19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Christ Pantocrator

A monumental mosaic from the 13th century depicting Christ. This mosaic was covered in 1453 when the byzantine church was made into a mosque and uncovered in 1934 when Hagia Sophia was made into a museum. The recent conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque again will result in the covering of the images during religious Islamic services. Some experts fear a worse fate for this extraordinary work of byzantine art.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 12.2019
Date Uploaded: 11.2021
Photo Location: Istanbul, Türkiye
Camera: iPhone XR
Copyright: © Alfredo Gei