Ataturk put the beauty of the Hagia Sophia on exhibition for the world to see, but in 2020, Erdogan repurposed the space to display Islam. As a result, a visit hides multiple Christian sacred items once displayed for touring. This write-up will detail the hidden Christianity that the Hagia Sophia now shuns. In January 2024, the status and entrance of the site changed. Before, the balcony was off-limits, but now the ground floor and courtyard are no longer accessible through a normal entrance.
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Searching Below the Surface – Look at unexpected Islamic ideas.
In reading, Searching Below the Surface: A Deeper Look at Covenant and Contract, one expects simple answers to complex issues. However, exploring a much-needed contrast between how the God of the Bible functions in a covenant manner and the Islamic Allah in a contractual way will take the reader into a Scripture dig. The foundations help one to understand marriage as an outcome of these beliefs, leading each of us to discover why biblical marriage is a covenant, not contractual – like Islam.
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What Zeytinburnu Mosaic Museum possible Found – A Church?
The number of crosses and the intricate designs incorporating crosses should make any historian wonder which religious site once hosted these mosaics. I realize the museum itself is not proposing this, but let us consider Byzantine religious sites that could have been located on or near this site.
According to Burçak Evren, who wrote Surlarin Ote Yani Zeytinburnu, states that there were religious stopover sites along the Egnatia Road. Let us consider what these mosaics may signify and which religious buildings have not yet come to light. One of these forgotten sites may have been unknowingly identified when the mosaics were discovered.
We know that Zeytinburnu was formerly known as Rhesion, and that no one has identified these churches that once stood here.
The chart above lists additional possible Byzantine churches that may have been part of the mosaic complex or near the ancient roadway. Let’s research these three lost churches.
The Church of Samuel
There are differing views on the location of Samuel’s church. Some believe it was situated between the two roads leading to the Silivri Gate. Others suggest that the relics of the prophet Samuel were kept in a church in Hebdomon (modern-day Bakırköy)[1]Hebdomon hosted multiple churches, such as St. John the Baptist, St. John the Evangelist, Saints Menas and Menaios, St. Theodotus (Janin 1950, 408), and one author (Külzer) noted that a church of … Continue reading The Zeytinburnu area lies between these two possible locations: Rhesion, not a municipal but a typological reference, which could be considered part of Hebdomon.
Now the main thing we know is that this church collapsed in an earthquake in 557 AD.[2]https://zeytinburnu.istanbul/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/dokumann_surlarin_ote_yani-tur.pd. If the mosaic museum shows this former church, there should be evidence of an earthquake. Another possibility is that the building collapsed, which would have helped preserve these 5th-century mosaics. When the mosaics were discovered, no walls or upper structures were found (I did not notice any such remains myself). This could suggest that the mosaics were buried by an earthquake, and that subsequent buildings were later constructed on this buried layer.
St. Theodoros Church
St. Theodoros is mentioned upon a ridge or hillside parallel to the ancient Roman road, outside the city defenses, which would fit the area of the Mosaic Museum located on a hillside. In historical write-ups, there is a St. Theodoros Church within and also outside the walls of Istanbul. Then other writers say it was located near a stream. So with such a diverse typology, where could this church have been?
In La Géographie Ecclésiastique de l’Empire Byzantin, Raymond Janin (written in 1953) records a church of Hagios Theodoros situated outside the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople. He places it at a locality called Rhesion (Ρήσιον), which he maps to the area between Kazlıçeşme and Zeytinburnu. Janin describes this area as an exterior stopping-point near the western ramparts, likely serving travelers and pilgrims approaching the city, possibly via the Silivri Kapısı.
He also connects the church with the nearby place-name Bathys Ryax (a stream or hollow in the same vicinity). His treatment focuses primarily on topographical identification and historical place-names rather than architectural remains or detailed structural analysis. The stream area would most likely place this basilica either east of the Zeytinburnu hill or towards the area approaching Atakoy. The map below shows the lower areas of former streams in blue.[3]found on https://en-us.topographic-map.com/map-zmlqtj/Zeytinburnu/ Notice the lower regions quite close to where these mosaics have been found, creating quite a contrast. Could one of these hilly slopes hosted a stream?
St. Mary of the Abramites Monastery
The site, called St Mary of the Abramites, has a documented history but no archaeological remains today. Some historians state that this monastery, which included a church, was west of the Silivri Gate area. Could this be the Mosaic site? The church of St. Mary at the Spring was also known to host a monastery, but this Monastery of the Abramites is documented as another monastery site. Even the history of Zeytinburnu references this former monastery as being within the former area of city.[4]https://zeytinburnu.istanbul/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/dokumann_surlarin_ote_yani-tur.pdf
This monastery, founded in the 5th or 6th century, typifies what Byzantine monasteries were like: set up for pilgrim visits, with chapels and housing. Finding a mosaic chapel with a grave nearby aligns with what these locations consist of.
The early synod reports mention this monastery and continue up to at least the 8th century. During the iconoclast period, an association with Mary and a miraculous icon became a part of this location.
Also, many monasteries in ancient Constantinople were located on hills, so it is quite possible that a monastery once stood in this old area of Rhesion. Other monasteries on hills include Pantokrator Monastery (Zeyrek) and Stoudios Monastery (Koca Mustafa Paşa area), as well as the numerous monasteries found on the Princes’ Islands.
Religious House
It is also possible that the mosaic site was a private residence, perhaps belonging to a prominent religious figure who wanted decorative mosaics in their home. There are similar residential mosaics in Ravenna, Italy, as well as those found here. Such elaborate flooring could have been used in a bishop’s house or in a reception area for the owner. However, the presence of graves most likely undermines this theory for the location as a civil site.
Zeytinburnu Walking Tour
References
| ↑1 | Hebdomon hosted multiple churches, such as St. John the Baptist, St. John the Evangelist, Saints Menas and Menaios, St. Theodotus (Janin 1950, 408), and one author (Külzer) noted that a church of St. Agatha the martyr still existed in the early 20th century. Yet, St. Samuel is mentioned here as a possibility, since its location is also mentioned in other locations. This list is found in Błażej Stanisławski and Şengül Aydingün’s Cultural Heritage and Archaeological Investigations in East Thrace. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | https://zeytinburnu.istanbul/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/dokumann_surlarin_ote_yani-tur.pd |
| ↑3 | found on https://en-us.topographic-map.com/map-zmlqtj/Zeytinburnu/ |
| ↑4 | https://zeytinburnu.istanbul/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/dokumann_surlarin_ote_yani-tur.pdf |
Imprinted in Stone: Faith and Power in the Mosaics of Zeytinburnu
Why does the Zeytinburnu Mosaic Museum[1]Zeytinburnu Mozaik Müzesi beg to be grounded in Christian ideas? The museum displays almost 100 cross-like motifs, features an apse-like structure, and refrains from depicting secular images to underscore the religious nature of this archaeological find.
Despite the educational and local promotion that these mosaics have nothing to do with Christianity, the cross symbols can not be ignored. Yet, they are! The museum writings do not reference the 99 cross-like symbols, which consist of various decorative motifs and include the Greek letter X, a symbol traditionally used to represent Christ. The multiple designs I have seen in churches across Asia Minor show the common use of the cross in the flooring of many early churches. Ignoring this observation seems quite underhanded.
In the pdf about the site, the authors note that the mosaics “do not represent scenes of daily or religious issues but mostly geometric patterns.”[2]Discovery Process of the Zeytinburnu Mosaics Outside the City Walls found at: https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/mbud/article/1351442 This statement is largely true: there are no scenes of daily life; instead, there are mostly geometric patterns. Note that it says “mostly.” So what are the other patterns? I would have to say “religious issues” – despite the insertion of this phrase.
My Survey of Cross-motifs
I have visited this place a few times and still cannot explain why the Christian influence is so hidden. I took out a piece of paper and walked to both areas with the mosaics, counting the number of cross-like images I observed. My number was close to 100 when I had finished. Now, how can this not be mentioned in the above-ground write-ups? The flooring raised the observer’s suspicion as well as the eastern direction of an apse-like former wall on the eastern side of the mosaics. Would this not make some religious difference to those who formed these designs?
Some have said that the museum is important for illustrating daily life, art, and habitation patterns of late antiquity outside Constantinople’s ancient walls. Now, the museum and the write-ups allude to these ideas in other mosaics, but not to the flooring beneath the glass. There are no scenes from daily life, such as in governmental buildings or artwork influenced by Roman art. The multiple patterns emphasize the cross. This, in my opinion, is the greatest hidden cross from the ancient city of Constantinople.
Why the site begs to be grounded in Christian ideas
- The 99 mosaics of crosses and Christos X symbols.
- The eastern direction of the arch of the former wall on the eastern side of the ruins.
- The grave near the site is similar to those found at Christian pilgrimage or other religious sites. Its marble sarcophagus highlights the grave’s significance.
- If this place is not a religious site, could it not have been created by a very religious person who incorporated religious themes into the flooring?
Cross Motif at Zeytinburnu
The above illustrates the multiple types of cross motifs found in the flooring at the Zeytinburnu Mosaic Museum. Near the apse area, which is a curve within the eastern room, one will notice at least four major crosses within circles. The cross findings in these two rooms are numerous.
The simple “X” or cross within a circle is a symbol found at multiple other church sites, and its repetition recalls the Byzantine pre-icon period, when the cross was the sole focus.
Let’s explore some of these ideas.
The Cross Motif in Byzantine Art
In this setting, you can see multiple cross motifs. The four “X’s” center a knotted cross, and the eight arrows flowing out from it form another cross. Then those arrows flow into another cross. These are found in similar patterns in the Hagia Sophia, seen below.
A ceiling at the Hagia Sophia that functions like a floor mosaic. The patterns are cross-shaped, with the Greek letter “X” for Christ repeated. The four pedal images continually provide a pattern for reflecting on the cross. For we know that the cross is the source of salvation and the only way to have sins forgiven (1 Corinthians 1:18)
Apse-like structure
The video below explores this very interesting location.
Byzantine Grave
I find it quite interesting when one visits the museum. Most of the write-up consists of general knowledge about mosaics and their formation. Yet, very little is explored about what is below our feet. The graves found near the mosaics are on the northern side of the building, as was common at the time.
In the video, they found a purple textile, which suggests that the grave belonged to someone of importance. Could this location be part of a religious complex that an important person wanted to be buried near?
Geometric Religious Structure?
Some argue that, because there are no mosaics of saints or biblical scenes, this cannot be considered a Christian site but rather a site of that period. Yet, mosaics of saints and scenes are a later pattern, dating to the 7th century and later. This is a 4th and 5th century time where one singular focus was found in the churches – the cross. The majority of the geometric shapes form crosses that intersect and overlap.
Chalice for Worship
Of great interest are the chalice-like mosaics that are displayed in at least two spots. These images, framed by hearts, could depict at least a chalice, but possibly a poten or diskos for the bread. In Byzantine worship, the chalice for wine and the diskos for bread centered the worship of Christ’s death on the cross. The image could be combining them or giving a 3-d view of the chalice.
The other mosaic again shows a similar shape that could be a combination of both elements for the remembrance of Christ’s death.
Admitting without Admission
Hints in the write-up give us what they know but do not want to say. Look below where they mention “Byzantine mosaics are generally integrated into architectural spaces such as church walls, domes, and apses. Mosaics are designed to harmonize with the architectural elements and enhance the spiritual atmosphere of the space.” Then, admitting the style in many Byzantine churches.
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles. 1 Corinthians 1:18-22, ESV
A Visit and Questions about the Zetinburnu Mosaic Museum
What a treasure trove to visit, where the elephant in the room is never mentioned. The most valuable aspect of this museum is its free admission and its many beautiful mosaics. Among the wealth of write-ups, videos, and display features, these mosaics offer a delightful surprise: a collection of nearly 100 cross-like designs, each more intricate and fascinating than the last.
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The Persian Splash upon Tbilisi with Walking Tour
On various occasions, the Persians conquered or at least controlled the area around Tbilisi. The Persians brought their culture and, at times, their religion to the Georgian region. Despite the Georgian Christian faith, the Persians often dwelt peacefully among them when they controlled the area. A key link to this idea comes from the time of the Sasanian King Khosrow II, who had a Christian wife named Shirin. This queen often sought protection for the Christian populations under Persian control.
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Historic Evidence Why the Magi – Wise Men were Zoroastrian Priest.
Where were the Magi from, and were they attached to the Persian religion of Zoroastrianism? There are key insights that indicate a high probability that they were religious leaders of this Persian religion. Let’s look into who the Magi – Wise Men were.
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Is the Nicene Creed Dead in Modern Iznik? The Surprising Truth Today
The fourth century purposely gathered the religious leaders of the day to clearly define what the Bible says about the most essential teachings. So what about today? We have explored all the remains of the 20 churches that once stood in ancient Nicaea, but how does the Nicene Creed challenge Iznik today? The city hosted the council; what would people say about the creed’s beliefs today?
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