It's such an intimate space compared to Hagia Sophia, elegance contrasted with the great church's majesty. The interior carved details are quite lovely, and presented and discussed with assurance. It's remarkable to remember that these two fine survivors of early Eastern Roman architecture have stood for almost a millennium and a half.
I believe the orientation of the Mirhab looks off, because there are only 6 degrees difference between the original orientation towards Jerusalem, and after it became a mosque, they corrected it slightly to turn to Mecca. Same happened to Haggia Sofia. This is what I learned when I went there. Correct me if I am wrong 😢
Sergius & Bachus were lovers , centurions & a married. Their love for each other kept their faith despite their martyrdom. Catholic Church had c.80 male marriage ceremonies. It was moral, admirable & normal. These ceremonies are now hidden in the Vaticans classified archive. FFS
Sergius and Bacchus were a same sex couple. After the first was killed the second one prayed to be unified in death with his beloved rather than with Christ. This according to the scholarship of Dr. John Boswell, Director of Scholarly Studies in History at Yale.
So sad to have lost this great church to non Christians. So much of the beauty of it's original purpose stripped away and a foreign purpose laid over it's form. What a loss.
