Geometric Mosaics from the Courtyard of the Great Bath at Antiochia ad Cragum in Western Rough Cilica

Abstract

The original floors of the courtyard and room with apse (frigidarium?), recently uncovered at the Great Bath Complex in Antiochia ad Cragum, one of the better preserved structures of the ancient city located along the Mediterranean coast of western Rough Cilicia, are covered with mosaics. Only a few fragments of the room with apse mosaic have been preserved, but the courtyard mosaic has remained largely intact. These mosaics, consisting of panels and borders, contain a wide variety of geometric motifs. The geometrical patterns seen here have been encountered in Roman mosaics throughout the entire Mediterranean basin from the Middle East to the Iberian Peninsula. However, in terms of motif and technique, the closest similar examples of this third century AD mosaic of the courtyard can be found in Anatolia, including in particular the region of Cilicia.