how long is the history of this mosaic in Gaziantepe?
The history of the Gypsy Girl Mosaic spans nearly 1,800 years, dating back to the 2nd to 3rd century CE during the peak Roman era of the ancient city of Zeugma.
The mosaic once decorated the floor of a luxurious Roman villa's dining room (triclinium) before the city was heavily devastated by the Sasanian Empire around 252 CE.
Discovery and Institutional History in Gaziantep
• Discovery (1998): The face of the mosaic was officially unearthed during a rush archaeological rescue excavation led by experts before parts of the ancient site were flooded by the Birecik Dam project.
• The Smuggling and Return (1960s–2018): While the main portrait remained safe beneath a fallen column until its 1998 discovery, parts of the broader floor mosaic had been looted during unauthorized digs in the 1960s and smuggled to the United States. After extensive diplomatic efforts, those missing borders were returned to Gaziantep in 2018.
• Current Display: Today, it rests as the crown jewel of the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Gaziantep, showcased in a dedicated, climate-controlled dark room to protect its ancient, multi-colored stone tesserae.
加济安泰普（Gaziantep）这幅马赛克作品的历史有多久？
“吉普赛女郎”（Gypsy Girl）马赛克的历史跨越了近1800年，可追溯至公元2至3世纪——即古城泽乌格马（Zeugma）处于罗马时代鼎盛时期的阶段。
在公元252年左右该城遭受萨珊王朝（Sasanian Empire）严重破坏之前，这幅马赛克曾装饰着一座豪华罗马别墅的餐厅（triclinium）地面。
在加济安泰普的发现与收藏历程
• 发现（1998年）：在比雷吉克大坝（Birecik Dam）工程导致部分古遗址被淹没之前，专家们主导了一次紧急抢救性考古发掘，这幅马赛克的人像部分便是在此次发掘中重见天日的。
• 走私与回归（20世纪60年代–2018年）：尽管马赛克的主体人像在1998年被发现前一直安然无恙地保存在一根倒塌的柱子下方，但构成整幅地面马赛克其余部分的碎片却在20世纪60年代的非法挖掘中被盗，并被走私到了美国。经过长期的外交努力，这些缺失的边缘部分终于在2018年归还至加济安泰普。
• 现今展示：如今，它是加济安泰普泽乌格马马赛克博物馆（Zeugma Mosaic Museum）的镇馆之宝，被陈列在一个专门的、环境可控的暗室中，以保护其古老的多彩石质镶嵌块（tesserae）。
how long is the history of this mosaic in Gaziantepe?
The history of the Gypsy Girl Mosaic spans nearly 1,800 years, dating back to the 2nd to 3rd century CE during the peak Roman era of the ancient city of Zeugma.
The mosaic once decorated the floor of a luxurious Roman villa's dining room (triclinium) before the city was heavily devastated by the Sasanian Empire around 252 CE.
Discovery and Institutional History in Gaziantep
• Discovery (1998): The face of the mosaic was officially unearthed during a rush archaeological rescue excavation led by experts before parts of the ancient site were flooded by the Birecik Dam project.
• The Smuggling and Return (1960s–2018): While the main portrait remained safe beneath a fallen column until its 1998 discovery, parts of the broader floor mosaic had been looted during unauthorized digs in the 1960s and smuggled to the United States. After extensive diplomatic efforts, those missing borders were returned to Gaziantep in 2018.
• Current Display: Today, it rests as the crown jewel of the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Gaziantep, showcased in a dedicated, climate-controlled dark room to protect its ancient, multi-colored stone tesserae.