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Hagia Sophia |
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 AThe
Hagia Sophia, or St. Sophia, was so magnificent in appearanee at
the time of its construction that people of the time believed
that the church could not have been built by human hands alone
but "only with the help of divine support." This great temple
was dedicated to "the Holy Spirit" (Sophia) in the trinity
belief of Christianity. Originally a basilica covered by a
wooden ceiling, Hagia Sophia burned down twice, in the
years of 404 and 532. Emperor Justinian i (527-565), who had
suppressed an uprising that caused the second fire, decided to
construct a magnifieent place of worship and he commissioned two
architects for the task, Isidare of Miletus and Anthemius of
Tralles.
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 During
the 5-year construction no financial restrictions limited the
project, so to add to the grandeur of the structure, pagan
pillars were taken from Ephesus and the Temple of Artemis and
brought to Constantinople. Upon conquering Constantinople on 29
May 1453, the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II's first order of business
was to vis it the Church of Hagia Sophia just after he entered
the city.
The Ottomans showed great respect for this magnifieent building
and the Hagia Sophia continued to act as a place of worship by
the Ottomans after the conquest of İstanbul it was used as a
mosque for nearly 500 years.
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 The
museum entrance, located on the west side in the garden, was the
original gate, which began to be used again after a long period
of time. The high gate placed in the middle of the entrance is
"the Gate of the Empire" and the mosaic panel on the gate was
added at the end of the 9th century. You can alsa see the
portraits of the Virgin Mary and the Angel Gabriel, at the
lateral medallions. When you enter the Hagia Sophia you will
likely be hypnotized by its splendid dome.
This dome, which cavers the top of the building, appears to be
floating in the air like a cloud. The wall and ceilings are
covered with colorful marble and mosaics. In total, there are
107 pillars at the entry level and in the galleries. The pillar
capitals are the most characteristic architectural example of
6th century Byzantine style. The deep and intricately carved
marble, another decorative style distinct of the 6th century,
creates optical illusions with the wistful light and shadow that
enter through the windows.
Carvings in the marbleshow an array of detail including the
monograms of past emperors in the middle. Within the apse semi-dome
there is a mosaic showing the Virgin Mary holding the Christ
Child and a mosaic of the Angel Gabriel on the right side. The
large leather discs on the walls at the gallery level recall the
histarical period when the building was used as a mosque. The
calligraphy written by the best crafismen of the mid-19th
century render the discs pieces of art of great value in
themselves.
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| The names of Allah,
Mohammed the prophet of Islam, the four main caliphates, and
Hasan and Hussein are inscribed on them. The base of "the
sweating pillar" located at the north side of the building is
encireled with a bronze belt. It is believed that if you put
your fingers into the hale on this pillar and makes a wish, the
wish will be granted.
There is one mosaic panel at the northern flank and three mosaic
panels consisting of a trio of a figures at the southern flank.
The masterpiece panel of Byzantine mosaic art is placed at the
south gallery where sunlight enters from the window next to it.
This is the trio figure known as "Diesis”. The figures
represented are that of Jesus in middle. Mary on the right and
Joseph on the left. |
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Anatolian Kavak and Lighthouse