Yorbilen mosaic.
This mosaic decorated the floor of a tomb with nine arcosolia (arched recesses used as a place of entombment) in the village of Yolbilen in the Viranşehir district of Şanlıurfa. The architectural elements of the tomb were transferred to the museum in 2013. A rectangular panel is surrounded by wave patterned borders, and contains animal, human and plant motifs. Around a circular frame in the centre the symbols of the four evangelists are depicted. The notice in the museum states “Matta is represented with the lion, Markus is represented with the ox, Lukka is represented with the man and John is represented with the eagle”. I beg to differ: Marcus “is” the lion, Matthew “is” a man, Luke “is” an ox, leaving John as the only one that is described correctly. The Turkish text has the same mistakes. A text in the Syriac language states the house was founded in 562 AD. It is surrounded by small trees, birds, fish, grazing deer, antelope, black bull, mountain goat and red lion.