A campaign is under way to preserve and protect an ancient mosaic floor that belonged to a 4th century CE synagogue on the Greek island of Aegina.
The mosaic, which was discovered in 1829 by German archaeologist Ludwig Ross, includes complex geometric forms in blue, grey, red and black, and two Greek inscriptions that identify it as having come from a synagogue. Parts of a wall and nave were discovered in 1932 during a full excavation of the site.
An exhibition about the mosaic and its history is currently under way at the Archaeological Museum of Aegina, where the mosaic is sited in the museum courtyard — it opened August 7 and runs until August 24.
(The original location of the synagogue was nearby, but the mosaic was moved to its current site at the museum in the 1960s because of construction in the area.)
The exhibition is part of the first stage of an ambitious campaign to save the mosaic, led by architect Dr. Elias Messinas, the leading expert on Greek synagogues, and Yvette Nahmia Messinas, through their NGO ECOWEEK, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Sport’s Ephorate of Antiquities of Piraeus and the Islands.
The mosaic is at a dangerous state of damage and neglect and requires urgent preservation and protection. […] The mosaic is mostly damaged. Maintenance operations were carried out in 1989. The situation is made worse due to its proximity to the sea and its exposure to environmental conditions.
In an email, Messinas told JHE that the plan includes
— Preservation of the mosaic entailing the creation of architectural and engineering drawings
— Installing a protective light roof
— Landscaping and installing seating to surround the site.
A publication is also planned.
Already from the project’s web site people can read online a booklet containing the panels from the exhibition about the the history of the mosaic and plans for preservation, in Greek and English.
Watch a drone video of the mosaic prepared by ECOWEEK, which also puts it into geographical context:
Access the web site of the mosaic project
Read an article about the mosaic in the Jerusalem Post
Read an article about the mosaic project by Yvette Nahmia Messinas