This mosaic has a Deësis theme. (The word means “entreaty” in Greek.) It shows Mary and John the Baptist pleading with Jesus for the forgiveness of sinners. I’m showing only Christ in the photo so you can see close up how incredible the mosaic work is. It dates to the 13th or 14th century and is considered the finest mosaic in Hagia Sophia. The only reason figurative mosaics like this survived the age of Iconoclasts and Islam is because they were plastered and painted over, and later rediscovered during restorations.