Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

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View of the South Gallery of the Hagia Sophia, as seen from the east end of the North Gallery, near the apse.

In Byzantine times, the south gallery was where church councils and imperial ceremonies were held.

This important function accounts for the magnificent mosaics that decorate the gallery, which include the Deisis Mosaic (seen in this photo), the mosaic of Christ with Emperor Constantine IX Monomachus and Empress Zoe and the adjacent mosaic of the Virgin and Child with Emperor John II Comnenus and Empress Irene.

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