Adaptation of border motifs used in mosaics of Zeugma (Belkis) ancient city into the tile art

Mesopotamia is where human beings brought the first wheat seed and soil together. The most important part of this crescent which is called "Fertile Crescent" is the Anatolian lands that gave birth to the Euphrates and Dicle rivers. Anatolia has nourished the all civizations in the world with its deep wisdom and technique and it matches up with its name. People in Zeugma who are one of the most important civilizations of this Fertile Crescent, have been very successful in the field of art as they are in every other area. Their aesthetic concerns in the mosaics, the techniques and stories used in these mosaics enriched this successfulness. The most important difference that separates the Zeugma mosaics from the mosaics of other civilizations is the harmony of thirteen colors which can not be seen in the other mosaics. Zeugma mosaics owe this difference to what is brought by Euphrates River. While people in Zeugma civilization were covering their cities with unique architectural works, they ornamented these architectural works with mosaics that require mastery. Just as in Islamic arts, Zeugma artists made designs that dominate the language of the motifs in the architectural ornament. Almost all of these designs were ornamented with the frames which are called borders. These two civilizations have a common motif in the art of ornamentation and this thesis is the synthesis of the common motif of the two arts. Firstly, Gaziantep and Zeugma mosaics were investigated in line with the research topic. The importance of these mosaics in Anatolian architecture and tile arts was studied. In this direction, new designs were made using the motifs of these two arts, and these designs were applied to the art of tile-making , and tile boards and plates were produced. As a result, nothing on earth is independent from the past. Turkish people established a cultural tie by combining the art, culture, aesthetic and religious understanding of the culture and art concept of the civilization that they built upon the territories they conquered with their own art, culture, aesthetic and religious understanding of the culture and art concept of the civilization. The Turkish people succeeded in arts by improving their cultural heritage thanks to their unique fund of knowledge. This success was envied in the western arts and imitations of them were produced. Keyword: Belkıs, Zeugma, Mosaic, Tile, Architecture, Ornamentation