Mosaic portrait of Mkhitar Sebastatsi

On 7 February 1676 Mkhitar Sebastatsi was born, an Armenian linguist and the founder of the Mekhitarist Order. First in Constantinople (Istanbul) and later in Venice, on the island of St. Lazarus, he founded an Armenian monastery that over time became a cultural centre for Armenians all over the world. Sebastatsi was the author of more than 5000 manuscripts.

The oval mosaic depicts a man with a white beard, in a black cap and a black garment, against a gold background.