Murals and decorated floors found in the agora of ancient Smyrna

A team of researchers led by Akin Ersoy from İzmir Katip Celebi University has announced the discovery of three possible public spaces in the agora of the ancient city of Smyrna, located on the Aegean coast of Anatolia, in present-day Turkey. The sectors date back to the 5th and 6th centuries AD and feature elaborate floors, as well as mural paintings that had not been recorded in that area of the archaeological site until now.

Two of the environments have mosaic floors, while the third retains a marble floor. The paintings were found both in the agora and in the theater of the ancient city. The discovery marks a significant moment for the understanding of the late occupation of Smyrna, one of the great Greek urban centers of the Aegean.

Ersoy emphasized the unprecedented nature of the findings. “This is the first time we have found mural paintings in these spaces,” the researcher stated. He added: “Until now, we had never found anything like this in the agora of Smyrna or around the theater.”

The information was disseminated by Türkiye Today and reported by Archaeology Magazine. The work focuses on the civic heart of the ancient city, an area that over the centuries combined commercial, administrative, and social functions.

An unprecedented record in the agora

The presence of mural paintings in public spaces of the agora and the theater changes the perception of the decoration of these areas during Late Antiquity. Until this moment, researchers had not documented this type of remains in those sectors of Smyrna.

The three identified spaces may have functioned as meeting places or venues for collective activities. The combination of mosaic and marble floors suggests special care in their arrangement, consistent with the prestige that the agora still held during that historical stage.

Smyrna, also known as Smyrna, occupied a central place in the network of Greek cities in Asia Minor. Its agora was the center of public life for centuries. The new data provide concrete information on how these spaces were used and beautified between the 5th and 6th centuries.

The team continues to work at the site. The recording of the paintings and floor surfaces will allow for further study of the decorative techniques and possible uses of each environment.

Implications for the study of the city

The discovery of mosaic and marble floors alongside the mural paintings offers a more complete picture of daily and ceremonial life in Smyrna during Late Antiquity. These elements not only have aesthetic value: they also help to understand how public space was organized in a city undergoing profound transformations.

Ersoy's mention of the unique character of the paintings reinforces the importance of the discovery. It represents a concrete contribution to the knowledge of a period in which many cities in the Aegean adapted their traditional structures to new social and religious realities.

The results add to a long tradition of excavations in Smyrna, which over the decades has allowed for the reconstruction of different phases of occupation. The identification of these three spaces and their decorative elements raises new questions about the continuity of the use of the agora and the theater in the centuries following the classical and Roman periods.

For now, researchers highlight the value of having located this type of pictorial remains in those sectors for the first time. Fieldwork and subsequent analysis of the materials will be key to clarifying the function of each environment and the context in which the paintings and floors were created.