The Mosaics of the Küçükdalyan Church in Antakya: An Iconographic Analysis

Ayşe Ersoy

Article Details

The Mosaics of the Küçükdalyan Church in Antakya: An Iconographic Analysis

Authors:

Ayşe Ersoy

Publisher:

Istanbul University

Main Topics:

Medieval Age Archeology

Journal:

Anatolian Research Issue 31, pp.373-390

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2025

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001340644

pISSN:

0569-9746

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Antakya, which is the central district of Hatay, was known as Antioch in ancient times and today it is completely under the modern settlement of Antakya. The city, which was named Theopolis - City of God in the early Byzantine period, had many religious buildings in its period as it was the first region where Christianity spread. Today, only the Church of St Peter, the Monastery of St Simeon, and the Monastery of St Barlaam have survived. In Küçükdalyan, which is the centre of the city of Theopolis, the subject of our article, the mosaics of a large church that will make great contributions to the Early Byzantine period and the art of the city were found for the first time, and the church was named Küçükdalyan Church because of its location. In the narthex of the church, geometric mosaics with depictions of various kinds of animals in vine spirals and 4 refrigerium scenes were uncovered in the central nave. In this article, the place of the church mosaics among the mosaics of Antioch will be revealed and the iconography of the floral and figurative depictions in the mosaics will be examined. Based on the Küçükdalyan Church, the political events of the period, the spread of Christianity in Antioch, and the religious structures of the Early Christian Period will be investigated in the light of archaeological excavations in the region and scientific publications. In addition, the mosaics will be compared with the mosaics of religious and civil architecture in Anatolia, North Africa, Eastern Mediterranean, and Balkan countries and the mosaic will be introduced to the world of archaeology from a scientific point of view.

 Antakya, which is the central district of Hatay, was known as Antioch in ancient times and today it is completely under the modern settlement of Antakya. The city, which was named Theopolis - City of God in the early Byzantine period, had many religious buildings in its period as it was the first region where Christianity spread. Today, only the Church of St Peter, the Monastery of St Simeon, and the Monastery of St Barlaam have survived. In Küçükdalyan, which is the centre of the city of Theopolis, the subject of our article, the mosaics of a large church that will make great contributions to the Early Byzantine period and the art of the city were found for the first time, and the church was named Küçükdalyan Church because of its location. In the narthex of the church, geometric mosaics with depictions of various kinds of animals in vine spirals and 4 refrigerium scenes were uncovered in the central nave. In this article, the place of the church mosaics among the mosaics of Antioch will be revealed and the iconography of the floral and figurative depictions in the mosaics will be examined. Based on the Küçükdalyan Church, the political events of the period, the spread of Christianity in Antioch, and the religious structures of the Early Christian Period will be investigated in the light of archaeological excavations in the region and scientific publications. In addition, the mosaics will be compared with the mosaics of religious and civil architecture in Anatolia, North Africa, Eastern Mediterranean, and Balkan countries and the mosaic will be introduced to the world of archaeology from a scientific point of view.

 Antakya, which is the central district of Hatay, was known as Antioch in ancient times and today it is completely under the modern settlement of Antakya. The city, which was named Theopolis - City of God in the early Byzantine period, had many religious buildings in its period as it was the first region where Christianity spread. Today, only the Church of St Peter, the Monastery of St Simeon, and the Monastery of St Barlaam have survived. In Küçükdalyan, which is the centre of the city of Theopolis, the subject of our article, the mosaics of a large church that will make great contributions to the Early Byzantine period and the art of the city were found for the first time, and the church was named Küçükdalyan Church because of its location. In the narthex of the church, geometric mosaics with depictions of various kinds of animals in vine spirals and 4 refrigerium scenes were uncovered in the central nave. In this article, the place of the church mosaics among the mosaics of Antioch will be revealed and the iconography of the floral and figurative depictions in the mosaics will be examined. Based on the Küçükdalyan Church, the political events of the period, the spread of Christianity in Antioch, and the religious structures of the Early Christian Period will be investigated in the light of archaeological excavations in the region and scientific publications. In addition, the mosaics will be compared with the mosaics of religious and civil architecture in Anatolia, North Africa, Eastern Mediterranean, and Balkan countries and the mosaic will be introduced to the world of archaeology from a scientific point of view.

 Antakya, which is the central district of Hatay, was known as Antioch in ancient times and today it is completely under the modern settlement of Antakya. The city, which was named Theopolis - City of God in the early Byzantine period, had many religious buildings in its period as it was the first region where Christianity spread. Today, only the Church of St Peter, the Monastery of St Simeon, and the Monastery of St Barlaam have survived. In Küçükdalyan, which is the centre of the city of Theopolis, the subject of our article, the mosaics of a large church that will make great contributions to the Early Byzantine period and the art of the city were found for the first time, and the church was named Küçükdalyan Church because of its location. In the narthex of the church, geometric mosaics with depictions of various kinds of animals in vine spirals and 4 refrigerium scenes were uncovered in the central nave. In this article, the place of the church mosaics among the mosaics of Antioch will be revealed and the iconography of the floral and figurative depictions in the mosaics will be examined. Based on the Küçükdalyan Church, the political events of the period, the spread of Christianity in Antioch, and the religious structures of the Early Christian Period will be investigated in the light of archaeological excavations in the region and scientific publications. In addition, the mosaics will be compared with the mosaics of religious and civil architecture in Anatolia, North Africa, Eastern Mediterranean, and Balkan countries and the mosaic will be introduced to the world of archaeology from a scientific point of view.

Article Details

The Mosaics of the Küçükdalyan Church in Antakya: An Iconographic Analysis

Authors:

Ayşe Ersoy

Publisher:

Istanbul University

Main Topics:

Medieval Age Archeology

Journal:

Anatolian Research Issue 31, pp.373-390

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2025

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001340644

pISSN:

0569-9746

Mosaic

Antioch

Theopolis

Nave

Refrigerium

Issues

Article Details

The Mosaics of the Küçükdalyan Church in Antakya: An Iconographic Analysis

Authors: Ayşe Ersoy

Publisher: Istanbul University

Main Topics: Medieval Age Archeology

Journal: Anatolian Research Issue 31, pp.373-390

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 1/2025

Document Language: English

Document ID (Org No.): 2001340644

pISSN: 0569-9746

Mosaic

Antioch

Theopolis

Nave

Refrigerium

Issues

Authors:

Ayşe Ersoy

Publisher:

Istanbul University

Main Topics:

Medieval Age Archeology

Journal:

Anatolian Research Issue 31, pp.373-390

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2025

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001340644

pISSN:

0569-9746