The building with mosaics in Olympos: A comparative evaluation of finds and building construction

Abstract

The ancient city of Olympos is one of the east Lycian sites located 80 km southwest of the modern Antalya’s city center. The city is divided into two halves by the Akçay creek which flows through the Mediterranean Sea. The building called «Building with Mosaics» is situated in the northern area of the city where Byzantine remains become more visible. The rectangular shaped building complex stands on a northwest-southeast axis with a large room in its center surrounded by nine other asymmetrically arranged rooms. During the excavations gold and bronze objects along with ceramic and glass finds were found. There appear to be similarities between the samples discovered within contexts belonging to the early Byzantine period with other settlements around the Mediterranean sea. Elements of architectural sculpture show similarities with pieces from the early Byzantine period. The clo sest comparison of the building’s masonry points to the 10th century and thereafter. The chronological inconsistency between the small finds and the architectural structure makes it hard to comprehend the phases of construction and usage of the building.