Paroma Chatterjee – The Conversation

The depiction of Prophet Muhammad at Hamline University has opened up a debate about what sacred images can or cannot be shown in a classroom. Friscocali via Flickr

January 26, 2023

Debates over sacred images in the Byzantine Empire show why it’s hard to appease any side

Paroma Chatterjee, University of Michigan

Fierce debates about visual depictions of the sacred have existed for centuries. An art historian explains the controversies in the Byzantine Empire over images of Christ.

People pray inside the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia, with sail-like drapes covering mosaic figures of the Virgin Mary and Jesus. AP Photo/Yasin Akgul

August 18, 2020

Hagia Sophia has been converted back into a mosque, but the veiling of its figural icons is not a Muslim tradition

Christiane Gruber, University of Michigan and Paroma Chatterjee, University of Michigan

In reconverting Hagia Sophia to a mosque, Turkish officials have emphasized veiling of Christian icons to create a Muslim prayer space. Experts explain why the veiling is in fact a Byzantine practice.

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