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Construction for Hagia Sophia, the Church of Holy Wisdom, started in 532. Amazingly, it took only five years to complete. It replaced two previous versions of the church that had been destroyed. For more than a thousand years, Hagia Sophia was the largest and grandest church in the world. When Sultan Mehmet II converted it into a mosque, the loss devastated Orthodox Christians. Ironically, Hagia Sophia’s design impressed the Ottomans so much that it was copied in other mosques throughout the empire. In 1935, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, declared Hagia Sophia a museum and work started to restore its mosaics. Today, it is mix of both faiths. Phone: 5220989Directions: Sultanahmet district, across from the Blue Mosque
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The Aya Sofia is the one image that flashes before our eyes when someone mentions the city of Istanbul. It is quite simply and with considerable justification, one of the most recognized buildings in the world. It was built over the ruins of two older churches in 537 by Justinian the Great who then ruled the Byzantine Empire. It was the largest place of worship in Christiandom until the completion of St. Peter's in Rome one thousand years later. The Aya Sofia was a cathedral until the Turkish conquest of Constaninople in 1453 when it was turned into a mosque. The Moslems built four minerats at the corners of building at this time. Ataturk turned the mosque into a museum in 1935.
The Aya Sofia is entered through the east entrance where you actually pass some of the remains of the earlier churches. As you pass into the exonarthex which is vaulted outer vestibule before entering the inner vestibule. Here overhead you can see some of the original mosaics from Justinians time. They are quite stunning, designed in various geometric shapes in wonderful colours. From here you pass through the Imperial Gandt and underneath the stupendous dome. The dome is remarkable for its size and the height that it soars over those that behold it. It is 56m high and 31m across. With various mosaics and calligraphic discs(the largest in the Islamic world) spread across the walls and the ceiling, the building becomes quite awe inspiring.
I cannot begin to list all of the marvels of this wonderful structure without exhausting myself. However the must-sees include a visit to the first floor where you will find some of the most remarkable mosaics in Christiandom. Most of these are on the southend of the floor in the Empress Zoe Gallery. They date from the 9th and 10th century.
It should be noted that the Aya Sofia is justifiably very popular, hence it is very crowded. Wisely I visited first think in the morning. Thankfully I was staying just 300m from the building. Still it became incredibly crowded in no time so be patient when you visit. Leave a Comment Phone: 0212-522-1750 or 522-0989Directions: In the Sultanhamet
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Built more than 1,400 years ago, the "Church of Holy Wisdon", or Haghia Sophia, was inaugurated by Emperor Justinian in 537 AD. In the 15th Century the Ottoman conquerers of Constantinople converted it into a mosque by adding minarets, tombs, fountains, and other modifications. But despite the forced conversion, a substantial amount of the original Christian theme was left undisturbed, including some of the most elaborate and best preserved Byzantine mosaics still in existence. Althouth most date from the 9th century, some of the patterned mosaic ceilings are part of the cathedrals original 6th century design.
Haghia Sophia no longer functions as an active mosque and is instead a devoted museum. Tourists must therefore may a nominal entry fee (15,000,000 TL when we visited), but it is well worth the price.
I have posted additional pictures in my travelogue so you can see the interior too. Leave a Comment Address: Northeast end of the Hippodrome
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Of the many mosaics within Ayasofya, these atop the ceiling of the structure are some of the most recognized. At the center is the Virgin mother with the Christ child seated upon her. To the right is the Archangel Gabriel, and to the left is where the Archangel Michael used to reside, although now all that remains is a faint shadow of the mosaic. Surrounded by a background of golden paint, the mosiacs appear to glow in the natural light let in by the many arched windows.
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This grand mosaic, located on the second level of Ayasofya, dates back to the mid - late 1200's. It depicts Christ holding a Book of Gospels, with the Virgin Mary to the left, and John the Baptist to the right. Most of the lower portion of the mosaic is still underneath plaster, applied after Ayasofya was turned into a mosque. Even in it's partial form though, it is still an excellent example of Byzantine art during this period.
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The exquisite mosaics of the Hagia Sophia were protected during the Islamic years by plaster, now restored for our appreciation. Here, a selection of the most famous mosaics.
Empress Zoe mosaic - image 1 - this mosaic features Christ Pantocrator, garbed in dark blue as is traditional in Byzantine art, giving a blessing with his right hand and holding the bible in his left. To his left, the powerful Empress Zoe and to his right, the third husband of the
Empress, Constantine IX Monomachus. The purse he holds recalls a recent contribution to the church. The previous husbands of the Empress at one time had their faces in the picture with the latest husband's head replacing his predecessors. This mosaic dates from the 11th C.
The Imperial Gate mosaic - image 2 - the central door to the sanctuary could only be used by the emperor and features a striking mosaic showing Christ on a jeweled throne. To his left the archangel Gabriel, to his right the Virgin Mary. The kneeling figure with the halo is believed to be Emperor Leo VI the Wise. The mosaic is believed to demonstrate the power given to the emperors by Christ. However, at least one reference implies that Leo is simply begging forgiveness for his four marriages.
The Deesis mosaic - image 3 - is considered one of the most important in the museum, dating from 1261 and created to mark the end of the Roman Catholic rule imposed by the Fourth Crusade and a return to Orthodox faith. The Virgin Mary and John the Baptist face Christ in less than full profile, and are believed to be praying for the salvation of humanity on the Judgement Day. Art experts feel that this mosaic marks the earliest phase of the Renaissance in Byzantine art because of the less harsh facial features and softer colors. The lower part of the mosaic has deteriorated - stated to be water damage.
The Apse mosaic - Virgin and Child - image 4 - is believed to be the first mosaic created after the iconoclastic period and a copy of an image destroyed a century earlier. The mosaic is high up in a dome and attracts a crowd of photographers who line up for a chance to twist and shoot. Mary is seated on a jewelled throne without a back with her feet on a stool. The golden backdrop is typical of pre-iconoclastic art.
The entrance mosaic - image 5 - was among the first discovered by the Fossati brothers in the 19th C restorations and again features Mother Mary on a jewelled backless throne with a pedestal for her feet. It dates to 944 and features on her left the Emperor Constantine presenting a model of the city and on her right Emperor Justinian with a model of the Hagia Sofia. The symbols above her head indicate "mother of god". Leave a Comment
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Another "next time"-mission for me is the Hagia Sofia-mosque (probably the third way I've spelled the name on my pages now... I'll keep it to that spelling in the future...).
Four and a half day in Istanbul rans off fast, so I never got the chance to get inside the Hagia Sofia. From the outside it looks fantastic though, and for me it's even more powerfull than the Blue Mosque.
It was built and done as early as 537, and was for many hundred years the biggest church in the world, plus also the biggest building with a roof in the world.
Actually, if you're interested in history, the church was built even earlier, some 200 years. But when a huge war erased in Konstantinopel (which later on became Istanbul) the first, and much smaller, Hagia Sofia was left in ruin.
The emperior Justinianus, who won the war, decided to build a new church, more mighty than anything else. It even became a bit too mighty. During the first couple of hundred years the roof went down three times...
Well, you can't win them all - but nowadays the roof should be safe on it's place...
When Mehmet the conquerer and his men rode into Konstantinopel in in 1453 the Hagia Sofia was saved from beinged destroyed by just Mehmet, but was at the same time changed into a mosque.
Sultan Mehmet, who he later became, also tried to build something even mightier. The architect Atik Sinan got the order, but when he had finished the Fatith Mosque the sultan was annoyed with the result, and Sinan had to live the rest of his life without his head...
Today isn't the building neither a mosque. Kemal Atatürk decided that it should only be a museum, which it still is today.
Open 9.30-16.30 (until 19.00 in the summer). Closed on mondays. Entrancefee around 15 lira. Leave a Comment Directions: Next to the Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace. You can't miss it...
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Aya Sofya (Hagia Sofia) is today a museum which attracts many visitors each day. Be there early if you want to have at least some time with few visitors. I arrived about 15 minutes after nine (openingtime). After another 15 minutes the tourgroups started to arrive, one after the other.
Hagia Sofia - The Church of Divine Visdom was built by emperor Justinianus and inaugerated year 537. After the Ottoman conquest in 1453 it was turned into a mosque.
Aya Sofya is an architectural masterpiece.
Entance fee is 15 000 000 TL.
The museum is opened Tuesday - Sunday
and open at 9 o'clock. Leave a Comment
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Built in the year 537 A.D. by the Roman emperor Justinian I, Hagia Sophia/Sancta Sophia/Ayasofya, whichever name you prefer :), is quite possibly Istanbul's most famous and most visited attraction. It remained the greatest church in all of the Christian world until the fall of Constantinople in 1453, when it was converted to a mosque shortly thereafter. The structure was actually a lighter beige color before it was painted red, as well as having minarets placed at each of it's four corners, after the fall of the city. But it's amazing archtecture, most noted by the huge dome atop it, and it's many arched windows around the base, make it one of the most intriguing structures to view in the city. It's many interior mosaic paintings, many still in great condition, are a fantastic tribute to it's long and interesting history. Per Atatürk's wishes, Ayasofya was turned into a museum in 1935. Directions: Located in the Sultanahmet area
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Enrico Dandolo was a leader of the 4th crusade, which eventually led to the sacking of Constantinople in 1204. Dandolo came from a prominent family in Venice, and was the Doge of the city-state when the crusaders became stranded in Venice on their way to the Holy Land. Although aged well into his 70's and blind, he took a leading role in the expedition, and recruited many Venetians to take part in the crusade. After backing the son of the deposed Byzantine emperor, Dandolo led the crusaders on to Constantinople, where they defeated the Byzantine defenders. Dandalo died shortly after in 1205, and was buried here in Ayasofya. The gravemarker, which is located on the second level near the Mosaic of the Deesis, is not the actual tomb of Dandalo. The original grave was destroyed after the conquest of the city in 1453. The present marker was placed here in the 1800's by a restoration team from Italy, assuming the approximate location of the original.
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