Abstract
Exterior shot of Hagia Sophia, Thessaloniki, 8th century. The influence of Hagia Sophia coalesced with the theological concern that the veneration of martyrs might supplant the awareness of the centrality of Christ. Therefore, no matter to whom the church was dedicated or whose relics might be contained in the altar and/or elsewhere in the church, the centrality of Christ was reinforced by his image in the dome.