Abstract:

        The art of mosaic, which is based on the amazing ancient Greek and Roman art of decoration, has been a stable and important art activity in art history. Mosaic is the general name given to figured and figureless murals and floor coverings made by piecing together different colors of little pieces such as stones, metal, glass, marble, tile, ceramic or seashells. Socio-economic periods, culture and belief systems showed their effects in artworks in every age. Mosaic products have become some of the most important artworks which reached today as they have changed over the centuries with different societies and cultures. Either materials used or techniques used and compositions made changed over great periods of time however mosaic artworks have always kept decorating the living quarters of mankind. It started with pebbles and continued with glass, ceramic, bone, lime stone, basalt and even with the use of valuable stones such as emerald, pearl and ruby. These artworks, which require huge amounts of effort, patience and time mostly used to decorate sacred places however, today, they are used in many interior and exterior decorations and decorative product making.           Hatay, has the marks of cultural interaction due to it encompassing multiple cultures. Today, stone working in Hatay especially in Harbiye (Defne), Samandağ and Antakya counties, is done by a few master craftsmen, and shows up as touristic items and souvenirs. In this article, art of mosaic in Hatay is explained and variations of touristic items and souvenirs produced and production stages are explained with examples.

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