god Hermes harnessed by white horses. Next to Hermes is a charioteer with a thick beard and a laurel wreath on his head. According to archeologists, the mosaic was laid around 4 centuries BC. The dimensions of the mosaic are simply enormous (length 4.5, width 3 m.), While it is worth mentioning that it was not excavated to the end, so archaeologists do not know the full image.
The beauty of the tomb and the richness of its decoration indicate that someone noble is buried in it. It dates back to the reign of Alexander the Great, in which Amphipolis was one of the most powerful cities in the empire. After the death of Alexander, King Cassander exiled his son and wife Roxane to the city (310 BC). According to the assumptions of historians, in the tomb may be the graves of General Olympia, the mother of Alexander the Great or the wife of Roxanne. The version of the burial there of Alexander himself is rejected.
5
Mosaic with a "fun skeleton" (Turkey)
A couple of years ago, a mosaic depicting a “carefree skeleton" was discovered in Turkish Hatay. According to historians, her age is approximately 2,400 years. The afterlife plot depicts a skeleton that reclines with a cup of wine, a bottle and bread are visible nearby. The caption below the picture calls for fun and enjoy life. At one time, mosaic was used as a decoration for the villa of a wealthy townsman from ancient Greek Antioch. This city used to be the center of the followers of Jesus, as it is believed that it was here that they were called Christians.
Mosaics with skeletons are scattered around the world. The white pattern looks impressive on a black background, having a significant visual impact. The afterlife plot was especially popular in the mosaic art of Pompeii. Some even said: “Know thyself.” Apparently, the Italian skeletons lack a cheerful “fellow” character from Turkey.
6
Mysterious Mosaic in Mitla (Mexico)
The mysterious mosaics of the ancient Mexican city of Mitla can be found in almost every corner of the settlement. Moreover, they are both outside and inside houses, tombs and palaces. City mosaics consist of 6 basic patterns, some of which are connected by a thin horizontal line of tiles. According to some historians, this masonry is nothing more than ancient coded scripts. Each stone is carefully polished and has an original shape that no other repeats. The calculations of the ancient builders are so accurate that the entire mosaic is laid out without a single gram of cement or other bonding agent. Even modern tile and stone processing machines will not be able to process the mosaic so accurately. If you create a mosaic of Mitla today, then it will cost much more than the building decorated with it.
Scientists have no doubt that these patterns are symbols of something unknown. However, it is still unclear what exactly they symbolize. The key to the solution can be the fact that the Spanish conquistadors were there, collecting stones in the 16th century near the city to build the church of San Pablo.
7
Mysterious mosaic in Hukok (Israel)
A mosaic found several years ago on the floor of the ruins of an ancient synagogue in Israel haunts many scholars. It dates back to the 5th century BC, when this territory belonged to the Roman Empire. The mosaic depicts the “negotiations” of two high-ranking husbands with retinues. Unfortunately, no evidence or signature for the mosaic has been preserved, which is quite rare. Since men are unknown, historians can only assume that one of them, dressed in white, is the Jerusalem high priest. The second, allegedly military, however, his identity is also not established.
It is assumed that this may be Antiochus VII, the commander of the times of the Ancient World. Elephants on the mosaic can symbolize the suppression of the Jewish revolt of the Maccabees by the troops of the Seleucid dynasty, dated II centuries BC. The Seleucids were called the descendants of generals Alexander the Great, who fought using war elephants. According to another version, the general depicted is Alexander himself. If the version is true, then this is the first known case of a mosaic of a synagogue of an unbiblical character.
8
Hippodrome (Cyprus)
Incredibly beautiful mosaic was discovered on the island of Cyprus. The tiled picture visualizes the fun of the times of the era of ancient Rome - the race on chariots. Scientists agree that it was created at the beginning of the IV century BC. The length of the mosaic is 11 meters, and the width is slightly more than 4 meters. In the mosaic, everything is “tied” to the number 4: exactly so many chariots are depicted in the creation, each of which is set in motion by four horses. Some scholars saw this hidden symbolism, namely a hint at the struggle for power of the four fractions of the Roman nobility.
The find of the mosaic is dated 1938, the ordinary farmer became the discoverer, however, excavations started only after decades. In ancient Rome, the hippodrome was one of the main places for both the emperor and ordinary citizens. The ruler used the "highway" to demonstrate his greatness. It is assumed that the mosaic adorned the home of a representative of the Roman nobility or a wealthy Cypriot citizen. It is valuable not only for its content, but also for its excellent detail and excellent condition.
9
Madonna on a surfboard (USA)
7 years ago, in the California town of Encinitas, on the eve of Easter, an original mosaic was discovered. She depicts Madonna de Guadalupe descending in the waves on a surfboard. This “masterpiece” belongs to two friends who, under the guise of workers, entered under the railway bridge, where they created their own mosaic. From the point of view of the law, the work of Patterson and Nichols, namely the name of street artists, should be regarded as graffiti, however, she had a lot of fans, among whom were even local authorities. Officials did not spare a few thousand dollars to save the mosaic and its subsequent transfer to one of the alleys of the city.
The goal of Patters and Nichols was to draw public attention to ocean pollution. With their mosaics, they urge local people and authorities to keep the ocean clean and safe. For this, the artists founded a fund that raised $ 213,000. This money was spent on cleaning beaches, saving marine mammals, as well as creating a surf camp for children with disabilities. In 2016, the creation of a mosaic was announced, the proceeds of which will be used to finance a city center for maritime safety.
10
Hidden mosaic in the Basilica of the Nativity of Christ (Israel)
According to religious scriptures (the reliability of which is quite problematic to verify), the Church of the Nativity of Christ is located in the exact birthplace of the Son of God. Due to the centuries-old neglect of this holy place, it fell into decay, while the water itself did its “thing." She simply washed away the centuries-old dirt deposited on the walls of the church, revealing to people an amazing mosaic from the time of the Crusades. Mosaic is so dilapidated that people simply forgot about its existence. Together with her was found an icon made of brass, silver, stone and shells. Experts so far refrain from commenting on the plot of the icon.
Over the past 600 years, this is the most ambitious reconstruction of the church. About $ 8 million was spent over the two-year “operations” period. The reconstruction results were impressive, therefore, there are plans to continue the project. Archaeologists are going to dismantle stone slabs lying on the floor of an abandoned basilica, which supposedly hide other mosaics. There is no doubt that the church in Bethlehem still hides many secrets.
Finally
So our article on mysterious mosaics has come to an end. I would like to hear your opinion about this material. We will be glad if you can share your knowledge about these amazing stone paintings with the help of comments on this article.
Posted by: gunner1886