Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople
Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (now Istanbul) is the most grandiose and majestic architectural monument of the Byzantine style.
The cathedral was erected under the emperor Justinian the Great in 532-537 by the best architects of that time - Anthimius from Thrall and Isidore from Miletus. Three annual incomes of the Byzantine Empire were spent on the construction of the cathedral. The purpose of building the temple is to consolidate the superiority of Constantinople over other - Christian and pagan - worlds. The dimensions of this church were impressive: length - 120 meters, and width - 72. The height of the dome alone is 60 meters, its diameter is 30. The cathedral was part of the palace complex of the emperors. It was built as a large front hall of the palace.
The interior of the temple
The Hagia Sophia impresses with its interior space. Due to the design features of the building, the dome seems to float in the air. The sail (an element of the domed structure) seems to cover the interior. If there were only one dome, then the cathedral could be compared to any structure on a frame made of fabric in the form of a tent. Only the frame is located throughout the fabric. From the outside, this structural shell looks like a heap of different forms, at the top of which there is a dome on the drum. In the temple itself, two different models- basilica and central dome. The columns of the temple are made of white marble, the walls are covered with gold paintings and, thanks to the mosaic, shimmer in the sun. The central hall is well lit by 40 windows. Two galleries on opposite sides are separated by 110 marble columns, which gives uniform illumination inside the building.
The iconostasis includes 12 golden columns. Icons, the Gospel and other holy books are also decorated with gold. The most striking decorations of the temple are chandeliers and candlesticks (six thousand), which illuminate the gigantic interior space and evoke extraordinary feelings among parishioners during worship. In its architectural and artistic image, the temple embodied ideas about the eternal divine principles.
Saint Sophia. General form
Hagia Sophia decorations delight with their beauty and brilliance of colored marble. It is not surprising why the ambassadors of the Russian prince Vladimir, who came to find out about the new religion, were so amazed during the festive service.
During the destruction of Constantinople in 1096 and in 1204, the huge wealth of the temple was plundered. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the cathedral was turned into the main mosque of the capital of the Ottoman Empire and remained so for five centuries. In 1935, the head of the Turkish state, Ataturk, ordered the opening of a museum in the cathedral. After that, restorers were invited to the temple and the corresponding work was carried out. Mosaics of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary were restored, as well as portraits of Byzantine emperors and their spouses. Above the Holy Gates, the image of the Holy Virgin has survived. The restorers also discovered images of the Holy Archangel Michael and several great martyrs.
Since the time of the Ottoman Empire, the museum has preserved a pulpit, an altar, the throne of the Sultan, and two huge candelabra. The baptistery of the temple was turned into the tomb of Mustafa I and Ibrahim.
The Church of Hagia Sophia, the Wisdom of God is a unique example of Byzantine architecture of the 6th century. Its significance for the development of world architecture is enormous. This outstanding work of art has become an example for architects for many centuries. Speaking of the Byzantine style, first of all, this architectural monument is remembered. Turning their eyes to Sophia of Constantinople, Russian architects built their cathedrals in Kyiv and Novgorod.
The Church of Hagia Sophia (Hagia Sophia) in Constantinople was dedicated to Hagia Sophia - the Wisdom of God. For a thousand years (before the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome), it was the largest and most majestic temple of the entire medieval Christian world and the pride of the Byzantine Empire, with which its power and strength were associated. This masterpiece of late antique architecture was located in the central part of Constantinople and formed a single architectural ensemble with the Imperial Palace, the Hippodrome and other beautiful monumental buildings in the central part of the Byzantine capital.
The first temple on the site of Hagia Sophia was founded in the time of Constantine the Great in 324-337. Under Emperor Constantius II, it was completed and consecrated. In 360-380, the temple belonged to the Arians, until it was transferred by the Orthodox emperor Theodosius I.
As a result of a popular uprising that took place in 404, the temple burned down. The church built in its place was also destroyed by fire 11 years later. Under Emperor Theodosius I, the Basilica of Theodosius was erected on the same place, but under Justinian the Great, she, like her predecessors, died in a fire during the Nika uprising in 532.
Forty days after the fire, on the orders of Justinian, a new temple was laid, which, according to the emperor's plan, was to become the decoration of Constantinople and the personification of the greatness of the Byzantine Empire.
The construction of the temple was led by the best architects of that era - Isidore of Miletus and Anfimy of Trall. They had ten thousand workers at their disposal. For the construction, the highest quality and most beautiful marble from all over the empire was used, as well as architectural elements of ancient Roman buildings. The temple was richly decorated with gold. Its construction cost the empire three annual incomes. Upon completion of construction, entering the cathedral, Justinian, according to legend, exclaimed: "Solomon, I have surpassed you!"
A few years later, the temple was badly damaged by an earthquake, but was soon restored and fortified. However, it was again partially destroyed by an earthquake in 989, as a result of which the dome collapsed. The temple was fortified with buttresses and because of this, it largely lost its original appearance. The dome was rebuilt by the Armenian architect Trdat. It turned out to be more sublime than the original, and as if floating in the air, thanks to the windows at the base, through which sunlight penetrated into the twilight of the temple.
Later, the Hagia Sophia was plundered by the crusaders, and after the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks, it was converted into a mosque. For this, four minarets were attached to it. Since then, it has become known as Hagia Sophia. In the future, Turkish builders added buttresses and some extensions to the building, further changing the original appearance of the temple.
Thus, to this day, the Hagia Sophia has come far from its original appearance, but thanks to historical documents and archeological data, we can judge its original architecture.
Istanbul. Sultanahmet.
Sultanahmet- the heart of Istanbul, the first hill of the Second Rome. Ancient Constantinople was right here.
At the end of the 2nd century, the construction of a grandiose hippodrome began, which received its final form under Constantine the Great in the 4th century. It was a huge and magnificent building, which interfered with 100 thousand spectators.
A tour of Istanbul usually begins with Sultanahmet Square - simple and noisy, always filled with tourists and street vendors.
Located opposite each other, two main sights of the city look at each other - Hagia Sophia (AI Sophia) And Blue Mosque.
Thrice restored Hagia Sophia (Hagia Sophia) was the largest Byzantine church in the Christian world (before the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome).
Hagia Sophia. Istanbul.
The first temple on this site was erected in 360 by Emperor Constantine, it was called "Big Church".
But in 404, the temple was destroyed during fires set by rebels due to the execution of Bishop John Chrysostom.
In 405, the construction of a new temple began, which lasted 11 years.
But the second temple was burned during the Nika rebellion along with the imperial palace and neighboring buildings in 532.
Emperor Justinian crushed the Nike uprising and rebuilt hagia sophia in the form in which the temple has survived to this day.
hagia sophia built by the best architects of that time - Isidore of Miletus and Anfimy from Tralles. Construction began in 532 and completed 5 years later. The marble for the basilica was brought from Anatolia and Mediterranean cities.
After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Sultan Fatih Mehmed the Conqueror converted the temple into a mosque, adding a minaret. Frescoes and mosaics were covered with plaster, curtains and wood paneling.
In the middle of the 16th century, the architect Sinan strengthened the support of the main building. Islamic elements have been added.
After the founding of the Republic of Turkey, restoration work began, and in 1935, at the direction of Ataturk, the temple was opened as a museum.
The length of the temple-museum is 100 m, and the width is about 70 m. The basilica is crowned with a giant dome system ( hagia sophia called "domed basilica"). The dome, 55.6 m high, is considered one of the most perfect in Turkey and is listed in the top five highest domes in the world.
The mosaics of Hagia Sophia belong to the middle of the 9th to the end of the 10th centuries.
Frescoes of Hagia Sophia.
Frescoes of Hagia Sophia.
Interior of Hagia Sophia.
At the entrance to the building, at a depth of 2 meters, you can see steps that served as monumental entrances to the second church, columns, capitals and friezes.
Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque)- impressive and majestic, is the main work of classical Turkish-Islamic architecture.
Blue Mosque. Istanbul.
The construction of the mosque began in 1609 by order of the 19-year-old Sultan Ahmed I. The architect of the mosque was Mehmed Aga, a student of the great Sinan. Blue Mosque built for seven years.
It got its name due to the interior, which is decorated with blue tiles. This blue tile is an expensive piece of art that will take your breath away.
Blue Mosque. Istanbul. Türkiye.
Unusually, in blue mosque six minarets: four, as usual, on the sides, and two slightly less high - on outside corners courtyard. The legend tells that the Sultan ordered the construction of a mosque with golden minarets. ("altyn" in Turkish), but the architect, knowing that this was impossible, pretended not to have heard and built six "Alty" minarets.
Blue Mosque largest mosque in area Istanbul.
Entrance to the mosque is free, but you have to be prepared for a long queue.
At the entrance, you should take off your shoes, women should cover their heads with a scarf.
Behind the mosque is a picturesque Arasta market where you can buy Turkish souvenirs, carpets, stones, jewelry. The market is a favorite place for tourists, the prices here are quite high, but the covered rows are adapted for pleasant walks.
Arasta Market.
It is worth stopping by the Meșala cafe at the beginning of the market, the guide will say that this is a tourist place, but here you can relax after long walks, smoke a hookah, and in the evening listen to live music or watch a performance of dervishes.
Visitors to the Arasta market.
Visitors to the Arasta market.
Be sure to order Turkish tea (“tea” in Turkish is pronounced “chai”), dark and strong, it is served in tulip-shaped glass cups.
Turkish tea.
Or coffee brewed in a Turk, with the addition of sugar and coffee grounds, which takes up a good half of a cup.
Of the more unusual things worth a try muhallebi- a traditional Turkish drink, milk jelly on rice flour.
Or salep- a hot drink made from powdered orchids (salep) with the addition of milk or water, sugar and spices.
Salep seller
Returning to Sultanahmed Square, find the ice cream stand. Turkish ice cream dondurma- thick and elastic, it is made from salep - dried orchid tubers.
Do not pass by the Turkish bagel, generously sprinkled with sesame seeds. He is called simit and sell at every turn. It's amazing why the Turks love him so much!
Sims delivery 🙂
Attractive green dome German fountain. It was built in Germany and shipped to Istanbul parts along the Danube. It was assembled at this place in 1901. The fountain, decorated with golden mosaics, was a gift from the Chancellor of the German Empire Wilhelm II for Abdul Hamid during his visit to Istanbul. At that time, Germany and Türkiye were on close friendly terms.
The fountain is unusual in that its shape resembles religious fountains rather than urban ones.
German fountain.
Heading towards the Topkany Palace, next to the Sultan's Gate, one cannot fail to notice the magnificent monumental Ahmed III fountain, which is a prime example of Turkish and Ottoman Rococo architecture. The fountain was built by Ahmed Aga, the chief architect of the court in the 18th century.
Fountain of Ahmed III.
The next attraction of Sultanakhmet - Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Sarayi)- the ancient residence of the Ottoman sultans.
A huge palace complex striking in its rich collection.
Topkapi Palace was built in 1465 during the reign of Mehmed the Conqueror. The palace was abandoned in 1853 due to the fact that it was difficult to heat it. The Sultan's residence moved to Dolmabahce Palace.
Topkapi Palace- the largest and oldest of all the imperial palaces that have survived to this day. Its original area was 700 thousand square meters. It housed not only the residence of the Sultan with a harem, but also the administrative headquarters of the Ottoman Empire.
Entering the palace through the gates of the Sultan, we find ourselves in the first courtyard. It housed the guards, the royal treasury, an arsenal and warehouses.
To the left of the entrance is Church of St. Irene, or "Sacred Peace" It is the first known Byzantine church built by Constantine in 330. The church is closed to the public, it can only be accessed from a special tour.
From the first courtyard we pass to the middle one. On the right side were the Sultan's kitchens, where about 100 cooks worked. Silver cutlery and utensils are now on display here. 
Tower of Justice. Topkapi Palace.
Left - harem, a completely separate story of the Topkapi Palace. Harem means forbidden place. Outsiders, especially men, were not allowed here. The Topkapi Palace harem complex consists of 400 rooms, these are living rooms, kitchens, toilets, hospitals, bathrooms, connected to each other by passages and corridors, forming a labyrinth.
The largest room belonged to the Sultan's mother (Valide Sultan). In the rooms a little smaller lived the wives who gave birth to the Sultan's son.
Once thousands of people lived here, more than half were women, as well as their children and eunuchs.
Many of the rooms and chambers were designed by the Ottoman Michelangelo architect Sinan. The harem was decorated in an Ottoman style based on the Italian Baroque. 
Topkapi Palace.
Topkapi Palace.
Topkapi Palace.
Topkapi Palace.
After the harem we will go to the third courtyard. Here are the pavilions of the palace and other luxurious halls - a library, reception halls, etc. In 1536, 580 craftsmen worked in the palace: jewelers, engravers, gold chasers, seamstresses, amber craftsmen and others. Samples of their work are presented not only in the museum, passages, walls, furniture, ceilings and floors are decorated with their inlays and mosaics.
The treasury of the palace is magnificent, where unique decorations and jewels are stored. Among them is the most famous Kasikchi diamond of 86 carats, i.e. about the size of a palm. It is considered one of the largest diamonds in the world. The legend tells of a poor man who found a diamond on the street and exchanged it for three spoons. "Kashikchi" is Turkish for spoon-maker. As well as a golden throne weighing 250 kg.
Topkapi Palace.
Another attraction of Sultanahmet
Basilica Cistern- an ancient underground reservoir. From the day of foundation Istanbul did not have its own water resources, so the water supply came from the mountains with the help of aqueducts, through which water went to fountains and cisterns. The most famous aqueduct that has survived to this day is the Valens aqueduct, or Bozdugan.
There were many cisterns in Byzantium, the largest and most famous - Basilica Cistern.
Basilica Cistern was built in 532 under Emperor Justinian. After the collapse of the Byzantine Empire, it was abandoned. But years later, the inhabitants of the city found out that under their houses there was a huge reservoir with fresh water– you can collect water without leaving your home, and even catch fish that is found in the tank!
The area of the cistern is about 10,000 square meters, but only part of the structure is open to the public.
The dark room is illuminated with a dim red light, 336 Corinthian and Ionian columns are reflected in the water, the sound of falling drops, everything creates a mystical atmosphere.
Basilica Cistern.
Of all the columns, two stand out: their lower parts are decorated with inverted heads of Medusa.
Basilica Cistern.
It remains to look at Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, which is called the small Hagia Sophia.
This is one of the oldest churches in Istanbul, built from 1527 to 565. It was erected next to the house of Emperor Justinian, where he spent his young years. The church, founded several years earlier than the Hagia Sophia, served as its prototype.
After the fall of Constantinople, the church continued to operate, but in 1506 the church was partially destroyed and converted into a mosque. A minaret was added in 1762.
Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus.
In Sultanahmet, there are many restaurants with Turkish cuisine, since the prices in them do not fluctuate much, you can choose any one to your taste.
Several restaurants have an outdoor panoramic rooftop terrace with breathtaking views.
View from the Seven Hills restaurant.
Continuation: Sultanahmet: walks through the streets.
1. History of Istanbul.
3. Eminonu: Pier, Spice Bazaar, Balyk-Ekmek.
4. Beyoglu: Galata Tower, Taksim, Istiklal Avenue.
5. Mosque of Sultan Suleiman.
6. Zeyrek.
7. Kumkapi.
8. Asia: Yuskyudar.
9. Bosphorus.
10. Dervishes.
11. Hamam.
Roman Emperor Justinian wanted to build in Constantinople (modern Istanbul) a temple that was supposed to be the most beautiful in the world. Church of Hagia Sophia, erected in 532-537, is a majestic structure filled with light.
Temple given to Theodora
Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire Justinian the First At the request of his wife Theodora, he ordered the construction of a new church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The Empress wanted the temple to be erected on the same spot where the previous one, built by Emperor Constantine the Great, but perished in a fire, stood. The new temple was erected in less than six years. On December 26, 537, Emperor Justinian solemnly opened the basilica.
He was very proud of the beauty of this grand structure. Justinian was convinced that this temple was even more unusual than Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. He was so happy that he exclaimed, “Solomon, I have surpassed you!”
Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is one of those rare monuments, as ancient as it is magnificent, which until today has hardly been touched by time.
domed basilica
The emperor instructed two Greek architects - Anthemius from Thrall and Isidore from Miletus - to draw plans for the structure. The architects decided to give the temple the appearance of a rectangular building in terms of the basilica, and to raise a giant dome in the center. This unprecedented vault symbolized Heaven. He lay on four huge pillars with the help of sails - triangular spherical arches. 40 windows cut into the base of the dome created an extraordinary effect - the cup of the dome seemed to be easily floating above the temple. 10 thousand workers and 100 master masons took part in the construction of the temple. Excellent materials, one better than the other, arrived from all sides of the empire: white, green, pink and yellow marble, malachite and porphyry columns, decorations from the temples of Egypt, Greece, including from the ruined temple of Artemis at Ephesus. The central door of the temple, intended for the emperor, was covered with gold.
New dome
Twenty years after the construction of the temple Constantinople became a victim of an earthquake. The legendary dome collapsed. The young son of Isidore from Miletus, one of the best architects who supervised the reconstruction, increased the height of the dome by another 5 m. With the help of powerful buttresses, he strengthened the walls of the structure.
Magnificent mosaics
From the very beginning of construction, the temple was decorated with delightful mosaics, assembled from the smallest pieces of multi-colored marble. The dome was decorated with a mosaic depicting the face of Christ.
The striking brick dome, 55m high and 32m in diameter, lets in light through small windows.
The temple owes its magnificence in part to the wealth of mosaics, the oldest of which are about a thousand years old!
Mosque and museum
In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman army of Sultan Mehmet II and renamed Istanbul. The Turks kept the Hagia Sophia, but turned it into a Muslim mosque. Four minarets were added to the temple. A crescent moon was raised above the dome. Posters with inscriptions in Arabic were hung on the side walls and in the corners. The mosaics were covered with plaster because the Quran, the holy book of Muslims, forbids the depiction of living beings. Fortunately, the mosaics were not destroyed. In 1934, the mosque ceased to function, and the Hagia Sophia was turned into a museum. Beautiful mosaics have been restored, and they saw the light again.
My blog is found by the following phrases
. athena statue
. Chapel of Charlemagne
. gothic window architecture
. jerusalem solomon temple wailing wall
. mausolus the robber
. drawings of the temple of artemis
Hagia Sophia, St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv — Photo — 2018
Saint Sophie Cathedral or Saint Sophia Cathedral- a Christian Orthodox church built in the 11th century in the central region of ancient Kyiv by order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise. In the period of the 17th-18th centuries, it was partially rebuilt and reconstructed in the Ukrainian baroque style. On the walls of the cathedral, some ancient frescoes and mosaics have been preserved, including the famous mosaic of Our Lady of Oranta.
St. Sophia Cathedral was the first architectural monument inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List from Ukraine.
According to information from various chronicles (all of them are dated much later than construction), the date of construction of the cathedral is 1017 or 1037.
The Tale of Bygone Years contains a record of the foundation of St. Sophia Cathedral in 1037, as well as several other significant buildings: the Golden Gate, the Church of St. Irene and the Monastery of St. George.
Initially, Hagia Sophia had the form of a five-nave cross-domed church with 13 domes. On three sides it was fenced with a two-tier gallery, and on the outside - a single-tier one. The central nave and transept were much wider than the side aisles, creating a regular cross in the interior of the cathedral. Cylindrical vaults, covering its main and transverse naves, gradually rose to the central part of the building. The main dome was surrounded by four smaller domes, and the remaining eight domes, which were even smaller in size, were located at the corners of the temple. In addition to windows, the walls are also decorated with decorative niches and spatulas.
The cathedral was built according to Byzantine technology from alternating rows of stone and plinths; from the outside, the masonry was treated with zemyanka mortar.
In order to be able to see the original appearance of the walls of the temple, the restorers decided to leave fragments of ancient masonry on the facades. The cathedral without galleries has a length of 29.6 m and a width of 29.4; and with galleries: 41.8 and 54.7. The height of the temple reaches 28.7 m.
The cathedral was built by builders from Constantinople, with the participation of Kyiv masters. Despite this, it is impossible to find exact analogues of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Byzantium of those times.
There is a version that the Byzantine masters were given the task of creating head of the temple Rus', which they successfully brought to life.
Some of the frescoes and mosaics made in the 11th century have been preserved in the interior of the cathedral. There are 177 shades in the mosaic palette. The mosaics bear similarities to the Byzantine art of the first half of the 11th century, in an ascetic style.
Creating a new capital, spreading a new religion, Emperor Constantine Great first deed begins the construction of the main temple of the Christian empire. To do this, he in 325 - 328 years. rebuilds an old pagan temple into a five-aisled basilica. The great basilica is dedicated Hagia Sophia- Wisdom of God.
But the pagan gods resisted the new religion very strongly.
The temple of Constantine the Great burned down during a popular uprising in 404. The newly built church on this site was destroyed by fire in 415.
In the same year 415, Emperor Theodosius ll ordered the construction of a new large five-nave basilica, richly decorated with marble, with two-tiered galleries, on this site. But this temple was still very far from the greatness of today's Hagia Sophia.
The Theodosius Basilica burned down in 532 during the Nika uprising.
A month after the destruction of the basilica, Emperor Justinian begins the construction of a new church of Hagia Sophia. According to his plan, this temple was to become the greatest Christian temple Byzantium.
This temple survived destruction, earthquakes and wars.
Hagia Sophia stood for almost 1500 years, remaining the largest church in the Christian world for more than a thousand years.
Remains of the 415 basilica in the courtyard of Hagia Sophia
Emperor Justinian invites two progressive mechanics of that time - Isidore of Miletus and Anthimius of Trall (they had previously built) to build the temple. 10,000 workers daily worked on the construction of the temple under the guidance of 100 craftsmen.
To build such a tall building of dimensions unprecedented at that time and to cover it with a huge dome in a seismically dangerous area is not an easy task.
The sad experience of previous buildings forced Isidore and Amphimius to look for new ways to solve problems.
It was decided to install the main dome on 4 arches, each 31 m wide. But wide and high arches can collapse under their own weight even before a heavy dome is installed on them. It was necessary to find a light and durable material for construction.
In earlier Roman buildings, volcanic ash and pumice - pozzolan - were added to the solution for this. But there were no such materials near Constantinople, and the construction time did not allow them to be transported from afar.
The most suitable and affordable building material was clay from the island of Rhodes, which has some special properties. Plinth bricks made of this clay were fired at low temperatures. With such firing, many pores formed in the bricks, the plinth was so light that it did not sink in water.
Byzantine masonry.
The lime mortar between the Hagia Sophia bricks is much thicker than in modern masonry, it has a lot of broken bricks. The dome and its arches consist more of reinforced mortar than of plinth.
In the manufacture of mortar, it was not sea sand, but river sand with lime that was mixed. And, according to legend, the secret ingredient - an extract of ash leaves - gave special strength to the mortar.
The mortar and the brick are made of the same material, and after hardening, the brick clings tightly to the mortar, and if small cracks form in the building, they heal on their own over time.
Touching the main arches only at 4 points, the huge dome could split under its own weight. To prevent this from happening, the architects placed triangular concave sails between the arches so that the weight of the dome was evenly distributed. It was a progressive decision for that time.
Six-winged seraphim on sails.
To strengthen the main arches, semicircular arches of the side aisles around the main nave are used:
However, the weight of this construction was such that all the arches lost their semi-circular shape even before the dome was installed, the giant columns bent, their tops cracked, and the square base of the dome ceased to be square. It was no longer possible to install a round dome on it, which would evenly distribute the weight over all the supports.
The emperor hurries the builders and the architects decide to build a less durable elliptical, flattened dome on a cylindrical base with 40 windows.
The temple is a basilica 77 m long and 72 m wide. To cover such a space with a dome, the architects resorted to optical illusion. They added buildings on each side and covered them with semi-domes emerging from the main arches. These semi-domes support the main arches, and thus the main dome. And these semi-domes also have their own additional semi-domes of a smaller diameter.
Such a complex system of domes made it possible to block the huge nave without increasing the diameter of the main dome.
Numerous windows at the base of the domes illuminate the temple, creating intricate intersections of streams of light. The main dome seems to be floating in the air.
After the installation of the dome began interior decoration cathedral. The walls and floors were covered with marble, the capitals of the columns - with fine carvings.
Amfilion - the place where the emperors of Byzantium were crowned on the throne.
Column capitals.
To decorate the temple during the construction process, marble columns were widely used - both new and brought from various old temples. From Rome, 8 porphyry columns were brought from the Temple of the Sun, and from Ephesus 8 columns made of green marble.
The columns were mounted on lead plates, which played the role of shock absorbers during an earthquake. The same plates were at the top of the columns.
Almost 1500 years have passed, and the columns are still standing.
427 statues were installed in the temple, the doors of the main entrance were made of petrified noah's ark wood.
All the emperors of Byzantium considered it their duty to search all over the world for Christian and biblical relics and shrines and deliver them to Constantinople by hook or by crook. Well, if the relic could not be found, then ... anyway, it had to be delivered to Constantinople. The legends had to have material confirmation.
Gold, silver and ivory were used to decorate the temple. Mosaic panels were laid out.
The mosaics at the beginning were not as colorful as they are today - they simply depicted a cross on a gold background, or an ornament. Panels with family portraits of emperors were created centuries later.
The construction of the temple absorbed three annual incomes of the Byzantine Empire.
On December 27, 537, Justinian entered his new temple at the head of a large procession. "Solomon, I have surpassed you!" - boastfully exclaimed the emperor, referring to the legendary Jerusalem temple.
Temple of Justinian stood for 20 years.
In 557-558. there were strong earthquakes and the cylindrical base of the dome was destroyed, which led to the collapse of the dome.
The temple was restored by Isidore's nephew - Isidore the Younger. He decides to get rid of the cylindrical base and slightly changes the shape of the dome, making it more round, less flat, and therefore more durable. And most importantly - he is not in a hurry. It took him 4 years to repair the dome. The formwork supporting the center of the dome stood for a year until the mortar had fully set.
The dome of Isidore the Younger has stood for more than four centuries.
But the huge dome of Hagia Sophia has always been the most weak link buildings.
In 989, a powerful earthquake again destroyed the main dome of the cathedral. The building was propped up with buttresses, the collapsed dome was restored by the Armenian architect Trdat. Its dome turned out to be even more convex and has stood for more than 1000 years - until today.
Beautiful mosaics of Hagia Sophia were created from the middle of the lX century to the end of the Xlll century, after the victory of the iconodules over the iconoclasts. Next to the faces of the Savior, the Mother of God and the saints, the emperors did not forget to leave their portraits as a keepsake for posterity.
Throne image of the Virgin in the apse.
From the 5th century mosaic, only the golden background remained in this picture, the image of the Virgin and the Child were destroyed during the iconoclasm and restored in the second half of the 10th century.
(And I'll distort the pictures from Wikipedia, due to the poor quality of my photos)
Archangel Gabriel on the side of the Virgin Emperor Alexander
Emperor Leo Vl kneelsbefore the Savior(X - Xl centuries)
Emperors Constantine and Justinian in front of the Mother of God(mid-X century)
On the mosaic panel, Emperor Constantine the Great brings a gift to the Mother of God Constantinople, and Justinian - the temple of Hagia Sophia.
Constantinople has always been considered the city of the Mother of God and was under Her protection, and the expression "Your city, Mother of God" served as a synonym for the word Constantinople.
Konstantin Monomakh and Empress Zoya before the Savior.
Empress Zoya (and it was she who ruled the empire) had three husbands. On the mosaic panel, when changing her husband, she ordered to change his portrait every time. To do this, they knocked down the image of the head of the emperor twice.
Emperor John Komnenos and Empress Irina in front of the Mother of God
Deesis. The Mother of God and John the Baptist on the Day of Judgment ask Jesus Christ to have mercy on humanity (second half of the Xlll century) (Deesis is translated from Greek as a petition, prayer).
Despite the fact that only one third of this mosaic has survived, it always has the most visitors in front of it.
For a long life, Hagia Sophia has witnessed many events. Emperors were crowned here Byzantium. Kiev Prince Askold and Princess Olga were baptized here. The Byzantine princess Anna became the wife of the Kyiv prince Vladimir and the condition of this marriage was the baptism of Vladimir and all of Rus'.
On July 16, 1054, in the Hagia Sophia, the Patriarch of Constantinople was presented with a letter of exclusion from the Pope. So Catholicism separated from Orthodoxy.
In 1204 Constantinople was captured by the crusaders and plundered by the brothers in faith. The Hagia Sophia was also looted. Among the many treasures taken out of the cathedral was the Shroud of Turin, kept here.
In 1453, after the fall Constantinople, the Hagia Sophia was turned into the Hagia Sophia Mosque. 4 minarets were added to the building and the interior was slightly changed. All the mosaics were smeared with plaster, huge round shields from donkey skin, on which the names of Allah and his prophets are written.
A mihrab was built in the apse, indicating the direction of Mecca.
A canopy for the muezzin was built.
A minbar was built - a place where the imam reads sermons And...
...luxurious sultan's box.
Hellenic jugs were brought from Pergamon.
For many centuries, the best architects of the Ottoman sultans tried their best to surpass the Christian temple in grandiose size, height and diameter of the dome, beauty and significance. But - in vain.
All mosques Istanbul copy appearance Hagia Sophia, but remain only copies.
In 1935, according to the decree of Ataturk, Hagia Sophia became a museum, layers of plaster were removed from the mosaics, round shields with Islamic inscriptions were removed (although after the death of the Father of the Turks, the shields were hung again).
Thousands of tourists from all over the world stand in long queues to touch the former greatness of the ancient Empire.
Super building of antiquity - Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.
To be continued...
Constantinople, Byzantium, Istanbul, Türkiye.
Total 83 photos
Hagia Sophia is located in Istanbul - the former Constantinople - the capital of the Roman Empire (330-395), the Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire (395-1204 and 1261-1453), the Latin Empire (1204-1261) and the Ottoman Empire (1453-1922). This is one of those places of world culture and religions that must be visited by a person who is looking for beauty in the world, not only human, worldly but also divine. I went to Istanbul mostly out of a passionate desire to see this magnificent creation of Byzantine architecture of the 6th century. Hagia Sophia has always attracted my attention and looking at the photos of other people of this cathedral, my heart always involuntarily sank and I realized once again that I must definitely see it with my own eyes. Such an opportunity recently appeared when my friends invited me to join them on a trip to Istanbul, which was originally dedicated not to idle rest, but to the comprehension of the historical and cultural heritage of Byzantine and world culture.
Hagia Sophia struck the imagination, captured it, entered my life as the clearest example of spiritual beauty, power, strength and glory that can only be embodied in stone. Hagia Sophia urged to listen to her, to listen to her, to absorb the music of the heavenly spheres in her image, to see her every day and once again to see this unique light sublime image. Hagia Sophia changed my world. This is the very rare case when the architecture of a building not only speaks to you, but also sounds in you like a triumphant hymn to life, holiness, light, strict but spiritual warmth and unconditional love.
I visited many interesting sights of modern Istanbul, but Hagia Sophia steadily encouraged me to talk about it in the first place. A rare feeling of inspiration overwhelms when you start your story after processing a lot of photos of Hagia Sophia and touching her unique solemn image. The processing of the photo not only stirred up the recent amazing feelings of merging with the image of Hagia Sophia with my own eyes, but also initiated the desire to show my reader as much as possible of what I saw and accepted in myself. As a result, the story about Hagia Sophia will consist of several parts. In particular, impressions about the interior spaces of this amazing structure will be expressed in the second and third posts, in the first we will try to capture the visual image of this majestic Hagia Sophia - I will make a hopeless attempt to convey in these photos all my confused impressions and feelings that live, rage in the soul and rush into the world)
On the site of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, there were previously several places of worship. In the beginning, there was Megale Ekklesia (“big church”), and the Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) appeared only in the 6th century.
02.
The first temple was built on the site of the Augustaeon marketplace in 324-337. In Socrates Scholasticus, the construction of the first temple, called Sophia, refers to the reign of Emperor Constantius II.
03.
According to N.P. Kondakov, Constantius only expanded the building of Constantine. Socrates Scholasticus also reports the exact date of the consecration of the temple: "on the erection of Eudoxius to the episcopal throne of the capital, a great church was consecrated, known under the name of Sophia, which happened on the tenth consulate of Constantius and the third of Caesar Julian, on the fifteenth day of the month of February." From 360 to 380, St. Sophia Cathedral was in the hands of the Arians. Emperor Theodosius I in 380 handed over the cathedral to the Nikenians and on November 27 personally brought Gregory the Theologian, who was soon elected the new Archbishop of Constantinople, into the cathedral.
04.
The cathedral had a wooden roof and was shaped like a basilica. This temple burned down during a popular uprising in 404. The newly built church was destroyed by fire already in 415.
Emperor Theodosius II ordered to build a new basilica on the same site, which was completed in the same year.
This basilica consisted of five naves and was also covered wooden roof. On January 13, 532, as a result of the uprising of Nika, which took place during the time of Emperor Justinian (527-565), the building of the Basilica of Theodosius burned down.
“People were unhappy with the high taxes imposed by Justinian and wanted to throw him off the throne,” says University of London historian Caroline Goodson in documentary on the National Geographic Channel.
05.
The ruins of the Basilica of Theodosius were discovered only in 1936 during excavations on the territory of the Hagia Sophia.
06.
The Constantine and Theodosius churches were large five-aisled basilicas. A meager idea of them is given only by archaeological finds, which allow us to judge only their impressive size and rich marble decoration. Also, based on its ancient descriptions, they conclude that two-tier galleries were located above the side aisles, similar to the basilica of St. Irene built simultaneously with it.
Basilica of Justinian (Hagia Sophia)
Forty days after the fire, Emperor Justinian I ordered a new church of the same name to be built in its place, which, according to his plan, was to become an adornment of the capital and serve as an expression of the greatness of the empire.
09.
Justinian I. Mosaic of the Church of San Vitale in Ravenna.
For the construction of a grandiose temple, Justinian bought the nearest plots of land from private owners and ordered the demolition of the buildings located on them. To manage the work, Justinian invited the best architects of that time: Isidore of Miletus and Anthimius of Trall, who had previously established themselves by building the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus. Under their leadership, 10,000 workers worked daily.
10.
The best building material was used for the construction of the cathedral. Marble was brought from Proconnis, Numidia, Karista and Hierapolis. Also, according to the imperial circular, architectural elements of ancient buildings were brought to Constantinople (for example, eight porphyry columns taken from the Temple of the Sun were delivered from Rome, and eight green marble columns from Ephesus).
11.
In addition to marble decorations, Justinian, in order to give the temple he was building an unprecedented brilliance and luxury, used gold, silver, and ivory to decorate it. The construction took three annual budgets of the richest state in the world at that time. During the construction of the Hagia Sophia, the architects used marble, stone and special light, but strong, bricks made from the soil of the island of Rhodes.
12.
It is because of the supernatural luxury of the Hagia Sophia that many legends appeared among the people, including the participation of heavenly patrons in the construction of the temple. According to one of the legends, Emperor Justinian I, during the grand opening and consecration of the temple by the Patriarch of Constantinople Mina on December 27, 537, uttered the following words: “Solomon, I have surpassed you!” referring to the legendary Jerusalem Temple.
13.
The main cathedral church was founded in 532 (February 23), and five years later, on December 27, 537, the first service was held there. Hagia Sophia later became the place where the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire were crowned.
14.
Sophia's Cathedral in Istanbul is one of the architectural marvels of Turkey and the whole world. This building occupies an important place among the works of art that have ever existed on our planet, before the advent of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, it was considered the largest religious building.
16.
Hagia Sophia has attracted attention for centuries, they not only prayed there, they admired her, they painted her. Among the most popular artists who have tried to depict her on canvas is John Singer Sargent. He owns the painting of the same name "Hagia Sophia".
16a. 
According to legend, the plan for the construction of the temple was told to Justinian by an angel. They also say that when a dispute arose between the emperor and the architects about how many windows should be under the dome, the angel "recommended" to build three in honor of the Holy Trinity.
Wisdom of God
By the way, contrary to the accepted free conception, the Hagia Sophia, called in Turkish Ayasofya (Aya Sophia), is named so not in honor of Saint Sophia, but according to the Wisdom of God (sofia - in Greek wisdom). The interpretation of Sophia as a mediator between God and the world in Christianity goes back to the Gnostic Valentine. Some representatives of Christian philosophy and theology considered Sophia as a person. Origen describes it as although "the incorporeal being of diverse thoughts, embracing the logos of the world whole", but at the same time as "animate and, as it were, alive." In early Christianity, the idea of Sophia was close to the face of Christ the Logos (the apostle Paul (1 Cor. 1:24) defines Jesus as “God's power and God's wisdom”), and then to the third hypostasis of the Trinity - the Holy Spirit (the concept of feminine in Semitic languages and close to Sofia in the aspects of play, fun, festivity).
17.
In Latin Christian literature, the term "Sophia" is supplanted by an almost synonymous designation of the mystically understood "Church", and therefore the Catholic tradition almost does not know "sophiology" proper. It is different in Byzantium, where the development of the image of Sophia as a symbol of the theocratic principle was of great importance, and in Rus', where Christianity came under the sign of Sophia (Metropolitan Hilarion describes the baptism of Rus' as the arrival of the “Wisdom of God”, that is, Sophia; Sophia was dedicated to those built in the 11th century .three main Orthodox churches in the principalities of Eastern Europe - in Kyiv, Novgorod and Polotsk).
On Russian soil by the XV-XVI centuries. a rich iconography of Sophia is being formed. Sophia has the appearance of an Angel; her face and hands are of a fiery color, behind her back are two wings. She is dressed in royal attire (dalmatic, barma), on her head is a golden crown. She faces (as Christ in the iconography of the “deesis”) the praying Virgin Mary and John the Baptist; above her head is visible to the waist, blessing Christ (i.e., not identical to Sophia, but showing Himself her “head”, approximately as He is, according to the New Testament teaching, the “Head” of the Church). The personal image of Sophia, both in the Byzantine-Russian and in the Catholic tradition, is gradually approaching the image of the Virgin Mary as an enlightened creature, in which she becomes “Sophianic”, the whole cosmos is ennobled. In the Christian hagiographic tradition, the name "Sophia" is also given to a martyr who was executed in Rome in the 2nd century BC. together with his daughters Faith, Hope and Love (the names are symbolic - "Wisdom" as the mother of the three "theological virtues")
History of St. Sophia Cathedral
From the moment of construction, the name "great" was assigned to the church. For the performance of divine services in the cathedral there were numerous precious utensils. For the manufacture of the precious throne of the cathedral, according to Dorotheus of Monemvasia, “gold, silver, copper, electr, iron, glass, many honest stones, yachts, emeralds, beads, kasider, magnet, he (x) y, diamonds and other things were used. seventy-two different things." On it, the emperor placed the inscription "Yours from Yours we bring to You Yours, Christ, servants Justinian and Theodora."
18.
The state church and clergy of the cathedral under Justinian was designed for 525 people: 60 priests, 100 deacons, 40 deaconesses, 90 subdeacons, 110 readers, 25 chanters and 100 gatekeepers. Under Emperor Heraclius, it reached 600 people. According to the 43rd short story of Justinian, each trade and craft corporation allocated a certain number of workshops (ergastiriya), the income from which went to the needs of the Hagia Sophia.
21.
Entrance to Hagia Sophia from the west
31.
A few years after the completion of construction, an earthquake destroyed part of the cathedral: the Eastern part of Hagia Sophia, under the holy altar, fell and destroyed the ciborium (that is, the canopy) and the holy meal and pulpit.
And the mechanics (architects) admitted that since they, avoiding costs, did not arrange support from below, but left spans between the pillars that supported the dome, therefore the pillars could not stand it. Seeing this, the most pious king erected other pillars to support the dome; and in this way the dome was arranged, rising in height by more than 20 spans in comparison with the former building.
Chronography of Theophanes, year 6051/551.
34.
Buttresses on the east side of the cathedral
35.
The cathedral also suffered from the earthquake of 989, its dome was especially severely damaged. The building was propped up with buttresses, from which it lost its former appearance. The collapsed dome was rebuilt by the Armenian architect Trdat, the author of the Ani Cathedral, and the architect made the dome even more sublime.
46.
On July 16, 1054, in the St. Sophia Cathedral, during a service by the legate of the Pope, Cardinal Humbert, Patriarch Michael Cerularius of Constantinople was presented with a letter of exclusion. In response to this, on July 20, the patriarch anathematized the papal legates. This event was the beginning of the division of churches into Orthodox and Catholic.
48.
In 1204, the medieval world was shocked by the capture of Constantinople by the Crusaders. The army of the western feudal lords went east, wanting to recapture Jerusalem from the Muslims, and eventually captured the capital of the Christian Byzantine Empire. The knights, with unprecedented greed and cruelty, plundered the richest city and practically destroyed the former Greek power... The reasons and history of the capture of Constantinople are undoubtedly worthy of a separate story...
50.
minaret gate
After the restoration of the power of the Byzantine emperors (1261), the dilapidated Hagia Sophia was restored again. Under Emperor Andronicus II (1282-1328), supporting walls were erected in the eastern part of the cathedral.
Fall of Constantinople
On the night of May 28-29, 1453, the last Christian service in its history took place in the Hagia Sophia. On May 29, 1453, the temple was captured by the Turks. According to the description of the historian Dooka, they broke the locked gates of the temple and, armed with swords, burst inside, robbing the precious decorations.
51.
52.
The worshipers who were in the temple were killed and, according to the surviving legend, their blood reached the level indicated by a red stripe on one of the columns. The Greeks also preserved the tradition that at the moment when the Turks broke into the cathedral, the Divine Liturgy was going on in it and the priest with the Holy Gifts was already entering the pulpit. Then, in order to preserve the Holy Gifts, part of the altar wall opened up and covered the priest, who will remain in it until the church is returned to the Orthodox; then he will come out and complete the interrupted service.
53.
Because of this alteration in Hagia Sophia, as in other former Byzantine temples, praying Muslims are forced to position themselves at an angle relative to the main volume of the building. Most of the frescoes and mosaics remained unscathed, according to some researchers, precisely because they were plastered over for several centuries.
54.
One of the most significant relics of Christianity - the shroud of Christ kept in the cathedral (the Shroud of Turin) was taken to Europe.
On May 30, 1453, Sultan Mehmed II, who conquered Constantinople, entered the Hagia Sophia, which was turned into a mosque. Four minarets were added to the cathedral, and the cathedral turned into the Ayasofya mosque. Since the cathedral was oriented according to the Christian tradition - the altar to the east, the Muslims had to change it, placing the mihrab in the southeast corner of the cathedral (direction to Mecca).
55.
In the second half of the 16th century, under sultans Selim II and Murad III, heavy and rough buttresses were added to the cathedral building, which significantly changed the appearance of the building.
56.
Until the middle of the 19th century, no restoration work was carried out in the temple. In 1847, Sultan Abdulmecid I commissioned the architects Gaspard and Giuseppe Fossati to restore the Hagia Sophia, which was in danger of collapsing. Restoration work continued for two years.
57.
In 1935, according to the decree of Ataturk, Aya Sofya became a museum, and layers of plaster hiding them were removed from the frescoes and mosaics. In 2006, a small room was allocated in the museum complex for holding Muslim religious rites by the museum staff.
Exterior of the cathedral and architecture
Together with the apse, the length of the building is 100 m, and the width is 69.5 m. Such dimensions make it possible to call Hagia Sophia the largest church built in the east of the Roman Empire. Its dome has a height of 55.60 m from ground level and a radius of 31.87 m (in the direction from north to south) and 30.86 m (in the east direction).
58.
By type of architecture, it is a classical rectangular basilica. The main parts of Hagia Sophia are three naves, one apge and two narthexes, internal and external. Its main nave and transept intersect to form a cross. In other words, the central nave of the cathedral consists of four columns on which the arches are held. With the help of these arches stands a relatively flat dome. Under the dome, two more niches are attached from different sides, each of which is divided into three parts.
59.
This grandiose architectural structure on the banks of the Bosphorus attracts many tourists and pilgrims every year from many countries and from different continents. They are driven by the realization of the fact that a simple description of the Temple in Constantinople from a school history textbook does not give a complete picture of this outstanding cultural monument of the ancient world. It must be seen with your own eyes at least once in your life.
From the history of the ancient world
Even the most detailed description The Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople will not provide the full picture of this architectural phenomenon. Without a consistent consideration of the series of historical eras through which he happened to pass, it is unlikely that he will be able to realize the full importance of this place. Before it appeared before our eyes in the state in which modern tourists can see it, a lot of water flowed under the bridge.
This cathedral was originally erected as the highest spiritual symbol of Byzantium, a new Christian power that arose on the ruins of ancient Rome in the fourth century AD. But the history of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople began even before the collapse of the Roman Empire into the western and eastern parts. This city itself, located on a strategically important border between Europe and Asia, needed a bright symbol of spiritual and civilizational greatness. Emperor Constantine I the Great understood this like no one else. And it was only in the power of the monarch to begin the construction of this grandiose structure, which had no analogues in the ancient world.
The date of foundation of the temple is forever associated with the name and period of the reign of this emperor. Even despite the fact that the actual authors of the cathedral were other people who lived much later, during the reign of Emperor Justinian. From historical sources, we know two names of these major architects of their era. These are the Greek architects Anfimy of Trall and Isidore of Miletus. It is they who own the authorship of both the engineering and construction and the artistic part of a single architectural project.
How the temple was built
The description of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, the study of its architectural features and stages of construction inevitably leads to the idea that the original plan for its construction changed significantly under the influence of various political and economic circumstances. There were no structures of this scale in the Roman Empire before.
Historical sources claim that the date of foundation of the cathedral is 324 from the birth of Christ. But what we see today began to be built about two centuries after that date. From the buildings of the fourth century, the founder of which was Constantine I the Great, only the foundations and individual architectural fragments have survived. What stood on the site of the modern Hagia Sophia was called the Basilica of Constantine and the Basilica of Theodosius. Emperor Justinian, who ruled in the middle of the sixth century, faced the task of erecting something new and hitherto unseen.
The fact that the grandiose construction of the cathedral lasted only five years, from 532 to 537, is truly amazing. More than ten thousand workers, mobilized from all over the empire, worked on the construction at the same time. For this, they were delivered to the shore of the Bosphorus in required quantity the best varieties marble from Greece. Emperor Justinian did not spare funds for the construction, since he was building not just a symbol of the state majesty of the Eastern Roman Empire, but also a Temple to the glory of the Lord. He was supposed to bring the light of the Christian dogma to the whole world.
From historical sources
The description of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople can be found in the early historical chronicles of the Byzantine court chroniclers. From them it is clear that the grandeur and grandeur of this structure made an indelible impression on contemporaries.
Many believed that it was absolutely impossible to build such a cathedral without the direct intervention of divine forces. The main dome of the greatest Christendom was visible from afar to all sailors in the Sea of Marmara, approaching the Bosphorus. It served as a kind of beacon, and this also had a spiritual and symbolic meaning. This was originally conceived: Byzantine churches were supposed to overshadow with their grandeur everything that was built before them.
Cathedral interior
The overall composition of the temple space is subject to the laws of symmetry. This principle was the most important even in ancient temple architecture. But in terms of its volume and level of execution of the interiors, the Temple of Sophia in Constantinople significantly exceeds everything that was built before it. Just such a task was set before the architects and builders by Emperor Justinian. By his will, from many cities of the empire, ready-made columns and other architectural elements taken from pre-existing ancient structures were delivered to the decoration of the temple. Of particular difficulty was the dome completion.
The grandiose main dome was supported by an arched colonnade from forty window openings providing overhead illumination of the entire temple space. The altar part of the cathedral was finished with special care; a significant amount of gold, silver and ivory was used to decorate it. According to Byzantine historiographers and modern experts, Emperor Justinian spent several annual budgets of his country only on the interior of the cathedral. In his ambitions, he wanted to surpass the Old Testament king Solomon, who built the Temple in Jerusalem. These words of the emperor were recorded by court chroniclers. And there is every reason to believe that Emperor Justinian managed to carry out his intention.
Byzantine style
Hagia Sophia, whose photos now grace the promotional merchandise of many travel agencies, is a classic epitome of the imperial in architecture. This style is easily recognizable. With its monumental grandeur, it certainly goes back to the best traditions of imperial Rome and Greek antiquity, but it is simply impossible to confuse this architecture with something else.
Byzantine temples can easily be found at a considerable distance from historical Byzantium. This direction of temple architecture is still the predominant architectural style throughout the territory, where the Orthodox branch of world Christianity has historically dominated.
These structures are characterized by massive domed completions above the central part of the building and arched colonnades below them. architectural features This style has been developed over the centuries and has become an integral part of Russian temple architecture. Today, not everyone even realizes that its source is located on the shores of the Bosphorus Strait.
Unique mosaics
Icons and mosaic frescoes from the walls of Hagia Sophia have become world-famous classics of fine art. In their compositional constructions, the Roman and Greek canons of monumental painting are easily visible.
The frescoes of the Hagia Sophia were created over two centuries. Several generations of masters and many icon-painting schools worked on them. The mosaic technique itself has a much more complex technology compared to the traditional tempera painting on wet plaster. All elements of mosaic frescoes were created by masters according to only one known rules, which were not allowed to the uninitiated. It was both slow and very costly, but the Byzantine emperors did not spare funds for the interior of the Hagia Sophia. The masters had nowhere to hurry, because what they created had to survive many centuries. Of particular difficulty in creating mosaic frescoes was the height of the walls and roofing elements of the cathedral.
The viewer was forced to see the figures of saints in a complex perspective reduction. Byzantine icon painters were the first in the history of world fine art who had to take this factor into account. Before them, no one had such experience. And they coped with the task with dignity, this can be witnessed today by many thousands of tourists and pilgrims who annually visit St. Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul.
During the long period of Ottoman rule, Byzantine mosaics on the walls of the temple were covered with a layer of plaster. But after the restoration work carried out in the thirties of the twentieth century, they appeared to the eye in almost their original form. And today, visitors to the Church of Hagia Sophia can observe Byzantine frescoes with images of Christ and the Virgin Mary interspersed with calligraphically derived quotations from the Koran.
The heritage of the Islamic period in the history of the cathedral was also treated with respect by the restorers. It is also interesting to note the fact that some Orthodox saints on mosaic frescoes were given portrait resemblance by icon painters to ruling monarchs and others. influential people of his era. In subsequent centuries, this practice will become common in the construction of cathedrals in the largest cities of medieval Europe.
Cathedral vaults
Sophia Cathedral, the photo of which is taken away from the banks of the Bosphorus by tourists, acquired its characteristic silhouette not least thanks to the grandiose domed completion. The dome itself has a relatively small height with an impressive diameter. This ratio of proportions will later be included in the architectural canon of the Byzantine style. Its height from the foundation level is 51 meters. It will be surpassed in size only in the Renaissance, during the construction of the famous in Rome.
The special expressiveness of the vault of St. Sophia Cathedral is given by two domed hemispheres, located from the west and from the east of the main dome. With their outlines and architectural elements, they repeat it and, on the whole, create a single composition of the cathedral vault.
All these architectural discoveries of ancient Byzantium were subsequently used many times in temple architecture, in the construction of cathedrals in the cities of medieval Europe, and then throughout the world. In Russia, the dome of the Hagia Sophia found a very bright reflection in the architectural appearance in Kronstadt. Like the famous temple on the shores of the Bosphorus, it was supposed to be visible from the sea to all sailors approaching the capital, thus symbolizing the greatness of the empire.
End of Byzantium
As you know, any empire reaches its peak, and then moves towards degradation and decline. This fate did not pass by Byzantium. The Eastern Roman Empire collapsed in the middle of the fifteenth century under the weight of its own internal contradictions and under the growing onslaught of external enemies. The last Christian service in the Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople took place on May 29. This day was the last for the capital of Byzantium itself. The empire that had existed for almost a thousand years was defeated on that day under the onslaught of the Ottoman Turks. Constantinople also ceased to exist. Now it is the city of Istanbul, for several centuries it was the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The conquerors of the city broke into the temple at the time of worship, brutally dealt with those who were there, and ruthlessly plundered the treasures of the cathedral. But the Ottoman Turks were not going to destroy the building itself - the Christian temple was destined to become a mosque. And this circumstance could not but be reflected in the appearance of the Byzantine cathedral.
Dome and minarets
During the Ottoman period, the appearance of the Hagia Sophia underwent significant changes. The city of Istanbul was supposed to have a cathedral mosque corresponding to the status of the capital. The building of the temple that existed in the fifteenth century corresponded to this goal by no means ideally. Prayers in the mosque should be performed in the direction of Mecca, while the Orthodox church is oriented with the altar to the east. The Ottoman Turks reconstructed the temple they inherited - they attached rough buttresses to the historical building to strengthen bearing walls and built four large minarets in accordance with the canons of Islam. Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul became known as Hagia Sophia Mosque. A mihrab was built in the southeastern part of the interior, so the praying Muslims had to be located at an angle to the axis of the building, leaving the altar part of the temple on the left.
In addition, the walls of the cathedral with icons were plastered. But this is what made it possible to restore the authentic wall paintings of the temple in the nineteenth century. They are well preserved under a layer of medieval plaster. Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul is also unique in that in its external appearance and in its internal content, the heritage of two great cultures and two world religions - Orthodox Christianity and Islam - is bizarrely intertwined.
Hagia Sophia Museum
In 1935, the building of the Hagia Sophia mosque was removed from the category of cults. This required a special decree of Turkish President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. This progressive step made it possible to put an end to the claims to the historical building of representatives of different religions and confessions. The leader of Turkey was also able to indicate his distance from different kind clerical circles.
The state budget financed and carried out works on the restoration of the historic building and the area around it. The necessary infrastructure has been equipped to receive a large flow of tourists from different countries. Currently, the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is one of the most important cultural and historical sights of Turkey. In 1985, the temple was included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List as one of the most significant material objects in the history of the development of human civilization. Getting to this attraction in the city of Istanbul is very simple - it is located in the prestigious Sultanahmet district and is visible from afar.
The visiting card of Istanbul, like the Eiffel Tower of Paris, is the Hagia Sophia Mosque, which has now been turned into a museum. For a long time, more than 1000 years, it was the largest Christian temple, until in 1926 St. Peter's Cathedral appeared in Rome.
1. The temple was completely burned down... twice
This Orthodox church was founded in 330 in Constantinople by Emperor Constantine the Great, but after 75 years it was destroyed in a fire. In 415, the church was rebuilt, and in 532, during the Nika popular uprising, it burned down again.
2. Emperor Justinian reconstructed the temple
Beginning in 527, Constantinople was ruled for 38 years by Emperor Justinian, who did a lot for the flourishing of Byzantium. By his order, five years after the Nika uprising, the church was rebuilt again.
3. The temple changed its name several times
In Byzantine times, this Orthodox cathedral was called the Great Sophia because of its huge size, or Hagia Sophia. But after the capture of the capital of Byzantium in 1453 by the Turks, the cathedral was turned into an Ottoman mosque called Hagia Sophia. Today it is the world famous museum of Byzantine architecture Hagia Sophia - the most visited attraction not only in Istanbul, but throughout Turkey.
4. The dome had to be replaced in 558
One of the decorations of the cathedral was a central dome 160 feet high and 131 feet in diameter, but as a result of the earthquake of 558 it was destroyed. In 562 the dome was restored. It became even taller, and several smaller domes were installed to strengthen it, as well as a gallery and four large arches were built.
5. Hagia Sophia and the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
Expensive building materials, as well as surviving fragments of ancient buildings, were brought to Constantinople from different parts of the empire. Thus, columns brought from the destroyed Temple of Artemis in Ephesus were used to strengthen and decorate the interior of the church.
6. The Canon of Byzantine Art
In Byzantium, they tried to preserve the centuries-old Roman and Hellenistic traditions in art, architecture, and literature. The Byzantine ruler Justinian, who spearheaded a series of urban reconstruction projects after the Nika revolt, began with the Hagia Sophia. The new cathedral fully met the canons of the Byzantine style, it was luxurious and magnificent - a huge dome on a rectangular basilica, rich mosaics, stone inlays, marble columns, bronze doors. The cathedral fully complied with the canons of the Byzantine style.
7. The fight against idolatry and Hagia Sophia
During the period of the struggle against idolatry (approximately 726-787 and 815-843), the production and use of icons and religious images was prohibited, only the cross was allowed as the only acceptable symbol. In this regard, many mosaics and paintings in Hagia Sophia were destroyed by iconoclasts, taken out or covered with plaster.
8 Enrico Dandolo Sacked Hagia Sophia
During the Fourth Crusade directed against Byzantium, during the siege of Constantinople, the famous and influential 90-year-old Doge of Venice, Enrico Dandolo, being blind, defeated Orthodox Christians. The city and the church were plundered, many golden mosaics were taken to Italy. Dandolo, after his death in 1205, was buried in Hagia Sophia.
9. Byzantine temple was a mosque for 500 years
Centuries of conquests, sieges, raids, crusades led in 1453 to the fall of Constantinople under the onslaught of the Ottoman Empire. The city was renamed Istanbul, the Byzantine cathedral was to be destroyed, but Sultan Mehmed II, admiring its beauty, ordered the cathedral to be converted into a mosque.
10. Islamic elements in the temple
In order to use the church as a mosque, the Sultan ordered the completion of a prayer hall, pulpit-minbar for a preacher and a stone bath-font. Also, several minarets, a school, a kitchen, a library, mausoleums and a sultan's box were attached to it.
11. Byzantine mosaics were saved by Mehmed II
Instead of destroying the numerous frescoes and mosaics on the walls of Hagia Sophia, Mehmed II ordered them to be covered with plaster, on which Islamic drawings and calligraphy were applied on top. Subsequently, many of the original frescoes and mosaics were restored by the Swiss-Italian architects Gaspard and Giuseppe Fossati.
12. The healing power of the "Weeping" column
The “weeping” column is located in the northwestern part of the church, to the left of the entrance, and is one of the 107 columns of the building. It is also called the "column of desires", "sweating", "wet". The column is covered with copper and has a hole in the middle that is wet to the touch. Many believers seek to touch her in search of divine healing.
BONUS
Kemal Ataturk turned Hagia Sophia into a museum
Former officer Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the first president and founder of the modern Turkish state, who is rather cool about religion, decided to organize a museum in the Hagia Sophia temple, and in 1935 this was done.
It is difficult to remain indifferent, looking at. It's just great!
