Lions Room (17):

The so-called «Lion’s Room>>, named after its beautiful floor mosaic showing a lion, is located at the Terrace House 2 in the center of the ancient city of Ephesus. The complex once contained seven luxurious apartments on three artificial terraces. Room 17 is part of Residential Unit 3.

Reflecting the upper-class status of their inhabitants, all apartments were richly furnished. In addition to marble decoration and mosaic floors, almost all rooms were decorated with wall paintings, dating from the 1st to the 3rd century AD.

The walls show up to seven layers of ornamental painting. These are important witnesses of daily life in Roman Imperial Ephesus. Even today, the viewer gets a fabulous impression of the residents’ preferences, tastes, and modes of representation.

Since 2000, today’s protective roof (about 4000m2) has covered Terrace House 2. It protects precious and unique wall paintings and mosaics and makes it possible to marvel at the artworks on the original site and not in a museum.

The building is partially open to the public, and a visit crowns every tour through the ancient city.

What can be seen today?

The northern and western walls of the Lion’s Room (17) are almost completely overthrown.

However, on the eastern and southern walls, wall paintings in one layer have been preserved. They date from the mid-2nd century AD.

The red-framed main fields are separated by vertical ornamental strips and decorated with different birds. The five birds that have been preserved are sitting on a grass border or a branch alternatively. There are two partridges in brown, black, and yellow. One of them has contours traced later, maybe by a child. So, this emblem appears slightly awkward. Furthermore, two small birds in green and yellow and a grey dove with red legs and a beak are depicted. The contours of the dove were also traced by an acute stylus.

Condition of the wall paintings 

Due to several damages in antiquity and environmental conditions (like changes in temperature and humidity or the deposition of dust) after the excavation in the last 30 years, the wall paintings of Terrace House 2 are in bad condition and need careful restoration.

What has been done by the restorers?

• stabilizing the paintings and the mortar underground
• filling up the wholes
• removing improper interventions
• revealing the original substance wherever possible
• general cleaning
• filling up missing patches with mortar and matching them to the original surface
• scientific analysis
• documentation