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Istanbul - Santa Sofia at nighthttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Istanbul_-_Santa_Sofia_de_nit.JPG |
Santa Sophia is located in Istanbul, Turkey.
First it was a church, later a mosque, and now it is a museum.
It was rebuilt in her present from between 532 and 537 under the personal supervisions of Emperor Justinian I.
It has a bearing masonry system of construction, and an urban context with a Byzantine
It is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture, rich with mosaicas and marble pillars and coverings.
The architects of the church were Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles, who were professors of geometry at the University of Constantinople. Their work was a technical triumph, even though the structure was severely damaged several times by earthquakes. The original dome collapsed after an earthquake in 558 and its replacement fell in 563.
For over 900 years the Hagia Sophia was the seat of the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople and principal setting for church councils and imperial ceremonies.
The Hagia Sophia has a classical basilica plan. The main ground plan of the building is a rectangle, 230 feet in width and 246 feet in length. The area is covered by a central dome with a diameter of 102 feet, which is just slightly smaller than of the Pantheon in Rome.
The most famous of the Hagia Sophia's mosaics are on the upper floor, in the galleries. The South Gallery, where the great mosaics are, was used for church councils. When the Hagia Sophia was a mosque, the galleries were the place where women sat during worship services. Today, the galleries provide visitors with a commanding view of the nave from all sides and a closeup view of some of the best Byzantine mosaics to be seen anywhere.
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These two Byzantine mosaics are in the far end of the South Gallery of the Hagia Sophia. On the left is Christ with Emperor Constantine IX Monomachus and Empress Zoe. On the right is the Virgin and Child with Emperor John II Comnenus and Empress Irene. To the right of this mosaic is a portrait of their son, the frail looking 17-year old Alexios |
At the end of the South Gallery are two golden Byzantine mosaics. On the left is Christ with Emperor Constantine IX Monomachus and Empress Zoe; on the right is the Virgin and Child with Emperor John II Comnenus and Empress Irene.
There are several interesting things to see outside Hagia Sophia, including three mausoleums of sultans, the church's baptistery, and the excavated remains of Theodosius' Hagia Sophia.
CITATIONS
"Santa Sofia." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2010. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 13 Sep. 2010 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/523090/Santa-Sofia>.
"HAGIA SOPHIA". web. 13 sep 2010
"Sacred Destinations". web. 13 sep 2010. http://www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/istanbul-hagia-sophia
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