The fresco at the top represents the baptism of Constantine the Great, the founder of the Christian Orthodox Byzantine Empire, which lasted for 1123 years (330-1453 AD); that's one of the longest lasting empires in the history of mankind.

The mosaic at the bottom depicts the Empress Theodora, wife of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, and her attendants (Empress Theodora is in the middle donning a brown dress). Empress Theodora is arguably the most powerful and influential woman in the history of the Byzantine Empire.

Interesting note: The Byzantine Empire did not experience the conflicts between church and state that were common in medieval Europe, because they played a direct role in the administration of the church.

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