Twelve missing pieces from the famous, Roman-era ‘Gypsy Girl’ mosaic have been returned from Ohio in the USA to Turkey.
Weighing 1.3 tons in total, the historic mosiac pieces were wrapped in specially-designed paper and placed inside bespoke wooden chests before being shipped by Turkish Airlines on a flight from Chicago to Istanbul which carried no other cargo in the hold.
The ‘Gypsy Girl’ mosaic was re-discovered in the 1960’s in Gaziantep, known as Zeugma during the Roman Empire and famous for its wealth of mosaics, frescoes, and artifacts. Parts of the ‘Gypsy Girl’ were smuggled abroad and some of them were purchased by Bowling Green University in Ohio where were put on display. After years of negotiation, the university agreed to return them to their place of origin.
The pieces will be housed at the Zeugma Mosaic Museum, which, at 1700 square metres, is among the biggest of its kind in the world and is a major tourist attraction.
Turkish Airlines sponsored the transportation of the mosaic pieces in conjunction with the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The shipment demanded highly specialised skills, great care and continuous monitoring to ensure that a priceless cargo that was both heavy and delicate did not degrade in any way on the long journey.