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This global symposium on Byzantine artistic heritage brought together scholars, curators, and art historians from over thirty countries to examine the persistent influence of Byzantine artistic traditions. Taking place in the ancient metropolis of Thessaloniki, the conference featured more than 100 scholarly talks ranging from iconography and mosaic techniques to the reception of Byzantine styles in post-Byzantine Europe.

Attendees analyzed how religious imagery, imperial symbolism, and architectural innovation shaped the broader visual language of the medieval world from Anatolia to North Africa.

A standout moment included a joint exhibition of unpublished liturgical artifacts and illuminated texts from the monastic libraries of Athos and the Coptic churches of the Nile Valley. Team members unveiled new findings on color composition studies that revealed trade routes for lapis lazuli and gold leaf, highlighting the vast commercial infrastructures that supported Byzantine art production.

Panel discussions also addressed the role of women as patrons and artisans, a topic historically marginalized in previous scholarship.

A keynote lecture by Professor Elena Vasiliev analyzed the mechanisms through which Byzantine art was transformed within Eastern European and Islamic artistic traditions, challenging the notion of cultural isolation. She asserted that Byzantine motifs were not merely copied but reinterpreted to mirror indigenous beliefs and power structures. This perspective sparked lively debate among attendees, many of whom shared field research on the Caucasus, the Balkans, and the Horn of Africa.

Hands-on seminars delivered hands-on experiences with traditional gilding and tempera painting, allowing participants to better understand the craftsmanship behind the objects they study.

A public exhibition accompanying the conference featured conserved murals and movable altarpieces borrowed from sacred sites and institutions spanning the Mediterranean basin.

The gathering closed by issuing a call to strengthen transnational efforts to safeguard and site (https://ajuda.cyber8.com.br/index.php/The_Converging_Imperatives_Of_Philosophy_And_Cultural_Studies) electronically document the artistic legacy of Byzantium, with priority given to areas under threat from instability or ecological degradation. All present affirmed that the study of Byzantine art is not a relic of history but remains vital to understanding the interconnectedness of global artistic traditions.

In the words of an attendee, Byzantine art speaks in colors and forms that still resonate across centuries and cultures.