You will see her face on brochures, on travel posters, and on ads all over Turkey if you travel there. Those haunting eyes staring back at us are wells into her soul—as they may have been for some wealthy Roman aristocrat, perhaps, whose villa she once adorned.
Her look is one of sadness, that turns to happiness, and back again. It follows you wherever you go—all over Turkey.
Nobody knows exactly who she is, not historians or archeologists, though she was jokingly called the “Gypsy Girl” when she was first unearthed by modern researchers from under rubble, in a dining room in Mainad Villa. A mere fragment of a colored stone mosaic, she now hangs in the stunning Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Gaziantep, about 50 kilometers west of said villa.
She is now Gaziantep’s symbol.
The “Gypsy Girl” became so famous she was allotted a whole room to herself, and that unmistakable gaze has garnered her the title of the Mona Lisa of Zeugma. A sole spotlight dimly illuminates the portrait. Her uncombed hair, high cheekbones, earring, and hair band might have engendered the nickname, yet it cannot be said for sure that she is even a she. Some postulate she may be Gaia, goddess of the Earth, while others said the portrait may be of Alexander the Great.
That would make perfect sense considering the region she originates from.
Legions of Roman soldiers were once stationed in the garrison outpost that was the city of Zeugma, located along the Euphrates River in present-day southern Turkey. It had been renamed Zeugma by the Romans after they conquered the region in 64 B.C., sweeping aside its 3rd-century moniker, Seleucia—after Alexander the Great’s successor.
We now know how Zeugma became a great gateway, leading from the Greco-Roman world into the Persian Empire. As such, trade and commerce and strategic importance added to its cosmopolitan culture and prosperity. Moreover, as the city lay at the shallowest point of the Euphrates, the Romans built a great pontoon bridge (none of which survives), and the charging of tolls for crossing generated wealth. Zeugma itself means “bridge” or “crossing” in ancient Greek.
It goes without saying that many a wealthy Roman would raise luxurious villas with decorations, far beyond what we have seen with Gypsy Girl, including frescos and exquisitely crafted floor and wall mosaics. Many were integrated water amenities with fountains designed to cool dry air as it entered from outside. Many feature river and ocean gods such as Poseidon. Marble columns, gushing Roman fountains, and limestone statues stood splendidly throughout.
That is, until the Roman Empire’s fall—when the city saw its fortunes evaporate, its luxurious villas reduced to ruins. Later, more rural inhabitants moved in, and these places became mere homes for livestock. The city’s grandeur was then forgotten for some 1,700 years only to be rediscovered by researchers many centuries later.
In 2000, the building of the massive Birecik Dam on the Euphrates River placed all that peerless ancient artwork in imminent jeopardy, and scientists were called upon to save it. With a narrative of rising waters, at a rate of 4 inches per day, an emergency salvage operation saw the recovery of some 32,300 square feet of mosaic, 450 feet of fresco, 20 columns, 4 statues, and 4 Roman fountains. All were lifted and moved into the new and ultramodern $30 million Zeugma Mosaic Museum in 2011. Private and public funding had saved the precious mosaics.
Today, you can travel to Turkey and admire the supreme artistry of the mosaics, including the enigmatic gaze of the Gypsy Girl. The museum has three blocks:
Block A is where the Roman floor mosaics lie. Visitors are greeted by the likenesses of Oceanos and Tethys, the god of all river gods and his wife, respectively. There are exquisite fish and dolphin decorations symbolizing the sea’s abundance.
A large mosaic from the Poseidon Villa shows the demigod Achilles who, having been hidden by his mother, was dressed in women’s clothes to save him from having to fight in the Trojan War. That is, until the clever Odysseus blew his war horn, and the brave Achilles took up his arms, revealing himself. The dashing scene shows him preparing for battle.
Many vivid colors and astonishing details are exhibited in the mosaic Eros and Psyche, from the Poseidon Villa also. The winged god of love, Eros, is depicted beside his wife, Psyche (or soul), in drapery. An intricate border of foliage, fruit, and geometric designs rivals the centerpiece in its magnificence.
It’s impossible to describe each and every mosaic in all its glory, thus when words fail pictures must suffice.
Block B of the museum houses mosaics hailing from Gaziantep and its surrounding regions, featuring simpler designs of lively animals and floor mosaics from churches of the Eastern Roman period.
Block C is reserved for a conference hall, café, and gift shop.
Many travelers say the Zeugma mosaics are a must-see if you are visiting Gaziantep. Needless to say, you will probably see the girl with her eyes following you around town if you need a reminder.
