Detail of a mosaics from great palace of Constantinople.

Detail of a 6th c.CE mosaic floor that used to decorate the great palace of Constantinople.

Statue of Alexander the Great,Archeology Museum of Constantinople

Statue of Alexander the Great,2nd c.BC.Marble.From Magnesia,Asia http://Minor. Archeology Museum  of Constantinople

Mosaic from the Monastery of Hora, Constantinople

Mosaic from the Monastery of Hora.Constantinople,about 1350.The Emperor Isaakios Komnenos

Byzantine Bracelet,9th c.

Bracelet,9th c. Constantinople.Byzantine museum of Thessaloniki,Greece

The golden fleece ram sacrifice kantharos (Greek pottery)

The golden fleece ram sacrifice kantharos as a silver and gold vessel forged out of a gold nugget.3rd-2nd c.BC.

*A kantharos (Ancient Greek: κάνθαρος) or cantharus is a type of ancient Greek cup used for drinking. Although almost all surviving examples are in Greek pottery, the shape, like many Greek vessel types, probably originates in metalwork. In its iconic "Type A" form, it is characterized by its deep bowl, tall pedestal foot, and pair of high-swung handles which extend above the lip of the pot. The Greek words kotylos (κότῦλος, masculine) and kotyle (κοτύλη, feminine) are other ancient names for this same shape.The kantharos is a cup used to hold wine, possibly for drinking or for ritual use or offerings. The kantharos seems to be an attribute of Dionysos, the god of wine, who was associated with vegetation and fertility.

Hagia Sophia, Monemvasia

Hagia Sophia, Monemvasia

Monemvasia (Greek: Μονεμβασία) is a town and a municipality in Laconia, Greece. The town is located on a small island off the east coast of the Peloponnese. The island is linked to the mainland by a short causeway 200m in length. Its area consists mostly of a large plateau some 100 metres above sea level, up to 300 m wide and 1 km long, the site of a powerful medieval fortress. The town walls and many Byzantine churches remain from the medieval period. The seat of the municipality is the town Molaoi.

The Church of Agia Sofia in Monemvasia, Peloponnese: The Church of Agia Sofia is among the oldest and most important Byzantine churches in Greece. It stands on the highest point of Monemvasia and gives great view to the Aegean Sea. This church was originally established in the 12th century by the Byzantine emperor Andronicus II and it was dedicated to Panagia Hodegetria, which means the Virgin who leads the way. In the Venetian times, it was converted into a Catholic Convent. After the Greek Independence, it was dedicated to the Wisdom of God and was named Agia Sofia. Time and wars caused serious damage to the church and it was restored in the middle 20th century by Eustathios Stikas Source: www.greeka.com

Hagia Sophia,Constantinople

Hagia Sophia,Constantinople (wide angle photo)

Theotokos Virgin with the Christ child mosaic of Hagia Sophia

Theotokos,Virgin with the Christ child, apse mosaic of Hagia Sophia,9th century, Constantinople

Marble Jar of Hagia Sophia, Constantinople

Marble Jar brought from Pergamon to Hagia Sophia, Constantinople.Originally from the Hellenistic period

Quadriga statues, Venice

The famous bronze horses from the Hippodrome, now in St Mark’s Basilica, Venice. Quadriga statues, which were taken from the hippodrome in Constantinople by the fourth crusaders, 1204.

*A quadriga is a car or chariot drawn by four horses abreast (the Roman Empire's equivalent of Ancient Greek tethrippon). It was raced in the Ancient Olympic Games and other contests. It is represented in profile as the chariot of gods and heroes on Greek vases and in bas-relief. The quadriga was adopted in ancient Roman chariot racing. Quadrigas were emblems of triumph; Victory or Fame often are depicted as the triumphant woman driving it. In classical mythology, the quadriga is the chariot of the gods; Apollo was depicted driving his quadriga across the heavens, delivering daylight and dispersing the night.

The Deesis Mosaic of Jesus, Hagia Sophia

The Deesis Mosaic of Jesus (c.1261). Hagia Sophia Museum, Istanbul (Konstantinopolis)

* Hagia Sophia (from the Greek Αγία Σοφία, pronounced "Holy Wisdom"; Latin: Sancta Sophia or Sancta Sapientia; Turkish: Ayasofya) is the former Greek Orthodox Christian patriarchal cathedral, later an Ottoman imperial mosque and now a museum (Ayasofya Müzesi) in Istanbul, Turkey. Built in 537 AD at the beginning of the Middle Ages, it was famous in particular for its massive dome. It was the world's largest building and an engineering marvel of its time. It is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have "changed the history of architecture.