Omphalion
/ɒmˈfeɪ.li.ən/noun
A central circular marble panel or ornamental disk, especially one found in Byzantine churches.
Did you know?In Byzantine symbolism, an omphalion could mark the center of a sacred space, echoing the ancient idea that a navel-like point connected the earthly world with the cosmic center.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₃nobh-
“Navel or central protuberance”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὀμφαλός (omphalós)
“Navel; a central or rounded point”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὀμφάλιον (omphálion)
“Little navel; a navel-like central object”
Byzantine Greek
Greek
ὀμφάλιον (omphálion)
“A circular central floor ornament or marble disk”
19th–20th Century
English
omphalion
“A specialized term for a Byzantine central pavement panel or ornamental disk”