Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia) Istanbul, Turkey
A place with stories to tell...
When the patriarchal basilica of Hagia Sophia ("Holy Wisdom") was completed in AD 537, it was not only the largest church in the world, but possibly the largest indoor space ever created to that date. It was a crowning architectural achievement under the reign of Justinian I who, upon entering the sanctuary for the first time, is said to have uttered, "Solomon, Solomon, I have outdone thee." Along with the re-establishment of Roman (Byzantine) rule throughout the Mediterranean, this marked a magnificent, if brief, period of Roman cultural revival. Two centuries earlier during the reign of Constantine I (AD 330), the first Christian Emperor, the capital had been relocated from Rome to Byzantium for several reasons of political and economic consideration, and of course the city was re-named Constantinople ("city of Constantine").
Unfortunately for the Byzantines, control over the lands and trade of the Western Mediterranean lasted only a couple generations before the territory of the "New Rome" became limited to areas farther East--Greece, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Turkey, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt. Then with the rise of Islam in the seventh century the lands East and South of Turkey were lost. But the Byzantine Empire remained viable and the city of Constantinople was vibrant for most of the next thousand years. And Hagia Sophia served as a glorious center of Christian worship and coronation of monarchs until the final conquest by the Ottomans in 1453. Subsequently, it was converted into a mosque until the Turkish government in 1935 saw the wisdom of turning it into a museum for the enjoyment of tourists of all persuasions.
Striding between its massive columns and under its cavernous dome even today is an experience of atmospheric wonder. The top of the dome rises 182' above the floor, and is just over 100' in width. Combined with numerous smaller domes and bays, the enclosed space under one roof is easily as large as many modern sports facilities, and one can only imagine the marvelous sense of holiness and reverence it gave to worshipers of 1,500 years ago.
When the patriarchal basilica of Hagia Sophia ("Holy Wisdom") was completed in AD 537, it was not only the largest church in the world, but possibly the largest indoor space ever created to that date. It was a crowning architectural achievement under the reign of Justinian I who, upon entering the sanctuary for the first time, is said to have uttered, "Solomon, Solomon, I have outdone thee." Along with the re-establishment of Roman (Byzantine) rule throughout the Mediterranean, this marked a magnificent, if brief, period of Roman cultural revival. Two centuries earlier during the reign of Constantine I (AD 330), the first Christian Emperor, the capital had been relocated from Rome to Byzantium for several reasons of political and economic consideration, and of course the city was re-named Constantinople ("city of Constantine").
Unfortunately for the Byzantines, control over the lands and trade of the Western Mediterranean lasted only a couple generations before the territory of the "New Rome" became limited to areas farther East--Greece, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Turkey, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt. Then with the rise of Islam in the seventh century the lands East and South of Turkey were lost. But the Byzantine Empire remained viable and the city of Constantinople was vibrant for most of the next thousand years. And Hagia Sophia served as a glorious center of Christian worship and coronation of monarchs until the final conquest by the Ottomans in 1453. Subsequently, it was converted into a mosque until the Turkish government in 1935 saw the wisdom of turning it into a museum for the enjoyment of tourists of all persuasions.
Striding between its massive columns and under its cavernous dome even today is an experience of atmospheric wonder. The top of the dome rises 182' above the floor, and is just over 100' in width. Combined with numerous smaller domes and bays, the enclosed space under one roof is easily as large as many modern sports facilities, and one can only imagine the marvelous sense of holiness and reverence it gave to worshipers of 1,500 years ago.
Equally unmistakable at Hagia Sophia are the varieties of art left behind by its history as both a church and a mosque. Strolling across the main floor under the great dome, one cannot miss the large bronze medallions hanging from main columns which are inscribed with verses from the Qur'an--relics of the building's use as a mosque for nearly 400 years (above right). The real artistic treasures, however, are the several Byzantine mosaics which have been only recently restored after being whitewashed during the Ottoman period. Some of the larger mosaics in the upper gallery feature royalty in the presence of Christ, such as that of Emperor Constantine IX Monomachus (1042-1055) and his wife Zoe (above left). Similarly, the Deesis Mosaic in the upper gallery (ca. 1261), which suffered extensive damage from the centuries under whitewash, depicts the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist (right) interceding with Christ.
More beautiful mosaics are seen on the lower level: Above the Southwest entrance is the famous Donation Mosaic (late 10th century) showing the Virgin Mary and the child Jesus flanked by two emperors bearing gifts (right). On the right is Constantine with a model of the imperial city of Constantinople, and on the left is Justinian with a model of Hagia Sophia. And just above the Imperial Gate, which was the central entrance to the sanctuary, is a mosaic of Emperor Leo VI "the Wise" (early 10th century) bowing before Christ on a throne (below). While giving the Trinitarian sign with his right hand, in his left hand Jesus holds the book of Scripture which says (in Greek), "Peace be with you. I am the light of the world." |
Aya Sofya remained the largest church and largest enclosed space in the world until in 1615 it was eclipsed by the new Basilica of Saint Peter in Rome, and it was no longer the world's largest cathedral after the completion of the Cathedral of Seville in 1620. But by the seventeenth century it had already been transformed into a mosque. Still not satisfied, the Ottomans under Sultan Ahmet I completed the Blue Mosque in 1616 (left), whose size and style betrays an obvious attempt to exceed and replace the formerly Christian structure just a few blocks away across a modern pedestrian plaza and park. Later sultans built even larger mosques in other parts of Constantinople, and later changed the city's name to Istanbul. Thankfully, they could never quite bring themselves to destroy the structure whose glory they could never manage to surpass.
|