page_title: Heraclea Lyncestis
section_title: Mosaics in the basilicas
hierarchical_section_title: Heraclea Lyncestis / Late Antiquity and Byzantine periods / Mosaics in the basilicas
caption_attribution_description: English: Floor mosaic of a the Tree of Life (as a pomegranite) from the Big Basilica at Heraclea Lyncestis. Bitola, Macedonia
context_page_description: Heraclea Lyncestis, also spelled Herakleia Lynkestis, was an ancient Greek city in Macedon, ruled later by the Romans. Its ruins are situated 2 km south of the present-day town of Bitola, North Macedonia. It was founded by Philip II of Macedon in the middle of the 4th century BC. The city was named in honor of the mythological hero Heracles. The name Lynkestis originates from the name of the ancient kingdom, conquered by Philip, where the city was built.
  Heraclea was a strategically important town during the Hellenistic period, as it was at the edge of Macedon's border with Epirus to the west and Paeonia to the north, until the middle of the 2nd century BC, when the Romans conquered Macedon and destroyed its political power. The Romans divided Macedonia into 4 regions and Heraclea was in the province of Macedonia Prima. The main Roman road in the area, Via Egnatia went through Heraclea, and Heraclea was an important stop. The prosperity of the city was maintained mainly due to this road. Objects discovered from the time of Roman rule in Heraclea are votive monuments, a portico, thermae, a theatre and town walls.
context_section_description: The so-called Small Basilica was discovered in excavations made before the outbreak of World War II between 1936 and 1938. At first it was thought to be an ancient palace, but in the later research from 1960 to 1964, it became clear that it was an early Christian basilica. There is a decorated floor mosaic laid in the technique of "opus sectile" within the basilica and several rooms have been unearthed. The first room was used for baptizing, and the second room has a floor mosaic made in "opus tessellatum" technique. After the creation of the complex Great Basilica, the function of these rooms was changed. By discovering the walls, architectonic plastic and floors were reconstructed electronically.
  The Great Basilica is a monumental building with a room of open porch colonnades, a room of exonarthex, one of narthex, two north annexes, and a room of three south annexes. The floors of these rooms have mosaics with geometric and floral designs. The mosaic in the narthex is of early Byzantine art, a big composition at a size of 100 m (328 ft). There are birds, trees, bushes, a red dog, which is a symbol of paradise, and animals beasts as a domain of the earth. This mosaic dates from the end of the 6th century. The Great Basilica is built on top of another pre-existing one and it is believed to have been built sometime between the 4th and 6th century.
  The Great Basilica's mosaic floor is depicted on the reverse of the Macedonian 5000 denars banknote, issued in 1996.
  The Episcopacy Residence was excavated between 1970 and 1975. The western part was discovered first and the southern side is near the town wall. The luxury rooms are located in the eastern part. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th rooms all have mosaic floors. Between the 3rd and 4th rooms there is a hole that led to the eastern entrance of the residence. The hole was purposefully created between the 4th and 6th century.
caption: Great Basilica, narthex mosaic - pomegranate tree
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