Orpheus is Back

The kingdom of Edessa, which carries great importance in terms of the history of Urfa, had possessed an active history and was rich in the arts, leaving behind the remnants of many cultures and civilisations. The most important cultural remnants belonging to this era were the colourful mosaics produced in local style. The Orpheus Mosaic, among one of these mosaics, had been discovered during an illegal excavation in the 1980s, and had been smuggled to Europe and later to the USA. Upon determining the fact that this work was being exhibited at the Dallas Arts Museum, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey initiated an investigation. As a result of the persistent pursuit and research, Turkey ensured the return of the work. As a result, the Orpheus Mosaic, has returned to the lands where it was made 1821 years ago and is now on exhibition. Müslüm Ercan, the Director of Şanlıurfa Museum, states that as Orpheus was about the underworld and death, we see the engravings of its figures on many gravestones.