The Necmi Asfuroğlu Archeology Museum, originally designed as a hotel then converted into a museum-hotel in southeastern Turkey's Hatay province, has hosted more than 20,000 visitors since it opened last year. The unique museum contains artifacts from five different eras.

The archeological artifacts were first discovered during the hotel's construction in 2010 in the Antakya district of Hatay. Hatay Archaeological Museum Director Ayşe Ersoy told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the museum was created after nearly 10 years of hard and careful work to unearth and preserve the artifacts.

According to Ersoy, around 30,000 artifacts were unearthed during the construction of the museum, and around 350 of them are on display today. "After 10 years of archaeological excavations, we pondered how we could design this place as a museum and a hotel, and how we could introduce it to the public. We built a very beautiful hotel and museum," Ersoy said.

She added that the museum offers a tour of the history of Antiochia starting from the third century B.C. to the 15th century. Underlining that it is a living museum, Ersoy noted: "You can travel through the fabric of the city and you can experience those days. This is an archaeological richness that was covered and hidden by alluvial layers under the ground for years and is now presented to us again."

The various artifacts on display in the museum include Hellenistic fortification walls, a mosaic piece decorated with bird figures dating back to the fifth century, a large and multi-room Roman bath and a mosaic depicting nature and others from Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Medieval and Islamic eras.

Ersoy stated that the mosaic depicting nature was one of the most attractive works on display. The unique mosaic is believed to have been located in a "public space," or a forum, in the sixth century and it is thought to be the "largest single-piece ground mosaic in the world," covering an area of about 1,200 square meters (12,916 square feet). "Even after centuries, this mosaic has not lost its authenticity despite floods, invasions and earthquakes while it was buried deep underground," Ersoy said.

The locals of the city, in particular, have expressed their gratitude to have a museum that preserves and displays the history of Hatay and the region. Büşra Güler said she was very impressed by the museum. "As a person from Hatay, I am proud of it," Güler said and expressed her only regret was not visiting earlier. "While touring, I said I wish I had come and seen it earlier. I found all of the artifacts very interesting."

"While touring the museum, I experienced history," stated Kemal Baki, a first-time visitor from Diyarbakır province. "A lot of efforts has been invested in this place, and the streets and mosaics of the Roman period have attracted my attention ... I would like to come back and examine it in more detail," he added.

Güler suggested everyone should come to Hatay and see this fascinating museum.