Every Orthodox church building carries an icon of Christ the Pantocrator, that is, the Lord of All or Almighty, in the top of the dome. My favourite icon of Christ has to be the following:



This particular icon is found in the mother church of Orthodox Christianity, Aghia Sophia, the Church of the Holy Wisdom, in Constantinople. Unlike many such icons, which have a deliberately flat quality about them, this one has not only visual but emotional depth. There is a look of compassion in the eyes that vividly communicates the character of Christ. Some icons of the Pantocrator have him distant or even severe. But not this one.

This Pantocrator was not in the dome of Aghia Sophia; it was part of the great deisis in the south gallery, portraying Mary (the Theotokos, or Mother of God) and John the Baptist (or Forerunner) at either side interceding or praying to him. Most scholars believe that it was a late addition to the church, being added shortly after the Byzantine Greeks (who called themselves simply “Romans”) had reconquered the City from the crusading Latins in 1261. If so, then it remained visible for less than two centuries, because the Ottoman Turks conquered the City in 1453 and covered up the christian mosaics in the church, which was converted into a mosque. This particular icon thus spent the next five centuries covered up until around half a century ago by which time Aghia Sophia had become a museum.

When I was 22 years of age, I painted an oil copy of this icon which hangs on the wall of my campus office. Although it’s artistically passable, I am quite certain I failed to capture the haunting beauty of the original. It would be difficult for anyone to do, I should think.