My Seven Wonders Ming Fan Chen
As a student in the Humanities Honor class, I have been studying the art and history of Byzantium and Islam. The class visited the Byzantine and Christian Museum; the Museum of Islamic art; and Mystra, which saw the last flourishing of the Byzantine Empire. During the visit to Mystra, I wondered why beautiful things cannot last forever. The Saint Demetrius Cathedral, Mystra, 1270-1290, Rebuilt in 1300. The earliest church to be built in Mystra, it is a cathedral because it was
Church of the Holy Theodores, Mystra. Because this church was closed the day we travelled to Mystra, I was left with a sense of mystery. We did not have the chance to enter, but our teacher told us this church has the biggest dome, which means inside this church is brighter and looks bigger than the other churches we visited. However, because this church had a large glass door on one side, we could take a look inside. Looking through the glass windows, we saw this lovely angel, and she was looking at us. Whether her face was happy or unhappy, we could not tell, but we know that she is alone. Inside this church, the frescos have fallen off the walls, and the angel is the only part left “perfect”. With its blue background, and graceful movement, the angel seems to want to prove that the history of Byzantium, its art and traditions, will stay forever.
the Bishop’s
Inside the church of Periveleptos. Mistra, 1350
headquarters. This is the east side of this church because it shows the apse. From this picture we can
I have never
see that there is a little bit of western cultural influence,
visited so
because of the bell tower. However, the apse is in Byzantine
many churches
style, such as the enclosed brick masonry and dentils around the windows are Byzantine types of masonry. However, the outside of this church is not much different from other churches. If we had not come with our teachers, I would not have found out that this church means a lot for Christians. The outside of this church is not impressive; however, the inside is amazing. The cycle of frescoes in the narthex depicts scenes from the Last Judgment, such as the frescoes of the Angel of Judgment, the Preparation of Christ’s Throne and sinners in hell.
before because I am not Christian, but I found this church the most beautiful since it has unique architecture and the wall frescoes inside are impressive. Although many have not survived, we still can see the structure of the frescoes. Christ on the main dome receives the sunlight from the windows, and gives us the feeling that he is on top of us, watching. There are many humanistic figures in the frescoes of this church, and my teacher told me that this was unusual in Byzantine church paintings because they portrayed a sacred world, not an earthly world. Yet in this church many human figures are portrayed with movement, and this made the church more lively.
Jewelry and precious
Parchment inscribed with a quotation from the Quran,
articles from Iran
North Africa, 9 century. Museum of Islamic Art
th
th
th
18 -19 century.
According to a Chinese saying, “Beautiful handwriting
Museum of Islamic Art
indicates a pretty out look!” I do not have good handwriting,
Compared to modern
but I am trying to improve
jewelry. I think I prefer
mine. That is why I admire this
ancient jewelry, especially after looking at this filigree eagle. The
manuscript; it is perfect
museum didn’t have any information about this jewelry on the
handwriting. This manuscript is
display board. However, from the decoration, I understand it
written on goat skin because
has some important meaning. I don’t know why, but it just gives
during that time they had not yet learned about the use of
me a sense of going
paper. The writing is an early Arabic script called Kufic.
back in time. When I
Although I probably will never learn this language, I love
saw this jewelry, I
Arabic because it looks like a beautiful drawing. This
imagined there was a
masterpiece is beautiful, even though I do not understand
celebration, and
the writing. If I knew how to write Arabic, I think that every
everyone was dressed
time I finished an essay, I would think that I had finished a
up. Women wore their
masterpiece. Also, I noticed that everyone who writes in
beautiful dresses and
Arabic, also has nice handwriting in English too.
jewelry, and everything seemed so grand. I like this kind of moment, and I would love to go back in time and join this honorable occasion, observing the “fashion” style, and
Icon with the Archangel Michael. From a Constantinople workshop favored by the
celebrating the great achievements.
th
th
Wedding crowns from the 10 century, The Byzantium and
nobility, 14 century. The
Christian Museum
Byzantium and Christian
This is a pair of wedding crowns of tin-plated bronze, with
Museum
incised inscriptions mentioning the family of
When I look at this icon, I
Spatharokandidatos
wonder why religions so
Romanos, from the 10th
influential? Why do people
century. It is from the
believe in religions? In this icon,
collection of The Byzantium
the bright golden color seems
and Christian Museum, I like
faded as if the splendid
this picture because I am
Byzantine empire and culture are gradually vanishing.
obsessed with crowns; I love
However, the faith in “God” is still in people’s hearts. They
them. When I was young, my mother use to buy me a lot
hope that God will show up and save them, save the empire.
crowns as hair ornaments and call me “her little princess.” I
In the end, is God still with them, or he abandoning his
grew up like this, in the “highest position” of my family. So, in
faithful behaviors? Sometimes I believe that there is a “God”
my definition, a crown symbolizes the highest position, and my
because sometimes I pray for some kind of hope; for
goal of my life is to achieve this highest position. I want to be
example, if I didn’t study for the test, I will pray for a better
the queen of my life. It is hard to achieve because it is not easy
grade. However, this never succeeds. Then I think this was
to control life, as fate will always change; but we have to learn
kind of stupid action because I already knew it was not going
how to be like a queen: proud, kind, and smart. I chose this
to do work well, but I still believed in a miracle. This reminds
picture because it is a pair of crowns, and crown is always my
me of the fall of Constantinople; there was only one hope for
favorite accessory. It teaches me be self-confident because
them, to pray for a miracle. Looking at this picture, the bright
everyone has different, and we all have our own ways to control
color is not there anymore, but the people still believed that
life. Look at this pair of crowns, it is simple and ordinary, but it
the angel who holds the orb of the earth is a sign that Christ
gives me a sense of honor, and dignity.
will save them; but in the end their hope in a miracle did not save the Byzantine Empire.