The location of Ancient Zeugma City lies beside the Euphrates River in Belkis Village, 10 kilometers (6 miles) east of Nizip / Gaziantep. The fact that this village is one of the two locations that provide the quickest access over the Euphrates River and shows evidence of continuous habitation since the prehistoric era highlights its significance.
Zeugma city played a significant role as a Hellenistic era commercial hub. Once Rome began to govern the area, the city’s significance grew with the arrival of the 4th Legion, a military garrison. Parallel to the growth in commerce volume, Zeugma had a rise in artistic activity and a corresponding cultural development. Recently, the Zeugma site was found and is being excavated. Numerous Roman villas with exquisite and well-preserved floor mosaics have been found by archaeologists.
Published in 1917, it was the first scientific investigation to demonstrate that Zeugma and modern-day Belkis are the same location. Under the direction of the Ministry of Culture’s General Directorate of Monuments and Museums, the excavation research in the ancient city began in 1992. In 1996, a team specializing in French archaeology joined the studies. There have been seven villas discovered since 1992.
Throughout the excavations conducted thus far, more than a thousand square meters of base mosaic have been discovered. May 03, 2000: During research in the area that will become the lake area, a 1.55-meter-tall Mars statue was discovered. Between 1999 and 2004, numerous frescoes, mosaics, tiny artifacts, and the remains of architectural buildings were discovered.
In addition to the resources of the Turkish Ministry of Culture, the studies were funded in part by the Gaziantep Governorship Province Private Administration and the Birecik Dam Consortium.