2 million 21 thousand 853 people visited the Zeugma Mosaic Museum, one of the largest mosaic museums in the world, from its opening on July 11, 2011, to the end of 2021.
Hundreds of works such as the "Gypsy girl" mosaic, the "Mars statue", fountains from the Roman period and mosaics found in villas on the banks of the Euphrates River are exhibited in the Zeugma Mosaic Museum, established on an area of 30 thousand square meters in Gaziantep.
The museum, which also exhibits 12 pieces of the "Gypsy Girl" mosaic that were returned to Turkey after 52 years from the USA, has the "Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Prize".
Zeugma Mosaic Museum, one of the places frequented by local and foreign visitors to the region, broke the visitor record by hosting 340 thousand 569 people in 2019, which was declared the "Year of Göbeklitepe".
Since the museum was established, 71 thousand 323 people in 2011, 169 thousand 38 people in 2012, 179 thousand 297 people in 2013, 206 thousand 684 people in 2014, 178 thousand 995 people in 2015, 108 thousand 835 people in 2016, 169 thousand people in 2017. 773 opened its doors to a total of 2 million 21 thousand 853 people, including 267 thousand 552 in 2018, 340 thousand 569 in 2019, 87 thousand 642 in 2020, and 242 thousand 145 in 2021.
MUSEUM DIRECTOR ÇOMAK IS HOPEFUL FOR 2022
Museum Director Özgür Çomak told the AA correspondent that visitor interest in the museum increased after the curfews were completely lifted on June 1, 2021.
Stating that there was an influx of visitors to the museum during the October 29 Republic Day holiday and school break, Çomak said:
“We hosted approximately 90 thousand visitors in 2020. Especially in the second 6 months of 2021, that is, after June 1, we reached a very large number during this period, as the curfew ended completely and the tours intensified. 242 thousand 145 people visited our museum. "If there were no bans due to the pandemic until June 1 last year, we would have exceeded the number of 340 thousand visitors in 2019, but we have come very close to this figure in the last 6 months."
Çomak stated that the interest in the museum increases every year and said, “We were doing very well in the first 3 months of 2020. There was a tourism boom in the city. We were going to exceed the 2019 figures, the situation showed that, but when the pandemic conditions started, we could not exceed the record in 2020. We did very well in the second half of 2021. "If there are no bans in 2022, we will easily exceed 2019 figures." said.
Özgür Çomak added that the museum is open to visitors for 7 days.
SOURCE: https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/kultur-sanat/cingene-kizi-mozaigi-11-yilda-2-milyonu-askin-ziyaretci-cekti/2466679#
