Hagia Sophia Fredele

Santa Sophia, or Hagia Sophia is located in Istambul, Turkey. It was an important monument for both Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. The city today has the characteristics of these important cultures and is a perfect example of them. 

Haiga Sophia, used to be a Church; it was known as the “Great Church” or “Magna Ecclesia”. It was built where the first church was (this one used to be a pagan temple). Constantinus II inaugurated Haiga Sophia on 15 February 360 a.C; the church was built by the orders of Constantine the Great. This church, had a wooden roof, with four aisles. Unfortunately, it was burned down in 404. 

After this, Theodosius II ordered the church to be repaired and the second church was inaugurated on October 10th, 405. The architecture of this second church had several elements proper of the Byzantine period, such as: 

•An atrium

•A narthex

•A basilica with galleries

The second church was destroyed during the tumult of Nika Revolt in January 532. 

The church was rebuilt between 532 and 537 under the orders of Emperor Justinian I. 

On May 29th, 1453, Mehmet II (Sultan of the Ottoman Empire) conquered Constantinople; he went to the Hagia Sophia and ordered the church to be turned into a mosque. As years went by, sultans added things to the building; for instance, Sultan Bayezid ordered a minaret changing the previous one of his fathers’. Suleiman the Magnificent brought two huge candles from Hungary.

Two restorations were done in Hagia Sophia: in 1739, Mahmud I included a medrese, a kitchen, and a library; in 1740, a fountain for rituals was built.

In 1934, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (founder of Turkish republic) ordered the mosque to be turned into a museum. The museum was officially opened the 1st of February, 1935. 

Part of the Byzantine style, were mosaics. Hagia Sophia is a great example of this. Inside it, there are mosaics with (of course) religious purposes. The oldest mosaics were destroyed or covered. Some others were sacked during the crusades, and many others had been plastered or whitewashed wile it was a mosque. Most of them were restored around 1931 and 1935. Sadly, many of the great mosaics probably disappeared during the earthquake in 1894. 

Another Byzantine element is the whole architecture of the place; it is considered to be the first masterpiece in Byzantine architecture. It was the largest cathedral until the Seville Cathedral was built. It has a rectangular shape, not very characteristic of the Byzantine period (lets remember that Byzantine buildings often have the shape of a Greeks Cross).

The most representative element of the period and probably the most important reason why Hagia Sophia is so famous is its dome. The dome is at the center of the church and is between two smaller domes that, together, equal to the diameter of the biggest dome (55.6 meters). It is built by brick and mortar; it has lost its round shape because of several repairs and reconstructions. The dome is carried by four pendentives, these distribute the weight of it to the walls underneath it. 

I found it absolutely fascinating because of the architectural features it has, I have always liked Byzantine buildings, although I prefer Gothic architecture and also art nouveau architecture. I think it’s a shame some of the greatest mosaics were lost, but I find amazing the ones that still exist. It’s a place I’d love to go to someday. (:

Sources

"Hagia Sophia." Hagia Sophia. (2010). Web. 18 Sept. 2010. <http://www.hagiasophia.com>.