Özet:

Three churches were discovered during the excavations carried out up to now in the Hadrianopolis. These churches dated to the Early Byzantine Period are called Hadrianopolis Chora Church, Four Rivers Church and Northwest Necropolis Church. One of the most important features that add value to the churches is that their floors are decorated with mosaics reflecting the ornamental character of the Early Byzantine Period. In the floor mosaics of the three churches mentioned above, various types of cross motifs can be seen, some large and some small. Although the making of the cross motif on the floor was prohibited in the Novella Theodosius dated 427 and Codex Iustinianus dated 6th century, its quite remarkable that the cross motifs were embroidered in the Hadrianopolis floor mosaics. The fact that the cross motifs are being made in Hadrianopolis mosaics can be explained by the fact that mosaic artists of this period could not refrain from making cross motifs. It also opens up discussion about the validity and applicability of the decisions taken by the empire and the church. In this study, the formal characteristics and typology of the cross and cruciform motifs in the Hadrianopolis floor mosaics were taken up and the stylistic features of the cross and cruciform motifs were evaulated by comparing them with similar examples in different regions. The detailed explanation and introduction of the cross and cruciform motifs, which also helps with the problem of dating the churches, can contribute to the Byzantine mosaic art as well as to the archeology of the region.

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