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Ancient Mosaic can be seen at Hagia Sophia in Istanbul Jul 28, 2009

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During restoration works at the Hagia Sophia cathedral – monument of Byzantine architecture in Istanbul – a fragment of an ancient mosaic was discovered, depicting the face of an angel, the department of culture and tourism announced recently. The mosaic in Hagia Sophia in Istanbul – the cathedral of holy wisdom, built in Constantinople during the years 532-537, was partially covered with plaster, when, after the ottomans conquered the city, the cathedral was turned into a mosque in 1453. Part of the mosaic was discovered in 1935, when a museum was found in Hagia Sophia. But the faces of six-winged seraphs on pendetives supporting a huge circular dome, remained covered underneath a layer of plaster.

During the XIX Century images of Seraphs were seen by Gaspar Fosatti, a Swiss architect who conducted restoration works at the cathedral with his brother. The Swiss masters left the faces of the angels covered. The current restoration workers intend to recover the image of the second angel.

You may read more about Hagia Sophia and look some photos here


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