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One of the most intriguing features of St. Sophia is a marble section of the floor known as the Omphalos. The Omphalos is located in the south-east quarter of the main square beneath the dome, exactly in the middle of the square. Each side measures 5.65 meters (18.5 feet). Within the square lay 30 circles of various sizes. There is one large circle in the middle; 4 circles of equal size at each corner; 2 smaller circles of similar size occupy the space between each corner circle; 16 smaller circles in-between these. The 3 remaining circles are on the south end and are linked to the 4 larger circles on that end<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Pedone|first1=Silvia|title=The Marble Omphalos of Saint Sophia in Constantinople|date=2011|page=751}}</ref>. The most striking feature of the Omphalos is the brilliant marble, with a myriad of types and colors mixed in. Marble was the material of choice for Imperial churches. Strangely, it was believed to be created by earthy matter freezing in water that had sunk into the Earth's crust<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Barry|first1=Fabio|title=Walking on Water: Cosmic Floors in Antiquity and the Middle Ages|journal=The Art Bulletin|date=Dec 2007|volume=89|issue=4|url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/artshumanities/docview/222978706/B6040F5BF77A497BPQ/7?accountid=13265|accessdate=25 November 2017}}</ref>. The design is unusual and has been interpreted in many ways over the years. Even the function is questionable. Historically, it was thought to mark the spot where Byzantine emperors were crowned during the coronation ceremony. Evidence of this comes from Antony of Novgorod, who wrote a description of St. Sophia in the early 13th century. He wrote "there is a reed marble stone with a golden throne placed on it. On this throne the emperors were crowned"<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Pedone|first1=Silvia|title=The Marble Omphalos of Saint Sophia in Constantinople|date=2011|page=753}}</ref>. This view has been challenged over the years because of the dearth of textual reference from writers and travelers in the Byzantine Era. St. Sophia herself has been altered many times since the sixth-century that the Omphalion disappears and re-appears sporadically in textual evidence that does exist. It was covered over with carpets by the Ottomans after they converted it into a mosque. The design is unique to St. Sophia, with little in the way of direct comparisons. There are two examples from the 11th and 12th centuries, [[Nea Moni]] and [[Hosios Lukas]]. The comparison is difficult considering the 500 year difference. Stylistically, the interiors of St. Sophia have been categorized as a "jeweled style"<ref>{{cite book|last1=Schibille|first1=Nadine|title=Hagia Sophia and the Byzantine Aesthetic Experience|date=2014-11-28|publisher=Taylor and Francis|isbn=9781472447951|page=98|url=https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/lib/psu/detail.action?docID=1808795|accessdate=25 November 2017}}</ref>. The materials used were selected to retain and reflect light. The mosaics used tesserae of varying colors, texturized and oriented to reflect the light pouring in from the massive dome. Color was very important as certain colors, and certain materials, conveyed messages of status and prestige. |
One of the most intriguing features of St. Sophia is a marble section of the floor known as the Omphalos. The Omphalos is located in the south-east quarter of the main square beneath the dome, exactly in the middle of the square. Each side measures 5.65 meters (18.5 feet). Within the square lay 30 circles of various sizes. There is one large circle in the middle; 4 circles of equal size at each corner; 2 smaller circles of similar size occupy the space between each corner circle; 16 smaller circles in-between these. The 3 remaining circles are on the south end and are linked to the 4 larger circles on that end<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Pedone|first1=Silvia|title=The Marble Omphalos of Saint Sophia in Constantinople|date=2011|page=751}}</ref>. The most striking feature of the Omphalos is the brilliant marble, with a myriad of types and colors mixed in. Marble was the material of choice for Imperial churches. Strangely, it was believed to be created by earthy matter freezing in water that had sunk into the Earth's crust<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Barry|first1=Fabio|title=Walking on Water: Cosmic Floors in Antiquity and the Middle Ages|journal=The Art Bulletin|date=Dec 2007|volume=89|issue=4|url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/artshumanities/docview/222978706/B6040F5BF77A497BPQ/7?accountid=13265|accessdate=25 November 2017}}</ref>. The design is unusual and has been interpreted in many ways over the years. Even the function is questionable. Historically, it was thought to mark the spot where Byzantine emperors were crowned during the coronation ceremony. Evidence of this comes from Antony of Novgorod, who wrote a description of St. Sophia in the early 13th century. He wrote "there is a reed marble stone with a golden throne placed on it. On this throne the emperors were crowned"<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Pedone|first1=Silvia|title=The Marble Omphalos of Saint Sophia in Constantinople|date=2011|page=753}}</ref>. This view has been challenged over the years because of the dearth of textual reference from writers and travelers in the Byzantine Era. St. Sophia herself has been altered many times since the sixth-century that the Omphalion disappears and re-appears sporadically in textual evidence that does exist. It was covered over with carpets by the Ottomans after they converted it into a mosque. The design is unique to St. Sophia, with little in the way of direct comparisons. There are two examples from the 11th and 12th centuries, [[Nea Moni]] and [[Hosios Lukas]]. The comparison is difficult considering the 500 year difference. Stylistically, the interiors of St. Sophia have been categorized as a "jeweled style"<ref>{{cite book|last1=Schibille|first1=Nadine|title=Hagia Sophia and the Byzantine Aesthetic Experience|date=2014-11-28|publisher=Taylor and Francis|isbn=9781472447951|page=98|url=https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/lib/psu/detail.action?docID=1808795|accessdate=25 November 2017}}</ref>. The materials used were selected to retain and reflect light. The mosaics used tesserae of varying colors, texturized and oriented to reflect the light pouring in from the massive dome. Color was very important as certain colors, and certain materials, conveyed messages of status and prestige. Interestingly, all of the marble used in the floors of St. Sophia was quarried around the time of construction. Byzantine architecture of the time favored the incorporation of [[spolia]] |
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Revision as of 02:16, 25 November 2017
 | This is a user sandbox of Bluestarsjay. You can use it for testing or practicing edits. This is not the sandbox where you should draft your assigned article for a dashboard.wikiedu.org course. To find the right sandbox for your assignment, visit your Dashboard course page and follow the Sandbox Draft link for your assigned article in the My Articles section. |
Omphalos
One of the most intriguing features of St. Sophia is a marble section of the floor known as the Omphalos. The Omphalos is located in the south-east quarter of the main square beneath the dome, exactly in the middle of the square. Each side measures 5.65 meters (18.5 feet). Within the square lay 30 circles of various sizes. There is one large circle in the middle; 4 circles of equal size at each corner; 2 smaller circles of similar size occupy the space between each corner circle; 16 smaller circles in-between these. The 3 remaining circles are on the south end and are linked to the 4 larger circles on that end[1]. The most striking feature of the Omphalos is the brilliant marble, with a myriad of types and colors mixed in. Marble was the material of choice for Imperial churches. Strangely, it was believed to be created by earthy matter freezing in water that had sunk into the Earth's crust[2]. The design is unusual and has been interpreted in many ways over the years. Even the function is questionable. Historically, it was thought to mark the spot where Byzantine emperors were crowned during the coronation ceremony. Evidence of this comes from Antony of Novgorod, who wrote a description of St. Sophia in the early 13th century. He wrote "there is a reed marble stone with a golden throne placed on it. On this throne the emperors were crowned"[3]. This view has been challenged over the years because of the dearth of textual reference from writers and travelers in the Byzantine Era. St. Sophia herself has been altered many times since the sixth-century that the Omphalion disappears and re-appears sporadically in textual evidence that does exist. It was covered over with carpets by the Ottomans after they converted it into a mosque. The design is unique to St. Sophia, with little in the way of direct comparisons. There are two examples from the 11th and 12th centuries, Nea Moni and Hosios Lukas. The comparison is difficult considering the 500 year difference. Stylistically, the interiors of St. Sophia have been categorized as a "jeweled style"[4]. The materials used were selected to retain and reflect light. The mosaics used tesserae of varying colors, texturized and oriented to reflect the light pouring in from the massive dome. Color was very important as certain colors, and certain materials, conveyed messages of status and prestige. Interestingly, all of the marble used in the floors of St. Sophia was quarried around the time of construction. Byzantine architecture of the time favored the incorporation of spolia
- ^ Pedone, Silvia (2011). "The Marble Omphalos of Saint Sophia in Constantinople": 751.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Barry, Fabio (Dec 2007). "Walking on Water: Cosmic Floors in Antiquity and the Middle Ages". The Art Bulletin. 89 (4). Retrieved 25 November 2017.
- ^ Pedone, Silvia (2011). "The Marble Omphalos of Saint Sophia in Constantinople": 753.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Schibille, Nadine (2014-11-28). Hagia Sophia and the Byzantine Aesthetic Experience. Taylor and Francis. p. 98. ISBN 9781472447951. Retrieved 25 November 2017.