No 1
Location: In the left corner of the marble parapet, on the first sector of the so-called 'Lodge of the Empress' and about 10 cm from the front edge.
Material: Marble surface, 6th century.
Dimensions: One-line inscription with a length of 7.5 cm and a height of the letters of 0.6 (І) cm to 1.8 cm (Л).
Condition: Lightly scratched, worn out letters.
Technique: Incised.
Language: Old Slavonic.
Scripture: Cyrillic.
Restored text:
Translation: [Now] the powers [of heaven are serving with us invisibly, for behold the King of Glory enters].
Attribution: Liturgical inscription.
Publications: Tomov, T. Nepoznatiyat hram „Sv. Sofia”. Chast 1. Nadpisi na kirilitsa i glagolitsa. 2. dop. i prerab. izd. Sofia, 2019 [Thomas Thomov, Unknown Temple of Hagia Sophia. Part 1: Cyrillic and Glagolitic Graffiti Inscriptions, 2nd, enlarged and revised edition, Sofia, 2019], 27-28.
Commentary: Tomov, Nepoznatiyat hram „Sv. Sofia”, 27-28.
Palaeography: Tomov, Nepoznatiyat hram „Sv. Sofia”, 28.
Date: 13th–14th century AD.
[1] The following diacritical system has been used, following the usual epigraphic conventions:
() for the ambiguously recovered letters
[] for the restoration of missing text
{} for superfluous text which should be ignored
[...] for missing text in which the number of letters is fairly certain (number of dots = number of missing letters)
[--] for missing text in which the number of letters is uncertain
for hyphenation
< > for the standard Old Russian variants of the dialectal Novgorod forms
* Here I present the inscriptions divided into words.