Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Known as Hagia Sophia in Greek, Sancta Sophia in Latin and the Church of the Divine
Wisdom in English, Aya Sofya has a history as long as it is fascinating. It was constructed
on the site of Byzantium's acropolis, which had also been the site of two earlier churches
of the same name, one destroyed by fire and another during the Nika riots of 532.
On entering his commission for the first time, Justinian exclaimed, 'Glory to God that I
have been judged worthy of such a work. Oh Solomon! I have outdone you!' Entering the
building today, his hubris is understandable. The exterior may be visually underwhelming,
but the recently restored interior with its magnificent domed roof soaring heavenward is
so sublimely beautiful that many seeing it for the first time are quite literally stunned into
silence.
In Justinian's time, a street led uphill from the west straight to the main door. Today the
entrance is off Aya Sofya Meydanı. Enter the building and walk straight ahead through the
outer and inner narthexes to reach the
Imperial Door
, which is crowned with a striking
mosaic of
Christ as Pantocrator (Ruler of All)
. Christ holds a book that carries the in-
scription 'Peace be With You. I am the Light of the World.' At his feet an emperor (prob-
ably Leo VI) prostrates himself. The Virgin Mary is on Christ's left and to his right is the
Archangel Gabriel.
Through the Imperial Door you will find the building's main space, which is famous for
its dome, huge nave and gold mosaics.
Nave
Made 'transparent' by its profusion of windows and columned arcades, Aya Sofya's nave
is as visually arresting as it is enormous.
The
chandeliers
hanging low above the floor are Ottoman additions. In Byzantine
times, rows of glass oil lamps lined the balustrades of the gallery and the walkway at the
base of the dome.
The focal point at this level is the
apse
, with its magnificent 9th-century mosaic of the
Virgin and Christ Child
. The
mimber
(pulpit) and the
mihrab
(prayer niche indicating
the direction of Mecca) were added during the Ottoman period. The mosaics above the
apse once depicted the archangels Gabriel and Michael; today only fragments remain.
The Byzantine emperors were crowned while seated in a throne placed within the om-
phalion, the section of inlaid marble in the main floor.
The large 19th-century
medallions
inscribed with gilt Arabic letters are the work of
master calligrapher Mustafa İzzet Efendi, and give the names of God (Allah), Mohammed
and the early caliphs Ali and Abu Bakr. Though impressive works of art in their own
