A Mosaic Is Worth A Thousand Words
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words but this is not a new “Instagram-era” sentiment. Since antiquity, humans have always looked to represent their thoughts, hopes and fears in images, and the Romans with their mosaics were no exception.
While it is tempting and understandable to associate this Greco-Roman art form predominantly with Europe, it should not be forgotten that a huge part of the Roman Empire extended into the Middle East and North Africa. This is immediately apparent if you travel to Algeria, as I recently did, and was (apologies for the pun) floored by the incredible quantity and quality of mosaics that have been uncovered at UNESCO sites like Djemila and Timgad and which shed a light on how incredibly important and wealthy the Maghreb was for the Roman Empire.
This small collection of photos of Algerian mosaics will hopefully pique your interest sufficiently to go and see these masterpieces for yourself! Enjoy.
