Ignatius the Younger

In this mosaic, Ignatius has white hair and no beard. He is thought to be 50 years old in the mosaic. He was a eunuch. His inscription reads: ‘’Ignatios Neos’’

St. John Chrysostom

Having a nickname of ‘’gold mouth’’, Chrysostom is middle aged in the mosaic. His inscription presents: ‘’Ioannis Chrisostomos’’. When the Empress Eudoxia and John Khrysostomos sent him into exile, the church was burned down by the rebels who supported him.

St. Ignatios Theophoros

He was a bishop of Antioch before he was martyred. He has a beard and is of old age. His inscription says: ‘’Ignatios Theophoros’’. Each saint dress in ‘’omophorion’’ a bishop vestment. St. Ignatius the Younger is wearing a cap. They hold Bible in one hand, St. Theophoros and Khrysostomos are signing benediction with their right hans.

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They killed Argyros by drowning him in the bath. And Michael became Emperor. However, about 7 years later, Michael IV died and his nephew Michael V became the Emperor by imprisoning Zoe. This led to a riot against the new Emperor and he was dethroned by Constantine IX Monomachos, the third husband of Zoe. Zoe didn’t have a child during her life.

Therefore, with each husband Zoe had, the faces of the mosaic changed. Interestingly enough, the faces of Zoe and Christ aren’t the original ones, if Michael V destroyed the face of Zoe, why did he also destruct the face of Christ? Maybe, the artist wanted them to be look alike in style.

In the mosaic, Zoe must be 70 years old no matter how she looks like with youthful colors of her skin. She holds an inscripted scroll showing the donations made to the church. The inscription around her says: ‘’Zoe, the most pious Augusta’’

The face of the Emperor belongs to her third husband, Constantine XI. He wears a crown with hanging pearl and holds a purse a pokombion. The inscription around him presents, Constantine, in Christ the God, Autocrat, faithful King of the Romans, Monomachos. The Christ figure which is bigger in size than the other figures. He wears a chiton. He is signing benediction with his right hand and holding an ornamented Holy Book with his left hand.

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There is a decorated inscription which is mostly erased around them, which says: ‘’The images which impostors cast down here pious emperors have again set up’’. The inscription commemorates the restorations made by Basil I and Michael III after the Iconoclast period, during which this mosaic was hidden.

It was uncovered in 867 by Photius the Patriarch. And from that time, even after the conquest by Mehmed II, this mosaic was never veiled again. Although all mosaics were made after iconoclastic period, it is the oldest mosaic of Hagia Sophia.

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Mary the Virgin is depicted smaller than the Emperor and Empress. Christ the Child is seated on her lap making benediction with his right hand and holding a roll on his left hand. Mary is accompanied by the monograms of ‘’Mother of God’’ MP OV. They are depicted in a humanistic style. Christ has a cruciform nimbus around him.

Empress Eirene

With her distinctive physiognomy with blonde hair, Empress Eirene is holding a scroll of parchment of donation made to the Great Church. She is dressed in a royal red garment with embellished jewelry and gold. She has a gold imperial crown and pear shaped earrings. Her inscription reads ‘’Eirene’’, the most pious Augusta which shows her devoutness.

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Emperor Komnenos II

The son of Alexios Komnenos, Joannis Komnenos II is presenting a money purse to Mary and Christ. He is attired in royal jeweled clothes and wears a cap shaped crown called ‘’camelaucum’’ . He is facing to Mary. He has a darker complexion than his wife.

He has an inscription around him telling: ‘’John in Christ the God, faithful king born in the purple, Autocrat of Romans, the Kommenos.’’

Alexios

On the right of Empress Eirene and Emperor Komnenos, there is a panel allocated to their son, Alexios with the inscription around ‘’Alexios in Christ, faithful King of the Romans, the born in the purple’’ In this mosaic, Alexios is about 17 years old (1122) with a dark complexion like his father and even the selected tesserae in the mosaic reflect a gloomy tone. He has a black nimbus around his head as well. He died of tuberculosis at an early age after this depiction. By looking at their different styles, this panel is believed to date a later year than his parents.

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His mosaic (Alexander Panel) probably dates to 912. In the mosaic, he was depicted unaccompanied with his red crown and ornate red boots with pearls holding an orb in his right hand and an akakia (a cylindrical purple silk roll containing dust, symbolizing the mortal nature of men) in his left hand. He wears a royal garment a sagion and a skoramargion. We see him in his older ages.

In the mosaic, there are four inscriptions, three of which are cruciform monograms and one of which reads Alexander.

Emperor Alexander Mosaic in Hagia Sophia, Photo Credit Dumbarton Oaks

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Wearing a ribbon in the hair, it has a fair complexion. Clothed in dark royal clothes with a cape, it shines with golden tesserae. It faces another angel, Michael whose relics are just four feathers of its right wing, one of his feet, and the part of a feather of its left wing.

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‘’ … a building in which twenty-four small doors open, each (measuring) one span square; there is one for each of the hours of the day and night. When an hour ends, a door opens by itself…’’

The Horologion was also used as a ceremonial entrance used as a change room by the emperor before he entered the church. The emperor would also use it as a shortcut entrance from Chalke Gate (the entrance hall of the Great Palace) to Hagia Sophia. He is said to have observed the Construction process through Horologion of Hagia Sophia. There would lie Augustaion between the Chalke and the Horologion.

By the way, there was also a shorter and more confidential way of reaching Hagia Sophia: the Holy Well Gate. Justinian would use the Holy Well Gate on special days like Easter Saturdays, other days he would use the Horologion Gate.

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