ZEUGMA MUSEUM

FASCINATING MOSAICS FROM THE ROMAN PERIOD

What Does Zeugma Mean?

The Euphrates River, which, together with the Tigris, forms the border of Mesopotamia, known as the cradle of civilization, has brought fertility to this region for thousands of years. Seleucus Nikator, one of the commanders of Alexander the Great, who passed through Anatolian lands with the aim of conquering the whole world 2300 years ago, also chose the fertile banks of the Euphrates to establish his settlement and found it appropriate to give the city a name combining this river and his own name. The region, known as Seleucus Euphrates, was changed to "Zeugma", meaning "bridgehead", when it came under Roman rule in 64 BC. The fact that it remained at a transition point between civilizations and cultures as well as roads and that it continued this feature for centuries shows how appropriate its name is. Zeugma, which maintained this advantage until it was destroyed by the Sassanids, also managed to achieve the wealth that would earn it the title of being one of the four largest cities of the Kingdom of Commagene.