New mosaic floors found at central Turkey’s largest known mosaic building

Archaeologists in central Turkey have uncovered new mosaic floors and buildings at Örenşehir, a site that local authorities now call the largest known mosaic structure in Central Anatolia. The newly exposed remains date to the Roman and Early Byzantine periods, and the work is still going.

Where the site is and why it matters

Örenşehir lies in the İncesu district of Kayseri province, in the middle of Türkiye’s Anatolian plateau. Kayseri sits close to Cappadocia and has been a crossroads for thousands of years, so the region holds a lot of layered history. The site has now been officially designated an archaeological site, which gives it legal protection.

The announcement comes from local authorities and was reported by the İhlas News Agency, then picked up by HeritageDaily on 23 October 2026. It is not a peer-reviewed study, so the “largest” label reflects what officials say rather than an independent survey.

What the team found

According to the report, the latest excavations revealed additional mosaic floors and architectural remains from the Roman and Early Byzantine eras. The complex was not built in one go. It was constructed and used in several phases, which means the buildings changed over time as owners and needs changed.

Researchers are still working out how far the complex stretches and what each part was for. The 2026 report does not give measurements, so any size figures here come from earlier coverage.

What earlier digs told us

Reports from late 2023, published by Daily Sabah with İhlas News Agency, give a fuller picture of the same site. At that point officials described about 600 square meters of mosaic, up from an initial 300, and roughly 4,000 square meters of the site exposed. Academic Can Erpek of Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University described a residence of about 33 rooms whose boundaries the team had not yet reached.

Those 2023 reports said most mosaics use geometric patterns and that excavators found Latin and Greek inscriptions, including one in what looks like a reception hall. Officials then suggested the building may have been a villa or the home of a high-ranking official. Dating pointed to the 4th century, with evidence from the 3rd century or earlier and activity up to the 6th century. Because these numbers are nearly three years old, the site is likely bigger now.

Protecting the mosaics

Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality is working with Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism on conservation. The plan includes a protective cover over the excavation so weather does not damage the floors. Officials also want to build visitor facilities and are considering a link with the City Museum in İncesu.

Mayor Dr Memduh Büyükkılıç visited the site and described Kayseri as an “open-air museum.” Other officials named in the report include Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism Şükrü Dursun and Kayseri Museum Director Gökhan Yıldız.

What we still do not know

Several questions remain open. Nobody has yet confirmed the building’s exact purpose, and the full extent of the complex is unknown. The “largest in Central Anatolia” claim comes from local officials and has not been tested against every other site in the region. The article also does not say how long the mosaics lay buried beyond placing them in the Roman and Early Byzantine periods.

If the team reaches the edges of the complex, the final numbers may change the picture. For now, Örenşehir shows how much Roman-era life still sits under the fields of central Anatolia, waiting for careful excavation and a roof to keep it safe.

Sources

• İhlas News Agency report (original; no link available), as summarized by HeritageDaily: New discoveries at the largest known mosaic structure in Central Anatolia
• Earlier coverage with figures: Daily Sabah, Kayseri excavation unearths largest mosaic structure in central Anatolia