In the ongoing archaeological excavation in the Incesu district of Türkiye's Kayseri, the largest mosaic structure in central Anatolia has been unearthed as the season draws to a close.

Culture and Tourism Provincial Director Şükrü Dursun remarked on the high quality of craftsmanship evident in the floor mosaics, indicating the site's significant use as an ancient villa.

"Previous excavations in this area have uncovered mosaic remnants. Three years ago, with the support of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, our Museum Directorate initiated continuous excavations in this area. As we progressed, various points were uncovered and expanded yearly, now reaching up to 600 square meters (6,455 square feet) of mosaic floors from the initial 300 square meters. Approximately 4,000 square meters have been revealed to date. When we assess the site as a whole, we surmise it was constructed in the fourth century, but we've also found evidence dating back to the third century and even earlier periods. The exceptional craftsmanship of the floor mosaics strongly suggests that this place was used as a significant villa during its time. Notably, we found a Latin inscription in what seems to be a reception hall, along with Greek inscriptions. The majority of the discovered mosaics are adorned with geometric patterns," he said.

On the other hand, Can Erpek, an academic from Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş University's Department of Art History, said: "In central Anatolia, such an extensive residential area with mosaic floors is unprecedented. We might have come across the residence of a high-ranking official of that era. Since 2021, our museum has been continuously conducting excavation work. Initially thought to belong to the fourth century, our findings now trace back to the third century. Further research might even push the dating back to an earlier period within the Roman era. We have evidence up to the sixth century when assessing archaeological data."

"This residence expanded over a vast area with approximately 33 rooms, and we haven't reached its boundaries yet. Next year's excavation work will likely enlarge the current understanding of this residence. It possesses highly valuable floor mosaics, a rarity for the Cappadocia and central Anatolian regions. This discovery, coupled with inscriptions, particularly mentioning 'Hyakinthos,' possibly refers to a significant local ruler. This presents a crucial aspect of our findings. While we know the names of officials governing imperial properties in the Cappadocia region during the Roman and Byzantine periods, such a residence had not been discovered until now. The ongoing excavation in Örenşehir might have revealed the residence of a prominent local ruler. We will continue our excavation works next year," he added.

Mayor Memduh Büyükkılıç emphasized Kayseri's role as an open-air museum, stating: "Kayseri has hosted various civilizations throughout its history. We consider it an open-air museum. In collaboration with our Provincial Directorate of Culture and distinguished scholars, we, as the municipality, are conducting excavations in six different areas. These include fossil-related studies, excavations related to Kültepe-Kaniş-Karum, mosaic works, Keykubadiye Palace studies and works around the Seyyid Burhanettin Shrine. As the municipality, we warmly support the requests of our Ministry of Culture and Tourism in all fields. Our goal is to unearth these cultural riches, present them for the benefit of humanity and portray Kayseri positively from a scientific standpoint. The mosaic findings, overseen by experts, indicate a high-quality residential structure."