The thirteen-centuries-old church of Hagia Sophia, dedicated to the Holy Wisdom of God, has been the focus of scholarly interest and debate since the nineteenth century, generating a remarkably rich bibliography both Greek and foreign. However, until now there was no publication aimed at the visitors to this monument. This book fills the need for an informative guidebook, examining all aspects of the subject of the history of the church, its decoration, and its reception throughout history.

This volume fills a major gap: there are no modern publications describing the mosaics of the major Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki aimed at the contemporary reader, both specialist and layman. The preserved mosaic decorations of the Rotonda, Hosios David, Ayia Sophia, Ayioi Apostoloi and the basilicas of Ayios Dimitrios and the Acheiropoietos are presented with lavish, high-quality illustrations and an elegant text that highlights the aesthetic values of the monuments. Th e mural mosaics of Thessaloniki are masterpieces of Byzantine art, of major historical and artistic importance. Nonetheless, they have not received the attention and enhancement that they deserve to make them accessible to the general public and to scholars. The authors of this important book served for over 40 years as Ephors of Byzantine Antiquities of Thessaloniki. After the 1978 earthquakes, they directed works on the consolidation and conservation of the mosaics, alongside their colleagues, archaeologists, architects and conservators from the Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities of Thessaloniki. Their work has resulted in much new information on the mosaics becoming available, which is recorded in this volume. Illustrated with high quality photographs and drawings. 358 colour illustrations and 38 b&w drawings.