The round cella is the easternmost and most important part of the church, as it was where the liturgy was performed. The diameter of the rotunda is 10.50 m (34.4 ft).[19][38] It is accessed through three gates, all from the narthex.[16][55] It was entirely covered by a dome.[19][44] Twelve vaults, semicircular as seen from the inside and pentagonal on the outer wall, were constructed north and south of the rotunda's eastern part, the apse, which itself fits into one of the vaults.[43][53] Large buttresses reinforce the structure both inside and outside. A circle of ten[55] or twelve[26][43][53] white marble[53] columns was inscribed inside the rotunda, 0.55 m (1.8 ft) from the interior buttresses. The capitals of the columns are similar to those of the royal palace in Preslav.[26] A copper-plated wooden coffin lay in a burial chamber by one of the vaults near the apse.[55]
The semicircular apse[38] fits naturally with the other vaults of the rotunda despite being larger,[16] and features vaults on its north and south walls. The marble ambon was situated in the middle of the circle of columns and of the whole rotunda, directly under the dome's centre,[16][38][56] as evidenced by a mortar padding. Stairs from the east and west, aligned with the apse, used to lead up to the ambon. The bishop's throne or cathedra probably lay near one of the south vaults, which was likely enlarged for the purpose.[55]
[edit] Decoration
A stone block entirely covered by carvings of two alternating floral motifs, separated into square sections
Cornice from the Round Church with floral motifs[57]
The interior was lavishly decorated with colourful Byzantine-style mosaics,[44] cornices, and ceramics.[53][58] With the exception of the Corinthian and Doric column capitals, which are of Roman or Byzantine origin, the rest of the decoration was created specifically for and during the church's construction.[18][51] Vlasto finds a Proto-Bulgarian flavour in the church's interior and a relationship with the art of Persia or Central Asia. Thus, he believes that it is not based on Byzantine examples of that age.[18] Of a contrary opinion is Miyatev, who points out significant similarities between the decoration of the Round Church and that of the Church of the Mother of God (now part of the Fenari Isa Mosque) from 908 in Constantinople.[59] Mavrodinov goes a step further to claim that the architect of the Round Church was directly inspired by ancient examples, citing in particular the rich sculptural decoration.[60]
The Round Church was unmatched in its ceramic decoration by any church in Preslav, and was the only known building in the city to rely heavily on polychrome ceramic tiles.[61] Ceramic and mosaic icons were a highlight of the interior; they ranged in size from almost life-sized to miniature. While the ceramic images were constructed out of clay tiles, the mosaic icons were more varied in their material, which included clay, glass, and stone of various shades on a gold-coloured background.[25] Among the portrayed saints and biblical figures are Charalampus and perhaps Joel. Some of the images were enclosed in ellipses.[51]
The Round Church featured marble and limestone cornices. These included a large number of intertwined ornaments and details, such as palmettes, grape clusters, leaves, and chamfers.[51] Besides classic ornamental shapes, the cornices feature some that are entirely new in character or well-known yet redesigned motifs. Floral decoration dominates the cornices.[62] Tiles found inside the church ruins depict birds and other animals in addition to geometric shapes and floral motifs, all glazed in either brown, yellow, green, blue, or blue-green. The walls were covered in polished marble facing with encrusted shapes.[25][Free Psychics hypnotherapy
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