Constantinople - Hagia Sophia, Mosaic
Hagia Sophia Image Gallery
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After the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople in 1432, they transformed the building into a mosque and made massive changes. The mosaics of human figures were all covered by whitewash in order to adhere to the Islamic prohibition against representation of humans. Restoration work under the direction of Gaspare Fossati in the mid-19th uncovered these mosaics, but in deference to the Muslim leaders Fossati had them covered back up with whitewash and stencils.
In 1931, the Turkish Republican granted permission for the conservation of the mosaics to Thomas Whittenmore of the Byzantine Institute of America. By this point most of the mosaics had been damaged beyond repair. Relatively speaking only a few have been recovered to any degree and, unfortunately, matters are only getting worse. They are in a general state of disrepair and there don't seem to be enough funds to properly protect and repair what still exists.
The above 10th century mosaic can be found above the south door in Hagia Sophia vestibule and manages to blend both religious and political themes. In the center is the Madonna with Jesus in her lap, fulfilling her role as protector of Christianity. At the same time, though, she is also protector of both church and state. On her left is Constantine presenting her with a model of the city of Constantinople; on her right is Justinian presenting her with a model of Hagia Sophia itself.
