Justinian I

Archaeological excavations at Ayasuluk Hill, the first settlement of Ephesus in the Selçuk district of İzmir, have unearthed two different floor coverings from earlier periods on the southern cross arm of the St. Jean Church.

A large number of graves have also been discovered during the excavations around the church.

In an upcoming exhibition, Istanbul's Basilica Cistern will host a collection of 22 predominantly crystal artworks by contemporary Czech sculptors Vlastimil Beránek and Jaroslav Prošek, set within its ancient, 1,500-year-old historical ambiance.

After several postponements, Theodora's wedding will take place in Athens this autumn. Theodora will marry lawyer Matthew Kumar, to whom she has been engaged since 2018

Foreign nationals visiting Istanbul's Hagia Sophia for tourism purposes will be subject to an entrance fee starting from Jan. 15, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy has announced.

Digs in farmland planted with trees have unearthed an impressive fifth-century basilica that likely served as the cathedral for the lost city of Justiniana Secunda.

By George Gilson

When in July, 2020 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan turned the Hagia Sofia Museum into to a mosque, he sparked an international outcry.

Over a year later, addressing members of his AKP party in Rize, Erdogan accused the opposition of trying to keep Hagia Sophia closed.

Alexander Alexakis, professor of Byzantine philology at the University of Ioannina, will be speaking in the Byzantine Dialogues online lecture series organized by the American School of Classical Studies on February 2, starting at 7 p.m. Greek time.

The Gennadius Library at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens (ASCSA) will organize a live webinar featuring University of Ioannina Professor Alexander Alexakis on "Byzantine Intellectuals Having Fun in Justinianic Constantinople," on Tuesday, February 2, at 7 p.m.

The Cultural Heritage Preservation Board has approved a structural strengthening plan for the Basilica Cistern presented by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality 66 days ago, according to daily Milliyet.

"When the formal decision is delivered to us, we will start the renovation process in the Basilica Cistern," said Mahir Polat, secretary-general of the municipality.

A figure of a "Seraphim Angel" on a ceiling of the Hagia Sophia Mosque has come to light on dismantling a scaffold that was inside the mosque for about seven years.

"We have completely demounted the scaffold today," said the officials on Nov. 22.