Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is a historic architectural marvel located in Istanbul, originally constructed as a cathedral by Emperor Justinian I in 537 CE. The site has a rich history, having previously housed a church built by Constantius II in 360 CE, which was destroyed and rebuilt multiple times due to civil unrest and natural disasters. Renowned for its massive dome, which gives the illusion of floating, Hagia Sophia features a complex design with a central nave, two galleries, and numerous windows that create a stunning play of light within the structure. Over the centuries, it has served various roles, functioning as the central church of the Byzantine Empire, then as a mosque during the Ottoman Empire, and later as a museum after the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1922. In 2020, it was reconverted back into a mosque following a court ruling. As a significant symbol of both Christian and Islamic heritage, Hagia Sophia attracts millions of visitors, representing a rich tapestry of cultural and religious history.
Hagia Sophia
Related civilization: Byzantine Empire.
Date: consecrated in 537 c.e.
Locale: Istanbul, Turkey
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia was the cathedral of Constantinople (Istanbul) built in 537 c.e. at a site along the Bosporus by Justinian I (r. 527–565 c.e.). Earlier, at the same site, Constantius II (r. 337–361 c.e.) built his Great Church in 360 c.e. near the Great Palace and the Hippodrome race track. During the civil strife of 404 c.e., rioters destroyed it, but the emperor Theodosius II (r. 408–450 c.e.) rebuilt it in 415 c.e. Around 430 c.e., it became known as Holy Wisdom or Hagia Sophia.
In 532 c.e., during the infamous Nika Riots against Justinian and Theodora, the church was destroyed a second time. In his plans for rebuilding the city after the riots, Justinian had his architects make the new church the masterpiece of his empire. The architects, Anthemius of Tralles and Isidoros of Miletus, had a variety of skilled workers at their disposal, including masons, marble carvers, and carpenters. Justinian also decreed that they should have any type of material they wished to employ. The finest marble was brought from all over the empire. Patriarch Menas (r. 536–552 c.e.) consecrated the building on December 27, 537 c.e. However, according to some accounts, work on it continued another twenty years, employing thousands of craftsmen, and Patriarch Eutychius (r. 552–565 and 577–582 c.e.) consecrated it a second time in 552 c.e.
Hagia Sophia is a domed basilica of almost square construction (256 feet by 236 feet, or 78 meters by 72 meters). Its central nave was covered by a dome of more than 100 feet (30 meters) and two semidomes. Four immense bases supported the dome with four arches and four pendatives between them. The supports were arranged in such a way as to be hidden from observers entering the church, and the dome seemed to float on air. The church also had two galleries and two narthexes that divided it into three aisles. In 558 c.e., the dome collapsed, and a new, even bigger dome was constructed several years later. The cathedral has forty single arched windows on the dome and twenty-four large windows in two rows along the galleries to bathe it in light. The structure is buttressed from the outside.
On the west of the church, the architects built an atrium and fountain. There were also two baptisteries and a sacristy. The church was near the palace of the patriarch and connected to it by an overground passageway. The administration of the church included more than five hundred clergy and three nearby churches. The church served as the main center for elaborate imperial ceremonies and contained the Metatoria, or imperial rooms, for this purpose.
During the latter centuries of the Byzantine Empire, a few repairs were necessary because of earthquake or structural damage, but the church has remained mostly intact. In the Ottoman Empire period, it was turned into a mosque, but during the time of the Turkish republic after 1922, it was converted to a museum. In 2020, following a court annulment of the decree that had made Hagia Sophia a museum, a new presidential decree converted it back to a mosque.
Bibliography
Altay, A. S. St. Sophia. Istanbul: Basimevi, 1978.
Ousterhout, Robert. Master Builders of Byzantium. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2000.
Sariyuce, Isil, and Emma Reynolds. "Turkey's Erdogan Orders the Conversion of Hagia Sophia Back into a Mosque." CNN Travel, 26 July 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/07/10/europe/hagia-sophia-mosque-turkey-intl/index.html. Accessed 26 Aug. 2020.