The Temple of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (now Istanbul ) was built in the 4th century AD. In the middle of the XV century as a result of the capture of the European city by the Ottoman Turks, the cathedral became an Islamic mosque. In 1935, Hagia Sophia's Cathedral in Istanbul acquired the status of a museum, and in 1985 it was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a historical monument.
Where is Hagia Sophia?
The famous symbol of the great Byzantium is now officially called the Museum of Aya-Sophia and is located in the historical district of Sultanahmet - in the old center of Turkish Istanbul.
Who built the Hagia Sophia?
The history of the cathedral of St. Sophia was started in the first quarter of the IV century in the reign of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great - the founder of the capital of the empire of Constantinople. In 1380 Emperor Theodosius I gave the church to Orthodox Christians and appointed Archbishop Gregory the Theologian. Several times the cathedral was destroyed as a result of fires and damaged by earthquakes. In 1453, the Temple of Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque, four minarets and buttresses were built next to it, completely transforming the general appearance of the architectural structure, and covered the temple murals. Only after Hagia Sophia was declared a museum, they cleared plaster layers from numerous frescoes and mosaics.
Architecture of Hagia Sophia
As a result of many rearrangements and restorations from the original building, practically nothing remained. But in general, the architecture of the majestic structure retained the features inherent in Byzantine art: a special combination of splendor and solemnity. Today, Hagia Sophia in Turkey is a quadrangular structure that forms three naves. The basilica is crowned by a giant dome consisting of forty arches supported by huge columns of malachite and porphyry. In the upper part of the dome 40 windows, in addition, 5 windows are in each niche. The unique strength and strength of the walls, according to experts, is provided by the fact that an extract of ash leaves was added to the mortar.
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Particular pomposity is the interior decoration of the cathedral: details of colored marble, fancy mosaics on the golden floor, mosaic compositions on the walls, depicting biblical and historical subjects, as well as floral ornaments. In the mosaic works three periods of development of this art form are clearly distinguished, characterized by the peculiarities of using color and creating an image.
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The sights of the temple are 8 jasper columns of an unusually green color, brought once from the temple of Artemis in Ephesus , and the famous "weeping column". According to the belief, if you touch the hole in the column covered with layers of copper and at the same time feel the presence of moisture, then the concealed desire will surely come true.
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Feature of Aya-Sophia is a combination of images of Christian symbols, Jesus Christ, Mother of God, saints, Old Testament prophets and quotes from the Koran, located on huge shields. Of particular interest are inscriptions made on stone parapets over many centuries. The most ancient are the Scandinavian runes, left by the Warriors-Varangians in the Middle Ages. Now they are covered with special heavy-duty transparent material protecting runic inscriptions from erasure.
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In recent years, an extensive company has been held to return the Hagia Sophia to Orthodox Christianity, as originally planned. Christians in many countries of the world join the demands to restore the ancient temple to Orthodoxy, so that believers have the opportunity to pray in the church.