A date palm with an architectural feature, part of the Great Palace floor mozaic in Istanbul. Being unique, with no comparable works available, it has been difficult to date and interpret these mosiacs except on the basis of typological and stylistic criteria. Moziac craft was rooted in Anatolia and later perfected in Greece and Rome. The pictures describe the animal kingdom, hunting and playing, bucolic scenes, landscapes and legends. No inscriptions have been found so it can be assumed that viewers understood the scenes without explanation.