Mosaic art began in the 10th century BCE as a floor covering in Mediterranean cultures.  Some of the world’s greatest ancient mosaics can be viewed in Italy (Sicily, Venice, Ravenna, Rome and Naples), Turkey (Istanbul), Egypt, Syria, and Jordan (see map of sites profiled in our guide). 

Use our guide to learn about the stylistic development of mosaics over a 1000-year period and for detailed reviews of specific sites throughout the Mediterranean.

This Approach Guide reviews the stylistic development of mosaics over a 1000-year period (400 BCE to 1453 CE), that is, from the pioneering Late Classical Hellenistic Period to the equally impressive Palaeologan Era in the late stages of the Byzantine Empire.  As you might imagine, the style ebbs and flows over this lengthy period, with forms that range from highly realistic to more abstract and symbolic.

To make this temporal fluctuation easier to process, we break this stylistic transformation into nine distinct periods and profile the defining characteristics for each.  We then continue with detailed reviews of key mosaics sites throughout the Mediterranean and integrate them into this stylistic framework.

This Approach Guide includes detailed reviews of mosaics sites in the following geographies: 

• Italy (Palermo, Piazza Armerina, Rome, Ravenna, Milan, Venice, and Naples)
• Turkey (Istanbul)
• Jordan (sites along the King’s Highway)
• Syria (Damascus)
• Egypt (St. Catherine’s Monastery, Sinai Peninsula)

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