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Tîrgu Septe ([Chi-Rho] scs: Tîrgu Septe [Scythia (in Chinese, 4 characters)]), wall section from cathedral. Mosaic, with gold tesseræ, and marble held with bronze lozenge-shaped clips. c. 950 CE. Dressed fieldstone, blue breccia marble, bronze, gold leaf, 1.52 x 1.8 m (60 x 69"). Courtesy of the Galerie du Vallée Jardin, Paris.
The Cathedral was built over a Roman temple; this section of wall shows the earlier Roman layer (c. 260 CE) in the upper left corner. This stunning example of Chinese characters on a Byzantian church is quite singular and is most likely because of the heavy influence of the Silk Road, there are brief records of Chinese traders in the Castle Tîrgu area prior to its sacking in 1242 CE by the Mongol Horde. [1995, Mixed Media & Polychrome, Private collection in Idaho]
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