Zeugma (Commagene)

Zeugma was an ancient Hellenistic city on the Euphrates in what is now Gaziantep Province, Turkey, established as a military and river crossing colony in the early Hellenistic period. It became notable for elaborate mosaic floors and a dense urban plan visible in archaeological excavations.

The mosaic pavements are the main attraction - dozens of large panels depicting gods, animals and everyday scenes were recovered, with individual panels often several metres across. Archaeological trenches have exposed house foundations, baths and street layouts; the best-preserved mosaics are displayed in the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Gaziantep.

Founded in the Hellenistic era (early 3rd century BCE) and occupied through Roman and Byzantine periods, the city grew around a strategic crossing of the Euphrates. It later declined and parts of the site were submerged or covered during modern river regulation and dam construction; large-scale rescue archaeology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries recovered many of the mosaic panels now conserved in museums.

The ruins lie on the banks of the Euphrates in southeastern Turkey inside Gaziantep Province, close to the reservoir formed by the Birecik Dam and within driving distance of Gaziantep city and local river towns. Much of the original urban area now lies partly excavated or beneath water.

• Where to see the best mosaics: Most of the finest mosaics from the site are conserved in the Gaziantep Zeugma Mosaic Museum rather than in situ; visiting the museum gives the clearest view of the best-preserved panels.
• Dam impact: Major rescue excavations were carried out before the filling of the Birecik Dam reservoir in the early 2000s, leaving parts of the site inundated or reburied.

What to See #

• Mosaic pavements: Large mosaic pavements recovered during rescue excavations; many panels measure several metres across and show mythological and everyday scenes, with thousands of tiny tesserae.
• Urban remains: Remains of a Hellenistic-Roman urban plan including house foundations, streets, baths and a probable agora exposed during digs in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
• Museum displays: Excavation sites and finds now largely conserved or displayed at the **Zeugma Mosaic Museum** in Gaziantep, which holds the best-known panels removed from the site.