This mosaic shows how the arts—and an interest in naturalism—flourished in the final centuries of the Byzantine Empire.
Location: Hagia Sophia
After the Ottomans conquered Constantinople, the sultan repurposed this church, adding slender “pencil” minarets.
Hagia Sophia as a mosque
The size and solidity of this Virgin and Christ reaffirmed the power of images in the wake of Byzantine iconoclasm.
Theotokos mosaic, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul
After the Ottomans conquered Constantinople, the sultan repurposed this church, adding slender “pencil” minarets.
Hagia Sophia as a mosque
The golden dome of this vast building appears suspended from heaven. It has withstood quakes, conquest, and crusades.
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