Empress Zoe Mosaics (Christ Detail), Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey

Best viewed in Original Size.

According to Wikipedia, the Empress Zoe mosaics, located on the eastern wall of the southern gallery, date from the 11th century. Christ Pantocrator, clad in the dark blue robe (as is the custom in Byzantine art), is seated in the middle against a golden background, giving His blessing with the right hand and holding the Bible in His left hand. On either side of His head are the monograms IC and XC, meaning Iēsous Khristos. He is flanked by Emperor Constantine IX Monomachus and Empress Zoe, both in ceremonial costumes. He is offering a purse, as symbol of the donation he made to the church, while she is holding a scroll, symbol of the donations she made. The inscription over the head of the emperor says: "Constantine, pious emperor in Christ the God, king of the Romans, Monomachus". The inscription over the head of the empress reads as follows: "Zoë, the very pious Augusta". The previous heads have been scraped off and replaced by the three present ones. Perhaps the earlier mosaic showed her first husband Romanus III Argyrus or her second husband Michael IV. Another theory is that these mosaics were made for an earlier emperor and empress, with their heads changed into the present ones.
The Hagia Sophia is a former Greek Orthodox patriarchal basilica (church), later an imperial mosque, and now a museum. From the date of its construction in 537 until 1453, it served as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral and seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople (now Istanbul), except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted into a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire. The building became a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931. It was then secularized and opened as a museum on 1 February 1935. Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have "changed the history of architecture". It remained the world's largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years thereafter, until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520. The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and was the third church of the same name to occupy the site, the previous two having both been destroyed by rioters. It was designed by the Greek scientists Isidore of Miletus, a physicist, and Anthemius of Tralles, a mathematician and became the focal point of the Eastern Orthodox Church for nearly one thousand years with the building witnessing the excommunication of Patriarch Michael I Cerularius by Pope Leo IX in 1054, an act which is commonly considered the start of the Great Schism. In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks under Sultan Mehmed II. By this point, the church had fallen into a state of disrepair. Nevertheless, the Christian cathedral made such a strong impression on the new Ottoman rulers, and they decided to convert it into a mosque. The bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels and other relics were removed and the mosaics depicting Jesus, his Mother Mary, Christian saints and angels were also removed or plastered over. Islamic features – such as the mihrab, minbar, and four minarets – were added. From its initial conversion until the construction of the nearby larger Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque of Istanbul) in 1616, it was the principal mosque of Istanbul. The Hagia Sophia served as inspiration for many other Ottoman mosques, such as the Blue Mosque, the Şehzade Mosque, the Süleymaniye Mosque, the Rüstem Pasha Mosque and the Kılıç Ali Paşa Mosque. It remained a mosque until 1931 when it was closed to the public for four years. It was then re-opened in 1935 as a museum by the Republic of Turkey.

Taken in: Turkey / İstanbul / İstanbul / Sultanahmet (show map)

Taken on: October 1, 2013

Tags:

Empress Zoe Mosaics

Christ

Emperor Constantine IX

Constantine IX Monomachus

Constantine IX

Monomachus

Empress Zoe

Hagia Sophia

Santa Sofia

Sancta Sophia

Sancta Sapientia

Ayasofya

Byzantine Architecture

Emperor Justinian

Justinian

Isidore of Miletus

Anthemius of Tralles

Cerularius

Pope Leo IX

Leo IX

Sultan Mehmed II

Mehmed II

Constantinople

Istanbul

Turkey « less

Sets appears in: • 2013 - Athens & Istanbul

Camera: Nikon D800, f/5.6, 1/6 sec, 240mm (=360mm), ISO 800 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D800
Lens:	70.0-300.0 mm f/4.5-5.6
Aperture:	f/5.6
Exposure Time:	0.167 sec (1/6)
Focal Length:	240mm (35mm equivalent: 360mm)
ISO:	800
Exposure Bias:	-2/3 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Manual
Light Source:	Fine Weather
Gain Control:	Low gain up
Saturation:	High
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Ver.1.01
Show full info

Stats: 8,391 views / 1 comment

Link to this photo view:
Link to this photo large view: