The Great Palace Mosaic: Everyday Life in Byzantium

Buried beneath the ruins of Constantinople's Great Palace lies one of the most extraordinary survivals of late antique art: a vast mosaic floor, over 1,500 years old, depicting the daily life of a lost world. In this episode, Lucas and Luna walk through the mosaic's hunters, children, griffins, and elephants, exploring what they reveal about the tastes and self-image of the Byzantine emperor and his court. They discuss how the mosaic was discovered only in the 20th century, its surprising mix of classical and Persian motifs, and the mystery of who commissioned it — perhaps Zeno, perhaps Anastasius, perhaps Justinian himself. They also touch on the perilous state of the mosaic today, exposed to the elements in its open-air shelter, and the quiet work of conservators trying to preserve it. A fresh look at a familiar city through the lens of its most intimate surviving artwork.

#GreatPalaceMosaic #ByzantineArt #Constantinople #Istanbul #MosaicFloor #EmperorZeno #EmperorAnastasius #Justinian #ByzantineDailyLife #LateAntiqueArt #HuntingMosaic #MosaicConservation #Byzantium #TopkapiPalace #Arycanda #HagiaSophia #History #FexingoHistory

Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo