Zeugma

I woke up after 10 solid hours of sleep. Burning up, because the temperature in the room was set to 80°F.

At ten to eight we were on the bus and drove to a nearby museum, the largest mosaic museum in the world, with mosaics exceeding 1,700 square meters.

All of the mosaics come from an ancient city called Zeugma, built on the banks of the Euphrates by one of Alexander the Great's generals (the city was named after him, but became Zeugma under the Roman Empire's control). At its height, Zeugma housed about 80,000 people, and had to import mosaic artists to make enough mosaics to satisfy local patrons. The city flourished until the 3rd century, when Rome lost control of the region, it was burned down and the main Euphrates crossing point was moved to elsewhere along the banks.

The museum was breathtaking. Housed inside a very modern building is a series of mosaics and frescos, organized to recreate how they fit into a Roman household, that almost defy description. Some depicted legendary figures of mythology, like Perseus and Andromeda, or Daedalus and Icarus. Others were more symbolic, depicted wheels of fortune and other beautiful patterns.

The centerpieces of the exhibit were two-fold: a bronze statue of Mars, almost completely undamaged (though we found out later it was a recasting, and the original is in a warehouse somewhere), shows a very angry man teeming with rage holding an olive branch of peace; a small mosaic of a girl with large earrings and a headdress known now as the Gypsy Girl. Both were incredible.

We got back in the bus and drove for 3 or 4 hours to Antakya, otherwise known as Antioch. The third largest city in the Roman Empire and a major stopover and pillaging site of the crusades, Antioch has been continuously inhabited for thousands of years. As such, there is no real old town, because the city has built upon itself for the entirety of that time.

We  stopped for lunch somewhere, which was delicious. At ten to four we regrouped outside the restaurant and walked the epic distance of about 8m to our next stop, an orthodox church. We had a look around and had a brief talk (with translations provided) with the priest, who gives his services in Arabic (we're right by the Syrian border, so Arabic is very prominent here).

At 5 we were checked into our hotel and had a brief siesta until 7:30. My roommates tonight and tomorrow are Jake and Sean.

Dinner was in the hotel restaurant at 7:30. That was the only evening plan.

After dinner I finished a novel I've been reading on the iPad kindle app. I started it on the bus ride today. It's called Elliot Allagash by Simon Rich. Incredible book, and fantastically written.

Around 10 a bunch of us gathered in Ellen and Kate's room (sans Kate) and had a few beers while laughing (which occasionally produced tears) at Turkey's Got Talent.

1am bedtime, after story time.