A masterpiece of Byzantine architecture built (5327) at Constantinople (now Istanbul). The lavishly-decorated, domed basilica was commissioned by Emperor Justinian I and designed by Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus. The Ottoman Turks, who took Constantinople in 1453, converted it into a mosque. Since 1935 it has been a museum.
The name comes from the Greek name Ἁγία Σοφία, a contraction of Ναός τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἁγίας Σοφίας, meaning "Church of the Holy Wisdom of God".
Description
Hagia Sophia is covered by a central dome with a diameter of 31 meters (102 feet) and 56 meters high, slightly smaller than the Pantheon's.
The dome is carried on pendentives — four concave triangular sections of masonry which solve the problem of setting the circular base of a dome on a rectangular base. At Hagia Sophia the weight of the dome passes through the pendentives to four massive piers at the corners.
At the western (entrance) and eastern (liturgical) ends, the arched openings are extended by half domes carried on smaller semidomed exedras.
Construction
Nothing remains of the first church that was built on the same site during the 4th century.
Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture.
Justinian's basilica was at once the culminating architectural achievement of late antiquity and the first masterpiece of Byzantine architecture.
The dome of the Hagia Sophia has spurred particular interest for many art historians and architects because of the innovative way the original architects envisioned the dome. The pendentives not only achieve a pleasing aesthetic quality, but they also restrain the lateral forces of the dome and allow the weight of the dome to flow downward.
Although this design stabilizes the dome and the surrounding walls and arches, the actual construction of the walls of the Hagia Sophia weakened the overall structure. When the dome was placed atop the building, the weight of the dome caused the walls to lean outward because of the wet mortar underneath. When Isidorus the Younger rebuilt the original dome, he had to first build up the interior of the walls so that they were vertical in order to support the weight of the new dome. Another probable change in the design of the dome when it was rebuilt was the actual height of the dome. Isidorus the Younger raised the height of the dome by approximately twenty feet so that the lateral forces would not be as strong and the weight of the dome would flow more easily down the walls.
A second interesting fact about the original structure of the dome was how the architects were able to place forty windows around the base of the dome. The Hagia Sophia is famous for the mystical quality of light that reflects everywhere in the interior of the nave, which gives the dome the appearance of hovering above the nave. This design is possible because the dome is shaped like a scalloped shell or the inside of an umbrella with ribs that extend from the top of the dome down to the base.
The anomalies in the design of the Hagia Sophia show how this structure is one of the most advanced and ambitious monuments of late antiquity.
History
Hagia Sophia was the seat of the Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople and a principal setting for Byzantine imperial ceremonies.
For almost 500 years the principal mosque of Istanbul, Ayasofya served as model for many of the Ottoman mosques such as the Shehzade Mosque, the Suleiman Mosque, and the Rüstem Pasha Mosque.
The 19th century restoration of the Fossati brothers, which included the addition of a pulpit (minbar) and the four medallions on the walls of the nave bearing the names of Muhammad and the first caliphs, is believed to have destroyed many of the original mosaics.
20th Century restoration
Restoration work in the 20th century was begun in 1932 by the American Byzantine Institute, during which most of the figures were uncovered.
Due to its long history as both a church and a mosque, a particular challenge arises in the restoration process.
Restoration controversies
Work has reportedly been purposely slow on the Hagia Sophia due to its important position and symbolism within the Eastern Orthodox Church.
In 2002 Reuters reported that many mosaics and icons stored in the basement of the cathedral had been damaged by moisture; It was further pointed out in 2005 that the scaffolding beneath the dome of the cathedral had been placed there since 1995 without restoration of the dome being completed, again giving rise to questions whether such restoration work was genuine.
Gallery
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Justinian I (left) offering the Church of Holy Wisdom and Constantine I (right) offering the City of Constantinople to the Virgin Mary (middle). |
Mosaic Icon of Christ Pantocrator. |
Mosaic of Saint John Chrysostom. |
The mihrab. |
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Second floor marble. |
A close-up of the Hagia Sophia |
A layout of the building |
Apse |
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12th century mosaic showing the Virgin Mary and Child, Emperor Johannes Komnenos II (left), and Empress Irene (right) |
Faint outline of cross from iconoclastic period |
The Hagia Sophia at night. |
The fountain for islamic rituals (Şadirvan) built in 1740. |
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Decoration of the fountain. |
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