The ancient city of Germanicia and its mosaics

For the purposes of this dissertation, the ancient city of Germanicia and its Mosaics have been analyzed, that of which the province of Kahramanmaras was determined as the prime location of these recently excavated mosaics. The city of Kahramanmaras, due to its crossroad-location between the trade's routes connecting Mesopotamia, Syria and Anatolia, has played host too many civilizations. The city boasts thousands of years' of cultural heritage, and the geological, geomorphologic structure, climatic and vegetative factors contributing to the selection of this location for the city are investigated in this paper. The history of Germanicia of the Roman period is layed out by addressing various civilizations that have lived there. Although the ancient city was built in First Century A.D., it went through its golden days between 300-400 A.D. and spread across a very large area. In ancient maps and scientific publications, the location of the ancient city is marked as Kahramanmaras and its environs, but due to the lack of significant ruins remaining from the city, its specific location remains undetermined. However, thanks to ruins and mosaics that have been excavated in recent years, Germanicia is thought to have been to the east of the today's city center, covering an area of 46 hectares across the districts of Dulkadiroglu, Seyh Adil, Namik Kemal and Baglarbasi. The mosaics and ruins are located in 19 different sites, each site is examined for the purposes of this paper, their theoretic and iconographic features identified, and pictorial analyses have been conducted. The dissertation portrays the stories behind the mosaics located and registered in 18 different locations. Museum excavation records covering 2009-2010 are handled in detail, with the conclusion that 80% of structures were single or double-story residents and schools. The boundaries of the ancient city are located below what now are plots of land. The mosaics, which were a symbol of power, panache and wealth, were used as decorations on the floors of Germianician villas, and have acted as a beacon in locating a city that nowadays has disappeared. The mosaics have informed us of the fauna, flora, social life and the culture of Germanicia. The dissertation also examines the art, technique and the history of mosaics. Findings resulting from excavations in addition to the mosaics themselves have enabled us to date the mosaics back too 300-500 A.D.