hagia sophia

Hagia Sophia Museum was built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 537 AC at the ancient city center of Istanbul.This construction named “Hagia Sophia” which means “Holy Wisdom” was completed in six years.
 Considered as one of the eight wonders of the world,Hagia Sophia is one of the most important works of History of art and architecture.It ıs seen as the rare work which survived at this age and dimensions.Three individual basilacas built in the location of a previous pagan temple were built under the same title .Even though not inverted into a church during the term of the Emperor Constantine the Great,some references set forth that the first Hagia Sohia basilica was built by him.The small sized wooden roof first construction was built in the second half of the fourth century by Constantinus ,son of Constantine the Great.The second church which was built in larger dimensions in place of the first construction which burned in 404 during a civil riot was opened in the year 415.The bloody revolt which occured as the result of a carriage race held at the Hippodrome in the year 532,caused the death of then thousands of the citizens and burning a lot of buildings.In this revolt known as “Nika” and developed against the Emperor Justianian,Hagia Sophia Church was also burned.
Justinian who suppressed the revolt diffucultly ,decided a sanctuary to be built which ‘ has not been seen since Adam and shall never be seen.’This greatest church of the Christian world was started to be constructed over the ruins of the previous basilica in the year 532 and completed within five years and opened with ceremony in 537 .The Emperor threw the state treasury in front of the architectures without any attempt to avoid expense(Anthemius from Tralles and the mathematician Isidorus from Miletos).Dome construction was developed by Roman architecture.The plan of the basilica was being applied since the ancient times.Round constructions could be covered by domes to a great extent.But tthe construction of a gigantic central dome in the middle of the rectangular space like the one at Justian’s Hagi Sophia,was tried for the first time in arctitectural history.While the protective prayers of priests were continuing , a number of various marbles and columns brought from ancient age ruins available almost at any place of the Empire,were used in the construction.Later alot of strories of origin have been made up for those gathered materials,mainly for columns,and who knows why.In the Justinian Period ,Hagia Sophia appeared as the product of elegance and enjoyment.However in the following periods,it was accepted as a myth and symbol.On the other hand its dimensions could not be exceeded for a period of a thousand years and considered as mythical due to financial and technical diffculties,otherwise such a construction was supposed to be built only with the help of the holy powers.Though Hagia Sophia is a work of the sixth century Byzantine period,it is an Trial based on Roman Tradition,without any pre-example and has not been tried in the following periods.The contrats between exterior and interior appearances and giant dome are the heredeties of Rome.Its exterior appearance is not elegant and proportions have not been considered but it has been built as a shell.But on the contrary,it iis interior appearance is magnificent and eye catching like a place;the construction is a huge work of the Empire.At the opening ceremony the Emperor who could not control his excitement rushed into the temple in this horse carriage and thanked God and he shouted that he is superior to Prophet Solomon.It was developed as a great religious center with its huge buildings surrounding the Basilica.Now the stage was ready for the Byzantine Emperors and the East Christian churches disputes that would last for years.Despite its unique and superior construction it had vital faults.Most important was the hugeness of dome and the pressure it exerted on sidewalls.Architectural elements necessary for transmitting the weight of sch a dome upon foundations has not been developed yet in that period.Walls that curve outwards from sides witnessed the ruining of the original and pressed dome in the year 558.The second dome built was higher and with smaller diameter .Almost half of this dome collapsed twice first in the tenth and then in the fourteenth centuries.
Hagia Sophia could be heald straight by making huge expenses amounting to a treasury in each period.After the Turks conquered the city in 1453the ruined Hagia Sophia was saved by being immediately converted into mosque.The supporting walls added by the Turkish architect Koca Sinan in the sixteenth century the restorations made in the nineteenth century by Architect Fosatti brothers and other restorations made starting from 1930 and wrapping an iron belt around the dome are important repairs.H.S,after serving for two religions believing in the same God,as the main church in 916 and as a mosque in 477 was made into a museum by the order of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.Some of the mosaics found out and cleaned between the years 1930-1935 are among the significant works art of Byzantium.It is one of three museums visited the most with its magnificent architecute which bears the traces of both the Byzantine and the Ottoman Ages.
Museum entrance inside the courtyard is the original gate at the west side which was started to be reused after many centuries.By the side of the entrance,the ruins of the second building may be seen.The outer corridor from where those who are not baptized can enter,pens to the inner corridor by five doors which opens through nine doors to the main part of the church.The high gate in the middle was the Empire Gate.The mosaic panel next to it was made at the end of the 9th century.There an emperor asks for an intercession from pantocrator Christ sitting on a throne.On the lockets by their sides,portraits of Virgin Mary abd Chief Angel Gabriel take place.Other figureless mosaics at the ceilings of inner corridors and side naves are the originals the Justinian period.At the main part of the construction a magnificent and giant space meets the visitor.The affect of the dome is felt right from the first step .It stands like suspended in the air and covers the whole building.Walls and ceilings are covered with marbles and mosaics and have a colourful appearance.Three different color tones of dome mosaics evidence the three different repairs made,it is not an absolute circle.Its North-South diameter is 31.87m while its West-East diameter is 30.87m and its height is 55.60.Four angel figures with their faces covered are placed on the four pendentives on which the dome is based.
Dark naves lie along two sides of the rectangular and wide center space divided by columns.Central Space is 74.67 * 69.80m.There are total 107 columns at the basement and galleries.Hagis Sophia column capitals are the most characteristic and significant examples of classic Byzantine decorations of the sixth century.Deeply carved marbles which are the characteristic of that age,set forth a beautiful light and shadow scene.There are emperor Monograms in the middle.Antique porfir columns at the corners,middle columns made of green Selanik marble their richly decorated capitals all of which are made of green white marble,carry people to ancient times.One should take off Ha. Sop. from its empty museum appearance and imagine it in its magnificent,mystical,different,old original appearance when it was used as a basilica or mosque.While it was the main church of a great Empire,the division in front of abscissa,horses,ambones and other ceremony tools were plated with gold and silver and decorated with ivory and jewelries.Some doors were even coated with this kind of precious metals.Latin occupation dismounted all of those and some other architectural parts and carried them to Europe.In the abscissa semi-dome,there are the mosaics of Virgin Mary holding her baby Christ at the left side and the Chief Angel at its right side.Another angel figure on the opposite wall was ruined.
Huge discs of 7,5 m diameter made on the leather hung on walls through galleries and the inscription on the dome remind that the work of art was used as a mosque once.There calligrahies made by the greatest masters of the term in the 19th century,are each a masterpiece.On the round plates there are the names of God(Allah),Prophet Mohammed,Four Caliphs and Hasan-Hüseyin are written.Beautiful examples of the Age are stained glass over themihrab,mosque mihrab located in the abscissa,the minbar next to it and the balcony for chanters of Mevlit (song written for The Prophet Mohammed) are the additions made in the Turkish period.The Sultan mahfil (a screened and lofty place designated for sultans) designed in 1847 by Gespare Fossati,provided the sultan to worship without being seen behind the golden plated railings.The square made 12th century,designated for emperors to be crowned.
two huge spherical bowls made of superior quality marble are located at both of the entrance sides of middle space.The antique originated bowls were brought from Pergamum in the sixteenth century at the latest.At the north corner of the Building,there stands the “Sweating Column”.The bottom part has been wrapped with a bronze belt and there is a wish hole on the column where one can put his finger with alot of tales and myths to be bold.Of the two butressses supporting the building from outside,the interior of the first one at the north is a ramp.The top galleries are climbed up by a ramp.From these galleries surrounding the building from three sides,the great interior space seems magnificent.There are spaces designated for empire women and church meetings.There are three mosaic panels with triple figures at the south wing and one at the north wing.At the south gallery,under the daylight shining from the window next to it,there stands the great wall panel of the Byzantine mosaic art.The subject here is the triple figure known as “Diesis”right in the middle of a very broad last trial scene.Christ stands in the middle and Virgin Mary at his right and Hz.Yahya.The background mosaics designed exclusively increase the beauty of the figures,face expressions are extremely realistic.