10 Extraordinary Mosaics from Around the Globe

Mosaic is a concept and technique of art which is theoretically as simple as placing together small pieces of some tesserae (i.e. any hard materials like stones, ivory pieces and glass tiles) on a surface to get a bigger image or pattern. Humans have been making mosaics since thousands of years. It is still very popular in today’s architecture & design and can be seen in almost all parts of the world in one form or another. Find yourself curious about what a few of the most impressive mosaics from around the world look like and where they are found/displayed in real life? Well, here is a list of some of the best mosaic works from around the globe and originating from various eras in no particular order:

1. Pavilion Hall, State Hermitage Museum  (St. Petersburg, Russia)

Photo Credit: Matthias Kabel

2. Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe (Ravenna, Italy)

Photo Credit: Berthold Werner

 3. Villa Romana de la Olmeda (Palencia, Spain)

Photo Credit: Valdavia, Wikimedia user

4. Umayyad Mosque (Damascus, Syria) 

Photo Credit: Verity Cridland

 5. Madaba Map (Madaba, Jordan)

Possibly the oldest map of Jerusalem - Photo Credit: public domain

 6. Metro Mosaics (New York City, USA)

Photo Credit: Annie Mole

Photo Credit: Untapped Cities

 7. Masjed-e Sheikh Loftollah (Isfahan, Iran)

Photo Credit: Fulvio Spada

8. Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis (Missouri, USA)

Photo Credit: James Bradley

 9. Empress Zoe, Hagia Sophia (Istanbul, Turkey)

Photo Credit: Myrabella, Wikimedia user

 

10. Comsati Pavement, Westminster Abbey (London, England)

Photo taken after restoration work - Photo Credit: Westminster-Abbey.org

The above list, by no means, intends to ignore or disparage all the mosaics not enlisted here. The fact is that mosaic is a widespread art form and there are millions of examples of it around the world, each creative and marvelous in its own way. I could only pick and feature a small fraction of it due to obvious constraints. Have a mosaic masterpiece in mind that should have made it to this list? What is your favorite piece of mosaic art, historical or new? Leave your comments below and we will be sure to read them and reply back to you.

Want to get a customized mosaic of your own for your house or some other interior or exterior space? Head over to: MEC Artworks.com for a complete variety of mosaic floors, murals, swimming pools, niches, backsplashes and more!