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Dick Osseman | profile | all galleries >> Istanbul >> Mosques - Camiler >> Non-Sinan >> Hagia Sophia aka Ayasofya >> Mosaics in the Hagia Sophia >> Empress Zoe tree view | thumbnails | slideshow | map

Imperial gate mosaic | Deesis mosaic | Comnenus mosaic | Empress Zoe | Apse mosaic | Southwestern entrance | Alexander mosaic

Empress Zoe

From the Wikipedia: "The Empress Zoe mosaic 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 Christos. He is flanked by 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 this mosaic was made for an earlier emperor and empress, with their heads changed into the present ones."
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Istanbul december 2009 7017.jpg
Istanbul Aya Sofya smaller mosaic
Istanbul Aya Sofya smaller mosaic
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Istanbul Hagia Sophia june 2019 2438.jpg
Istanbul Hagia Sophia june 2019 2439.jpg
Istanbul Hagia Sophia june 2019 2439.jpg
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Istanbul Hagia Sophia june 2019 2440.jpg
Istanbul Aya Sofya smaller mosaic
Istanbul Aya Sofya smaller mosaic
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Istanbul Haghia Sophia december 2012 5945.jpg
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Istanbul Haghia Sophia december 2012 5942.jpg
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Istanbul Haghia Sophia december 2012 5946.jpg
Istanbul Aya Sofya smaller mosaic
Istanbul Aya Sofya smaller mosaic
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Istanbul Hagia Sophia june 2018 6328.jpg
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Istanbul Haghia Sophia december 2012 5947.jpg
Istanbul Aya Sofya smaller mosaic
Istanbul Aya Sofya smaller mosaic
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Istanbul december 2009 6968.jpg
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Istanbul Haghia Sophia december 2012 5948.jpg
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Istanbul december 2009 6970.jpg
Istanbul Aya Sofya smaller mosaic
Istanbul Aya Sofya smaller mosaic
Istanbul Aya Sofya smaller mosaic
Istanbul Aya Sofya smaller mosaic
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Istanbul Haghia Sophia december 2012 5932.jpg
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Istanbul december 2009 6948.jpg
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Istanbul Hagia Sophia june 2019 2441.jpg
Istanbul Aya Sofya smaller mosaic
Istanbul Aya Sofya smaller mosaic
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Istanbul december 2009 6957.jpg
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Istanbul Haghia Sophia december 2012 5941.jpg
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Istanbul Hagia Sophia june 2018 6329.jpg
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Istanbul Haghia Sophia december 2012 5940.jpg
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Istanbul Hagia Sophia june 2018 6330.jpg