One of the most important works of Turkey's Hatay, the "Mosaic of Coexistence" earned a place in the "Guinness Book of Records" as the largest floor mosaic made of natural marble.
Guinness officials, who came to the city for the 1,600-square-meter (17,222-square-foot) piece, which unfolds the thousands of years of Hatay's history, announced their final decision after completing their examination. Speaking at the celebration held for Hatay's de jure annexation to Turkey, Guinness World Records Turkey Representative and Referee Şeyda Subaşı stated that the owner of the new record is Hatay Metropolitan Municipality.
Subaşı first explained the international conditions necessary to become a record holder. Stating that the mosaic should be made entirely of natural stones with at least two different colors, identifiable from the air, have a minimum size of 500 square meters, Subaşı said that the "Mosaic of Co-existence" fulfilled these conditions and that the record holder was Hatay Metropolitan Municipality as of Friday.
After her speech, Subaşı presented the certificate to Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Lütfü Savaş. Receiving the certificate amid the applause, Savaş said that the success achieved belongs to Hatay and the people of Hatay.
"Today is the most meaningful day for Hatay. It is the day that Hatay joined its homeland. Now it is a record day that we will all be proud of. This record does not belong to me, Hatay Metropolitan Municipality or our friends. This pride and success belongs to all people of Hatay because they believed and succeeded together," Savaş said.
