Research Article

Mosaic Pavements in Thrace in the 6th century

Number: 18 November 11, 2025
  • Ivo Topalilov
TR EN

Mosaic Pavements in Thrace in the 6th century

Abstract

This article analyses the roles and significance of floor mosaics decorating public and private buildings in 6th century Thrace. The former includes religious buildings such as Christian basilicas, catholicons in monasteries, baptisteries, and martyria and the reception halls of the domus, and the Episcopeion, which, given its function, ranks between the two groups. This study not only reveals the importance of mosaic flooring in the decoration of various parts of buildings but also suggests that it was still used as a prominent carrier of messages, especially concerning self-representation. In religious buildings, mosaics undeniably highlight the relationship between decoration, liturgical rites, and architecture, which by this time had already acquired a complete form in Constantinople and had come to have a direct influence on Thrace. Christianity played a vital role in the development of mosaic art in the region, although other ideas crept through the Christian framework in which mosaic floor art developed in Thrace in this century.

Keywords

References

  1. Bibliography – Kaynaklar
  2. Angelov 1973 N. Angelov, “Kulturnite plastove predi izgrazhdaneto na dvoretsa”, A. Popov (ed.), Dvoretsat na balgarskite tsare prez Vtorata balgarska darzhava (Tsarevgrad Tarnov I), Sofia, 259-353.
  3. Angelov 1986 N. Angelov, “Antichno i rannovizantiisko selishte”, P. Petrov - A. Popov - Y. Andreev - Y. Nikolova (eds.), Istoriya na Veliko Tarnovo, tom 1, Praistoriya, antichnost i srednovekovie, Sofia, 36-59.
  4. Beshevliev 1983 V. Beshevliev, “Starohristiyanskite nadpisi ot Varna kato istoricheski izvor”, Izvestiya na narodniya musei – Varna 19, 19-34.
  5. Bojadžiev 1962 S. Bojadžiev, “L’ancienne église metropole de Nesebăr”, Byzantinobulgarica 1, 321-346.
  6. Bospatchieva 2001 M. Bospatchieva, “An Early Christian Martyrium from Philippopolis”, ABulg 2, 59-69.
  7. Boyadzhiev 1996 S. Boyadzhiev, “Parvichniyat arhitekturen obraz na Starata mitropoliya v Nesebar i vaprosat s neinoto naimenovanie”, Arh & Art borsa 5, 49, 12-13.
  8. Caraher 2003 W. Caraher, Church, Society and the Sacred in Early Christian Greece, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Archaeological Science

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Ivo Topalilov This is me
Bulgaria

Publication Date

November 11, 2025

Submission Date

June 4, 2024

Acceptance Date

October 11, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Number: 18

APA
Topalilov, I. (2025). Mosaic Pavements in Thrace in the 6th century. Journal of Mosaic Research, 18, 375-400. https://doi.org/10.26658/jmr.1814197
AMA
1.Topalilov I. Mosaic Pavements in Thrace in the 6th century. JMR. 2025;(18):375-400. doi:10.26658/jmr.1814197
Chicago
Topalilov, Ivo. 2025. “Mosaic Pavements in Thrace in the 6th Century”. Journal of Mosaic Research, nos. 18: 375-400. https://doi.org/10.26658/jmr.1814197.
EndNote
Topalilov I (November 1, 2025) Mosaic Pavements in Thrace in the 6th century. Journal of Mosaic Research 18 375–400.
IEEE
[1]I. Topalilov, “Mosaic Pavements in Thrace in the 6th century”, JMR, no. 18, pp. 375–400, Nov. 2025, doi: 10.26658/jmr.1814197.
ISNAD
Topalilov, Ivo. “Mosaic Pavements in Thrace in the 6th Century”. Journal of Mosaic Research. 18 (November 1, 2025): 375-400. https://doi.org/10.26658/jmr.1814197.
JAMA
1.Topalilov I. Mosaic Pavements in Thrace in the 6th century. JMR. 2025;:375–400.
MLA
Topalilov, Ivo. “Mosaic Pavements in Thrace in the 6th Century”. Journal of Mosaic Research, no. 18, Nov. 2025, pp. 375-00, doi:10.26658/jmr.1814197.
Vancouver
1.Ivo Topalilov. Mosaic Pavements in Thrace in the 6th century. JMR. 2025 Nov. 1;(18):375-400. doi:10.26658/jmr.1814197

21079                 16193




22516          16207



                                                   16208                          16209



22362