ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the practical aspects of the interior decoration, exploring the individual materials, their colour, texture, and patterns as well as the compositional structure of the original sixth-century designs. It concentrates on configurations of colours and contrasts and on questions about the exploitation of optical effects and the aesthetic sensibilities of late antiquity. The remarkably plain sixth-century paving of Hagia Sophia was enlivened mainly through the colour and veining of the Proconnesian marble flagstones. The carved Proconnesian marble elements represent an integral part of the total architectural statement and function within the overall visuality of the ecclesiastical space. The original design of the ground-floor mosaic displays an astonishing consistency in its repertoire, creating a unity that served as a vehicle of light rather than providing any exclusive visual focus. The visual properties of a mosaic depend on the materials and colours of its tesserae, the preparation of the foundation and the specific arrangement of colours and tesserae.
