For its part as a MOSAIKON partner, the Foundation is focused on supporting training for individuals responsible for the care of mosaics and on strengthening the network of these professionals in the Mediterranean. Current MOSAIKON grantees include:

Centro di Conservazione Archeologica S.R.L., Rome, Italy

The Centro di Conservazione Archeologica (CCA) in Rome received grant support for a multi-year training program—four three-month training modules—for Syrian mosaics technicians. Originally scheduled to take place at the Damascus Citadel in Syria, which houses the mosaic collections of the National Museum in Syria and is the site for a planned mosaic conservation laboratory, training has been temporarily relocated to Rome given the current situation in the region. In consultation with Syrian specialists, CCA has selected twelve technicians from around the country to develop their skills in analyzing ancient mosaic techniques and materials, plan and implement basic mosaic conservation treatments, prepare condition reports and conservation documentation, and produce long-term maintenance strategies.

Grant support: €798,000 (2010)

International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), Rome, Italy

As part of the MOSAIKON initiative, ICCROM is implementing a professional training workshop for decision-makers in museums with significant mosaics collections in the Middle East and North Africa. The pilot workshop will take place in Jordan in Spring 2012 and bring together twenty-two museum professionals from up to thirteen countries in the Middle East and North Africa to address documentation, display, and storage issues for lifted mosaics in museum collections. Additionally, a select group of participants will receive follow-up support to implement projects at their museums, solidifying the learning that takes place at the workshop.

Grant support: €37,300 (2009); €156,000 and €120,000 (2010)

King's College London, England

While rivaling the finest examples from Europe and the Mediterranean coastline, the Greek, Roman and Punic mosaics in Libya face significant conservation challenges. In 2010 Kings College London received grant support to organize two five-day workshops on mosaic conservation for site managers, archaeologists and technicians in Libya. The workshops were intended to introduce those who are responsible for mosaics care to best practices and serve as models for a longer-term strategy for mosaic conservation in the region. Given Libya's political transformations of 2011, organizers are updating their plans to suit the current state of the country and aim to begin training in 2012.

Grant support: £64,000 (2010)

University of Cyprus, Nicosia

Grants to the University of Cyprus are helping to strengthen the International Committee for the Conservation of Mosaics (ICCM), a key MOSAIKON partner based in Cyprus. ICCM promotes the conservation of mosaics and provides a network for specialists to discuss approaches, methods, and treatments. A 2009 grant allowed ICCM to examine its governance structure, update its membership database, and create an improved website and newsletter. A 2010 grant supported over two dozen mosaics conservation professionals, mainly from North Africa and the Middle East, to attend the 11th Triennial Conference of ICCM in Volubilis and Meknes, Morocco, in October 2011, as well as publication of the conference proceedings. Both grants also provide support for the MOSAIKON regional coordinator.

Grant support: €174,000 (2009) and €173,000 (2010)

Above: Detail of a mosaic from Villa Romana del Casale, Piazza Armerina, Sicily, late 3rd to early 4th century CE. Photo: Antoine Wilmering, The Getty Foundation.
Top Left: Participants in the 2011 CCA workshop outside of Rome. A mosaic made of three fragments is reassembled on clay. Photo: Nicoló Nardi.
Top Right: Lifted mosaic, National Museum, Damascus, Syria, 2009. Photo: Antoine Wilmering, The Getty Foundation.