Zeugma 'bridge uniting the two banks of Euphrates'.
Zeugma ("Bridgetown") is located some 10 km north-east of Nizip on the Euphrates River. It comprised the cities of Apameia, on the east bank, and Seleucia, on the west bank covering an area of about 5000 acres, and as it included one of the few bridges over the Euphrates it was an important strategic place from the Hellenistic and into the Byzantine period. The site is in the area of the Birecik dam (water now covers much of the site) and rescue excavations were conducted from 1987 by Gaziantep Museum, joined from 1993 by an international effort.
Catherine Abadie Reynal continues her work in the unflooded areas.
The magnificent ruins of the ancient city of Zeugma, was found in Belkis on the River Euphrates. Zeugma is believed to be among the four most important settlements under the reign of Commanage Kingdom. In the Hellenistic times Zeugma was called “Seleukeia of Euphrates”. It was originally founded by Selevkos Nikador, one of the generals of Alexander theGreat, in 300 B.C. The city was named after the general “ Selevkaya Euphrates.” When the city was conquered in 64 BC by Romans it was renamed Zeugma. This was to mean “bridge-passage.”, a frontier city.
In its history, the city experienced an invasion by the Sassanians that led to its total destruction. It suffered further destructions by a severe earthquake which buried it under in the ground. In the later centuries it was ruled by Byzantines and Arabs in turn.
The ancient town of Zeugma all of a sudden came to life after two thousand years being forgotten under the fertile banks of the Euphrates River. Zeugma
flourished under the Commagene Kingdom and underwent enourmous developments when it finally came under the Roman rule. However. invading Sasanians have infliced irreparable damage and forced Zeugma to go into a deep slumber. The findings discoverd were housed in the Gaziantep Museum—the world’s largest mosaic museum, which surpasses many famed museums, Bardo of Tunus and Antakya Museums.e ancient city of Antioch
You will find that each mosaic made up colorful stones has a story to deliver. In particular the ‘Gypsy Girl’ with piercing eyes has amazed every one. Mosaics depicting Poseidon, Oceanus, Tethys, the river gods each depicting tales from mythology. For example, the rise of Venus-Aphrodite from a sea shell, or the family of Achilles trying to deter the great hero from going off to war where he will slay the Trojan prince Hector, or Bacche, dancing in honor of Dionysus’ return from India with Nike, the god of victory, to name just a few.
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