Hagia Sophia, Thessaloniki - this entry is a WIP

Name of structure: Hagia Sophia, Thessaloniki - this entry is a WIP
Extended name of structure:
Type of structure: Church
Country or main area: Greece
Region within country or main area: Macedonia
City or area within region: Thessaloniki
Date of structure: 8C (remains of previous basilica from 5C on site).
Century of structure 1: 8 AD
Century of structure 2: 8 AD
Specific place of mosaic: Dome; apse; sanctuary.
Brief descriptive contents of mosaic:

Sanctuary vault:Cross, stars, inscriptions, monograms (Eirene and Constantine).
Semi-dome in Apse: Virgin and Christ Child (older cross outline behind Virgin still visible).
Dome: Ascension with Christ, Virgin, archangels, 12 Apostles, flora.
Date of mosaic:

Sanctuary vault and cross now behind the Virgin in the apse: 8th century
Dome: 11th century [c. 885 according to Lowden, p. 194 and Bakirtzis et al, pp. 292-4]
Apse: 11th century [9th century according to Bakirtzis et al, p. 292]
Century of mosaic 1: 8 AD
Century of mosaic 2: 11 AD
Silver tessera at site: Yes
Gold tessera at site: Yes
Colour tessera at site: Yes
Were other materials found at site (i.e., glass cakes)? No
Has analysis been done? No
Samples taken from where? n/a
Excavation and restoration campaigns: 1997-99: the Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities of Thessaloniki
Bibliography of mainly technical resources:

Cormack, R., ‘The Apse Mosaics of S. Sophia at Thessaloniki’, Deltion XAE (1980-81), 111-136

Kanonidis, I.O. & Mastora, P. 'Preservation of the mosaics at the Rotonda of Agios Georgios, the basilica of Agios Demetrios and the church of Agia Sofia, Thessaloniki, 1997-1999' in Proceedings of the VIIth Conference of the International Committee for the Conservation of Mosaics (ICCM): 'Mosaics: Conserve to display? (Arles–Saint-Romain-en-Gal, 22-28 Nov 1999), ed by P. Blanc (Arles, 2003), 403-13. 

Alaveras, Ch., 'Pictorial intervention in the presentation of the mosaics in Saint Sophia, Thessaloniki', in Proceedings of the VIIIth Conference of the International Committee for the Conservation of Mosaics (ICCM): ‘Wall and Floor Mosaics: Conservation, Maintenance, Presentation’ (Thessaloniki 29 Oct–3 Nov 2002), ed by Ch. Bakirtzis (Thessaloniki, 2005), 427-32.

Lowden, John, Early Christian and Byzantine Art (London: Phaidon Press Ltd, 2003), 158-60, 193-5

Bakirtzis, Charalambos, Eftychia Kourkoutidou-Nikolaidoli and Chrysanthi Mavropoulou-Tsioumi, Mosaics of Thessaloniki: 4th to 14th Century (Athens: Kapon Editions, 2012), 238-295
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