Hidden Gem in Istanbul: The Deesis in Hagia Sophia


The Deesis in Hagia Sophia (Istanbul, Turkey)

Deesis (Christ Pantocrator) Mosaic in Hagia Sophia

In Byzantine art, the Deesis is a traditional representation of Christ enthroned, flanked by Mary and St. John the Baptist; these two figures are appealing to Christ for mercy on behalf of the beholder (viewer) on Judgment Day.

In Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, visitors to the south gallery (upstairs) can find a fantastic mosaic image of the Deesis.  Made in the late 13th century (possibly 1261), this is the highest detail mosaic in the church and one of the most impressive mosaics in the world.

The “Byzantine style” is typically associated with flat two-dimensional, symbolic figuration, emphasized by stylized coloration with golds and blues (after all, the Christians pioneered this style as a rejection of the three-dimensional, naturalistic pagan designs of the Greeks and Romans).  However, this mosaic demonstrates the the “Byzantine Style” was anything but a consistent one; further, there was no evolution in one direction, per se, but rather an ongoing ebb-and-flow, back-and-forth from stylized to naturalistic.

The Hagia Sophia Deesis symbolizes the start of the re-emergence of a highly realistic style (albeit with stylized coloration, a characteristic that would never fade) pioneered during the post-Fourth Crusade, Palaeologan Era (1261-1453).  Although the Byzantine Empire was shaky politically and financially during this period (it had only two hundred years before its fall to the Ottoman Turks), Byzantine mosaic art arguably reaches its apex.

Learn more about the mosaics in Hagia Sophia and the Mediterranean
Check out our PDF travel guides to Istanbul:

, ,

  1. #1 by Kevin on 23 February 2010 - 17:32

    Truly one of the most remarkable places in all of Turkey! I’ll have to check out your guide.

    Kevin
    http://www.TheMadTravelerOnline.com/yogurtman.htm
    travelingmadly.blogspot.com
    Author of The Yogurt Man Cometh

(will not be published)

Comments links could be nofollow free.

Powered by WP Hashcash