The center of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire, was Constantinople (now Istanbul). Byzantine art, however, refers more to style than geography. It was intended as religious lessons by the Orthodox church, in the icons and the decoration of churches with frescoes and mosaics, paintings and miniature sculptures. Figures are flat and stiff, with large eyes, and often appear to be floating. While the Byzantine Empire fell to the Turks in 1453, its influence continued where the Orthodox church held sway, particularly in Russia.