Today, the masterpiece of Byzantine architecture operates as a museum. As it was dedicated to the Divine Wisdom, it is known as Haghia Sophia. The splendor of the interior decoration, the mas-siveness of its architectural proportions being unusual for a church and the most important of all, the height of its central dome with a diameter of 32 m., has amazed everyone since it was first constructed. Christianity once connected the creation of this bold dome to supernatural powers, whereas by merging this observation with existing religious beliefs, Haghia Sophia became a lofty symbol of Medieval Age Mysticism.
|
 |
 |
The structure we see today is actually the third Haghia Sophia which was built by Justinian I on top of the ruins of two previous churches after the Nike Revolt of 532. It was constructed by Isi-dorus from Miletos and Antemius from Tralles. The columns of many pagan temples, particularly the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, were brought to Constantinople for its construction. The building work lasted five years, but the
decoration was not completed until the 570's.
Having suffered heavy damage in several earthquakes that struck between 553 until 1894, the structure was also reinforced numerous times whereby all the interior pictures with religious figures were destroyed during the Iconoclastic period (726-842). The church was completed looted during the Latin Occupation (1204) and was rather neglected in the last years of the Byzantine Empire.
Haghia Sophia was converted into a mosque following the conquest of Constantinople and the first Friday ritual prayers were performed there. The first thing the Conqueror did was to collect every Byzantine manuscript about Haghia Sophia and to translate them into Turkish. He also allocated much property for the maintenance of the mosque. For many years after the conquest, the icon mosaics were preserved merely by covering the faces. It was Sultan Selim II who showed the greatest interest in the structure, commissioning the architect Mimar Sinan to restore the mosque while expanding the outer part as well. The flying buttresses seen on the exterior facade were also added by Sinan to support the great weight of the structure. These supports partially covered up the building's original facade.
|
While the fountain, a masterpiece of Turkish art, primary school, soup kitchen, hospice, library, sultan's lodge and a niche were all added during the reign of Mahmud I in 1739-40, the interior mosaics were also whitewashed with a thick layer of plaster during the same period. Sultan Abdulme-cid appointed the Swiss Fossati brothers to undertake the most thorough restoration.
The most important structure added by the Fossatis was the neo-Byzantine style Sultan's lodge next to the south wall. In addition to this they also built a room next to the courtyard door where clocks were set. With Abdulmecid's financial support, the Fossatis published a scrapbook in London in 1852 which featured coloured engravings of the interior, exterior and the surroundings of Haghia Sophia.
The mosaics were first damaged during the 19'" century, when foreigners could visit Haghia Sophia and chip off pieces as souvenirs; however the worst harm was caused by the earthquake of 1894, when the mosaics up in the semi-domes and vaults came down in large pieces. All the mosaics seen in Haghia Sophia today and which have been revealed by the American Byzantine Institute of since 1932, date from the 9'" century. It is assumed that the mosaics decorating the outer vestibule and the adjacent warriors' entrance date from the original 6in century decoration of the church. The structure was converted into a museum upon the request of Ataturk in 1935.
|
