Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Upstairs Galleries
To access the galleries, walk up the switchback ramp at the northern end of the inner
narthex. When you reach the top, you'll find a large circle of green marble marking the
spot where the throne of the empress once stood. The view over the main space towards
the apse from this vantage point is quite spectacular.
Deesis (Last Judgment)
The remnants of this magnificent 13th-century mosaic are in the upstairs south gallery. It
depicts Christ with the Virgin Mary on his left and John the Baptist on his right.
Grave of Enrico Dandolo
Dandolo, who was Doge of Venice, led the soldiers of the Fourth Crusade who conquered
Constantinople in 1204. He died in the city the following year, and was buried in Aya
Sofya's upper gallery. A 19th-century marker indicates the probable location of his grave.
