Name: Turkey: archaeologists uncover ancient Jesus fresco in tomb
Uploaded: 2025-12-12T16:51:06.349Z
Duration: 2 min 19 s
Description: Archaeologists in Turkey uncovered one of the most important finds from Anatolia’s early Christian era: a fresco of a Roman-looking Jesus as the “Good Shepherd.”

Archaeologists in Turkey uncovered one of the most important finds from Anatolia’s early Christian era: a fresco of a Roman-looking Jesus as the “Good Shepherd.”

İznik

Archaeologists in Hisardere, near İznik, Turkey, have uncovered a hypogeum tomb containing a rare fresco of Jesus depicted as the Good Shepherd in Roman style. The tomb, believed to date back to the 3rd century, features artwork that reflects the transition from late paganism to early Christianity in the region.

The fresco is considered unique in Anatolia and is accompanied by portraits resembling the Fayum style, as well as bird and plant motifs. Five skeletons were found in the tomb, and the discovery was recently commemorated with a gift to Pope Leo during his visit to Iznik.

Turkey: archaeologists uncover ancient Jesus fresco in tomb

This ancient tomb in Turkey houses a rare find for the country, a fresco of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, depicted in a Roman style. Researchers say it is one of the rare instances in Anatolia where Jesus is portrayed with distinctly Roman attributes, dating from the earliest years of Christianity. During our excavations in August 2025, we discovered a hypogeum tomb. We found that this tomb had been previously desecrated. In our initial examinations inside the tomb, which is oriented north-south, we encountered a fresco of the Good Shepherd Jesus on the north wall. We believe that the other walls also contain depictions of individuals who likely belonged to an aristocratic family. These depictions are very similar to the Fayum portraits. The scene depicted, which we call the symposium scene or banquet scene, is actually quite special for us. And if we were to interpret it through the lens of the Good Shepherd depiction, we are considering the possibility that it is the only example of its kind in Anatolia. Experts believe that the tomb in the village of Hisardere dates back to the 3rd century, a time when Christians were still being persecuted by the Roman Empire. The depictions in the frescoes found inside the hypogeum tomb show a transition from late paganism to early Christianity, depicting the deceased being sent off to the afterlife in a positive and fitting manner. The walls and ceiling of the cramped tomb include bird and plant motifs, surrounding portraits of nobles and their slave attendants. Scientists also uncovered five skeletons during the excavations, of which not all could be identified. When Pope Leo recently visited the nearby town of Iznik, Turkish President Erdogan presented him with a tile painting of the Good Shepherd discovery as a gift.

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