Seraphim Mosaics of Hagia Sophia: Rediscovery After 160 Years
The seraphim mosaics of Hagia Sophia, buried under plaster for centuries, have been partially rediscovered. These six-winged angels, over 700 years old, were created during Byzantine times and placed on the pendentives under the central dome after an earthquake in 1346-1354. Each seraph stood 20 feet tall with faces four feet wide, outlined in blue and green tile. After the Ottoman conquest in 1453, Mehmed II concealed Christian iconography rather than destroying it, covering the mosaics with whitewash. In 1847, the Fossati brothers rediscovered them during a restoration for Sultan Abdulmejid I but re-covered them. One face was fully uncovered in 2009 after removal of seven layers of plaster. In 2020, Hagia Sophia was reconverted into a mosque, raising questions about the mosaics' fate.
Key facts
- Seraphim mosaics were added to Hagia Sophia during rebuilding from 1346-1354 after an earthquake.
- Each seraph stands 20 feet tall with faces four feet wide.
- Mehmed II concealed Christian mosaics after 1453 rather than destroying them.
- Fossati brothers rediscovered the seraphim in 1847 but re-covered them.
- One seraph face was fully uncovered in 2009 after removing seven layers of plaster.
- Hagia Sophia was converted back into a mosque in 2020.
- The mosaics are evidence of Hagia Sophia's layered history under Byzantine and Ottoman empires.
- Hagia Sophia became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
Entities
Artists
- Gaspard Fossati
- Giuseppe Fossati
- Anthemius of Tralles
- Isidore of Miletus
- Justinian I
- Mehmed II
- Sultan Abdulmejid I
- Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Institutions
- Byzantine Institute of America
- UNESCO
Locations
- Hagia Sophia
- Constantinople
- Istanbul
- Turkey