Depictions of the Virgin in an 11th-century hexaptych 1 at Sinai as perception of the city of Constantinople

The Virgin Mary could represent a whole city, or be perceived as a whole city in 11th-century Byzantium. This chapter aims to show how Constantinople, apart from physical space, was also perceived as experienced or imagined space closely directly linked to the Virgin. It focuses on a hexaptych from the monastery of Sinai. This hexaptych consists of ‘calendar’ panels, plus a panel that represented the Last Judgment. Constantinople is contextualized via experience, perception, and imagination. Spatial concepts were associated with topography and faith; the glorious religious buildings of the city were linked through ceremonies performed within the city. A Latin pilgrim described a weekly ‘usual miracle’ the veil covering the icon of the Virgin in the church of Blachernae moved up slowly every Friday afternoon. The depiction of Virgin Mary entitled ‘Blachernitissa’ represents the site of Blachernae; the depiction of Virgin Mary entitled ‘Hodegetria,’ the monastery of Hodegon.