In the famous 14th-century icon which he donated, the Emperor Alexios III Komnenos is portrayed as offering the cathedral to St John the Baptist, who receives it his right hand, with the blessing of Christ. To share space with such a great saint was certainly a pious desire of many, but this privilege was generally reserved for an aristocrat or, even more importantly, for an emperor, as a reward for the act of funding. This commemorative honour was, in fact, the main motivation of Alexios and other rulers in a similar position.
