Discovery Process of the Zeytinburnu Mosaics Outside the City Walls

Abstract

The Zeytinburnu Mosaics outside the City Walls were revealed between 2017 and 2020 on a lot belonging to the Kazlıçeşme Art Center which has been serving since 2019 in the Kazlıçeşme District of Zeytinburnu Region of Istanbul. The oldest documented data belonging to the Art Center goes back to the year 1828. At that time, the building was used as a military hospital of the Ottoman Era while later on during the Republic Era, it served as a dormitory, and military office and in 1956 was converted into a public bazaar hall. The building was transferred to Zeytinburnu Municipality property in 1984. During the restoration works of the ‘Mayor Building’ in 2015, Zeytinburnu Mosaics were discovered in the foundation blocks of the main part of the municipality building and around the area used as a carpark. The revealed findings are important for enabling additional data on historical-archeological features of Istanbul outside the City Walls.