The Pentecost and Mother of God Mosaic
             During the Byzantine Empire, which lasted from the 5th Century AD to the fall of its capital, Constantinople, in the year 1453, many Christian churches were constructed. These churches were lavishly decorated on the interior by large mosaics, images formed by small pieces of colored glass that were affixed to the walls and ceilings, that depicted both narratives from the Bible and icons that were venerated by the faithful who believed them to have miraculous powers. Many of these narratives and icons were used to relay messages about the Christian faith to its followers through style, symbolism and underlying iconography. One church in particular, the Monastery of Hosios Loukas in Stiris, Greece, exemplifies the mosaic style of the late Byzantine period in its mosaics entitled: Pentecost and the Mother of God. This double mosaic is located on two adjacent domes in the vault of the monastery's apse. Its use of Christian symbolism and the characteristic Byzantine styles conveys to the viewer both a narrative and a depiction of an icon. The narrative recounts how Christian beliefs descended to each of the apostles from the Holy Spirit while they were gathered for the Pentecost. The icon is a depiction of Mary, Mother of God, in which the purpose is to glorify the Virgin Mary and present her son, Christ, to all decibels of the Christian faith for the promise of salvation and life everlasting.
             The Monastery of Hosios Loukas was built between the 10th and 11th Century AD for the locally born saint Osios Loukas who, among other accomplishments, was known for his miracles and for his prophesy of the recapture of the island of Crete form the Arabs in 961AD. The church itself is monumental in size and the artistic style of the interior is kaleidoscopic. The structure is punctured with many windows that light the inside and enliven the reflective, curving surfaces of the mosaics. "One...