The Hagia Sophia Old and New Everything from Istanbul, Turkey
The Church of the Holy wisdom it’s known as the Hagia Sophia
in Greek Sancta Sophia in Latin and Aya Sofya in Turkish, it’s widely
acknowledged as an architectural revolution this massive structure was the
largest Cathedral the world had known for nearly a thousand years and is said
to have changed the history of architecture the city from which the Hagia
Sophia would eventually rise had been known as Byzantium legend has it that
Constantine the first renamed the city new Rome but as citizens insisted on the
name Constantinople in his honor Constantine the Great was the first emperor to
declare himself a Christian and ruled the Empire from his namesake City.
The Hagia Sophia was built around five-30 AD by the great
Byzantine Emperor Justinian the first the last Latin speaking monarch of the
Roman Empire Constantinople had become the most important city in the Roman
Empire at this time and the Basilica dominated the heart of the city the
accomplished Roman general Belisarius was vital to the funding of the majestic
church his campaigns over the Ostrogoths and vandals amassed much wealth for
the empire this was the seed of the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople for
centuries every Byzantine Emperor was crowned here it took over 10,000 men and
just under six years to build the church an unbelievable accomplishment for its the time, when it was finished Justinian, is said to have exclaimed Solomon.
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was covered in gold mosaic treasures included the remains of two Saints the
true cross the hammer nails of the passion swaddling clothes of Christ the
table from the Last Supper and the chains of st. Peter remaining today are
eight columns from the temple of the Sun in Rome and columns a green marble
from the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus and almost 33 meters wide it had the most
prodigious domed ceiling in the world combined with its height of 49 meters it
would remain the largest Church on the globe for the next seven hundred years
it was an outstanding example of Byzantine wealth and grandeur the original
mosaics that adorn the interior were replaced when it was converted to a mosque
in the 1400s the Byzantine mosaics are gradually being exposed but only those
on the higher gallery levels missus Oh Muslims are not confronted with
Christian imagery in the main chamber of the building which served as a mosque
for nearly 500 years this mosaic from around the 10th century features the
Virgin Mary with Constantine and Justinian on the right.
Constantine the Great is presenting a model of the city of
Constantinople and to the left Emperor Justinian is presenting the Church of
the Hagia Sophia here Christ is flanked by Constantine the 9th and Emperor Zoe
both in ceremonial costumes, he is offering a donation to the church while she
is holding a scroll with a record of her donations one of the best-known
mosaics in the Hagia Sophia this is called a Babli mosaic it depicts a
triumphant Christ on judgment day flanked by the Virgin Mary and John the
Baptist this marble door led to the meeting chamber for ecclesiastical councils
meetings of high clergy to decide on religious issues 14:53 would mark the end
of the Byzantine Empire after a siege that lasted eight weeks the Sultan of the
Ottoman Turks Mehmet ii had accomplished what no other invader could the great
walls of the invincible city of Constantinople were breached bringing an end to
an empire that had endured for more than 1100 years the city was renamed
Istanbul and Mehmet the Conqueror declared himself the new Caesar of Rome the
Ottomans converted the Hagia Sophia into a mosque.
The bells altar and other Christian vestiges were removed
and many of the mosaics were plastered over Islamic features including four
minarets were added the ground-level most of the decorations are Islamic this
beautiful marble structure is an example of that the Mira a niche found in all
mosques indicate the direction of Mecca to the left as the grand Sultan’s
Lodge built by two Swiss architects the Fossati brothers in the mid-1800s the
facade II Brothers were commissioned to renovate the interior their work
included the addition of these calligraphic rondelle’s that remain today it
remained a mosque until 1935 of all the buildings Justinian built during his 38
years as Roman Emperor none would be revered more than the Hagia Sophia it was
the Church of all future Byzantine emperors for more than 900 years Hagia
Sophia had been the most important building in the Eastern Christian world and
the grandest church in all the world as the Sunset on the Byzantine Empire so
did the Hagia Sophia fade into history you.
