Christopher Furlong / Getty Images

Council staff clean a section of the rarely seen Minton tiled floor at St. George's Hall on Jan. 4, 2012 in Liverpool, England. The exquisite floor which is usually covered for protection is in the process of being competeley unveiled to allow the public a glimpse of the 30,000 handmade mosaic tiles from Saturday, Jan. 7 to Sunday, Jan. 22. The Minton covering was layed in 1852, and depicts dolphins, tritons and sea nymphs reflecting Liverpool's seafaring heritage.

 The Liverpool Daily Post reports:

The exquisite Minton Floor in St George’s Hall will be on public display for two weeks in January.

It is the first time in three years the mosaic has been uncovered and put on show to the public.

Consisting of 30,000 hand crafted rare tiles, the immaculately preserved surface depicts the city’s coat of arms, sea nymphs, boys on dolphins and other sea creatures.

The Minton floor tiles are usually concealed beneath wooden flooring which covers the Great Hall.

The mosaic was covered in the 1860s to provide a more hardwearing surface for dancing and has only been unveiled a handful of times since. Continue reading....

According to the Liverpool government:

And for the first time in more than ten years, visitors who pre-book a tour will be given special shoe coverings and get the opportunity to walk across the floor.

Below are photos from the last time the floor was reveiled in 2009.  Approximately 25,000 people came to see it then.

Christopher Furlong / Getty Images

A cleaner prepares the rarely seen Minton tiled floor of the of the grand St George's Hall on Jan. 27, 2009, Liverpool, England.

Christopher Furlong / Getty Images

The Minton tiled floor in St. George's Hall on Jan. 27, 2009, in Liverpool, England.

More about St. George's Hall and the Minton floor.