The Bulgarian Cultural Institute London cordially invites you to the lecture:
The Secret Language of the Early Christian Mosaics by Prof. Slavik Tabakov.
The first four centuries of Christianity are а period full of heroism and martyrdom. In order to express their Christian identity the first Christians create a “secret language” of symbols, and include these in their beautiful objects of art. This symbolism continues in the following centuries, but mainly as a tradition. The Early-Christian mosaics are among the few testimonies of the symbolism created during the first centuries after the birth of Jesus Christ. Some of the very rich and beautiful Early-Christian mosaics are to be found in the Balkan Peninsula, a sound proof that Thracians and Illyrians, who formed a significant part of the Roman Empire, and are the ancestors of most of the people of contemporary Bulgaria, Romania and former Yugoslavia, have adopted Christianity very early. Even more important, Emperors who legalised Christianity during this time came from the Thracians and Illyrians (Galerius was born in Serdica/Sofia, Constantine was born in Naissus/Niš). The presentation of Prof. Tabakov gives an introduction to the relatively less often discussed area of the meaning of Early Christian symbols – from the fish to the various geometric forms. The presentation will be of interest to the general public, and is richly illustrated with photos from the mosaics of Plovdiv, Aquileia and others.
Prof. Tabakov is Vice-President of the International Union for Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine. He creates the concepts of the first e-books and educational image databases. In parallel with his scientific work he dedicates his free time to studying the Early-Christian images and symbolism.
Bulgarian wine and delicious delicatessen will contribute to your great mood and unforgettable experience in the festive evening.