The Architectural and Decorative Aspects of Chapels above the Sanctuary: The Case of St. Sophia at Ohrid

This chapter examines the connections between the architectural and decorative aspects, meanings, and functions of the upper-story chapels located on the eastern side of Middle Byzantine churches. This investigation focuses on the Church of St. Sophia at Ohrid, the only example of such an architectural arrangement that has surviving pictorial decoration. The goal of this essay is twofold: first, to define the place of the upper chapels in Ohrid in Middle Byzantine architecture by bringing together extant architectural comparanda and, second, to offer new observations on the partially preserved iconographic program and stylistic identity of the frescoes in the chapel above the diakonikon of St. Sophia. This chapter highlights the importance of the upper chapels in Ohrid within the broader context of Byzantine architecture and art, and contributes to the study of chapels on the upper level of churches, particularly in cathedrals.