Learn more about Byzantium, Orthodoxy and Hagia Sophia - Links

The following are some suggested links for further study on the subject of the Deesis Mosaic, Hagia Sophia, Byzantium and Orthodoxy:

• Pantokrator Monastery - Zeyrek Djami -  I have not seen the Pantokrator for years, I hope scientific and restoration work will continue there.
• Reconstruction of Constantinople  - what an amazing video with all the vanished monuments.
• Orthodox Church in America -  I hope one day we'll have a parish in Austin, where I live.
• Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America  - The first Orthodox Church I visited when I was a kid was St. Demetrios in Seattle and I painted my first ikon for them when I was around 9 or 10. The mosaics of this church were the first ones I had ever seen and it was the first time I attended a liturgy.  That experience changed my life.
• Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America - They have a wonderful church here in Austin.
• Holy Protection Orthodox Church in Austin -I designed this website for them, it is the local parish for the Moscow Patriarchiate.
• Dumbarton Oaks - Everyone who loves Byzantium owes Dumbarton Oaks a great thanks for their support of Byzantine Studies.
• Hagia Sophia - Little Chronicle of a Great Church
• The Novo-Tikvin Woman's Monastery in Yekaterinburg - Someday I hope to visit them.  I have only been in yekaterinburg once to view the Imperial Remains with Bishop Vassili Rodzianko and we did not make it there.
• The Byzantine Blog of Patrick Leigh Fermor - lots of interesting postings you can follow.
• The Robert L. Van Nice Collection Blog - this was a real discovery for me.  Robert Van Nice corresponded with me when I was a kid about Hagia Sophia with lots of encouragement for my interest in the church, its architecture and history.
• Egg Tempera Forum - This is a great place to learn the technique of tempera painting, which is what true ikons are written in.
• Iconofile Forum for Icons and Sacred Art.
• Pandora Icon Boards - I have purchased many boards from them over the years and the quality is always excellent.  Ikon boards can be very expensive.
• Alexander Palace Time Machine - This is my huge site on Imperial Russian history - it has become the most popular Russian History website in the world and I hope it does some good.
• Byzantium 1200 a project providing computer reconstructions of Constantinople. He has incredible video recreation of the Hagia Sophia atrium and the hippodrome on his YouTube Page
• Father Serfes Site on the Royal Russian Martyrs
• Ikons - Windows into Heaven - This is my 'ancient' website on ikon painting.  I hope to get it updated this year.
• Orthodox Church in America
• Download a PDF on The Conservation of the Dome Mosaics of Hagia Sophia
• Pallasart Web Design - This is my web design company in Austin.  It has made possible all of the free sites on Orthodoxy, Byzantium and Russian history I have created.
• The Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God - This is an article I posted on this ikon on the Alexander Palace site.  There are many pictures of it at this link along with its history.  This ikon was very important to the Holy Martyr and Empress Alexandra, who has been an important spiritual influence and guide in my life.
• The Icon of our Lady of the Sign - Znamenskaya - This is another article I wrote on the famous ikon of the Mother of God.  This ikon has always been very important to me and the Holy Martyr Empress Alexandra had a special devotion it it.
• Convent of St. Elizabeth - Dedicated to St. Elizabeth, the convent is located in Etna California.  Elizabeth was Alexandra's sister and is venerated around the world for her holiness and good works.  Her life is an example to all of us and she is an important intercessor.
• The Life and Tragedy of Alexandra Feodorovna - This is a wonderful book on Alexandra I haveput up on the web.  It was written by her Lady-in-Waiting, Baroness Sophie Buxhoeveden.
• The Real Tsaritsa - This is another online book I have put up on Alexandra.  It was written by Lili Dehn, a close friend of the Empress.
• Byzantine Studies Conference - I used to attend their annual conferences every year,  It's a great forum to meet Byzantine scholars and learn about recent discoveries.
• Wikipedia on Hagia Sophia - This is a great summary of the history of the Great Church.

Bob Atchison