Zeugma Mosaic Museum reopens after earthquakes

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The Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Antep, southeastern Turkey, has reopened after being closed for over two months due to the devastating earthquakes that struck the area in February.

Considered one of the world's largest mosaic museums and home to many unique and priceless works of art, including the famous "Gypsy Girl" mosaic, the museum reopened today (April 20) after inspections confirmed that it had not suffered any damage.

The museum displays works of art related to Gaziantep and its surroundings from ancient times to the present day in chronological order.

The museum boasts a display area of 3,500 square meters and a total of 21 exhibition halls, 16 in the new building and five in the old building. It houses 550 square meters of mosaic, 120 square meters of frescoes, and sculptures, as well as a total of 1,752 artifacts in the old building.

Yahya Coşkun, deputy general director of Cultural Assets and Museums, announced the news and reassured the public that other museums in the region will continue to open to visitors, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Several other museums, including the Göbeklitepe archaeological site in Şanlıurfa, the Arslantepe archaeological site in Malatya, the Adana Museum, and the Diyarbakır and Mardin Museum units, the Kayseri Museum, Güpgüpoğlu Ethnography Museum, Kayseri Atatürk House Museum, and Kültepe archaeological site reopened to visitors after undergoing inspections by the Directorate of Surveying and Monuments.

The earthquakes

On February 6, two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6 struck the southern city of Maraş. The first quake hit the Pazarcık district at 4:17 a.m., followed by the second one in Elbistan about nine hours later.

The earthquakes affected 11 cities in southern and southeastern Turkey, as well as northern parts of Syria, where more than 5,000 people have died.

Turkey's death toll from the earthquakes stands at over 50,000 and is expected to rise further, as more than 227,000 buildings were destroyed or severely damaged, according to government figures.

According to the United Nations, nearly three million people have been displaced due to the earthquakes. (EMK/VK)