The Hagia Sophia Old and New Everything from Istanbul, Turkey

The Church of the Holy wisdom it's known as the Hagia Sophia in Greek Sancta Sophia in Latin and Aya Sofya in Turkish, it's widely acknowledged as an architectural revolution this massive structure was the largest Cathedral the world had known for nearly a thousand years and is said to have changed the history of architecture the city from which the Hagia Sophia would eventually rise had been known as Byzantium legend has it that Constantine the first renamed the city new Rome but as citizens insisted on the name Constantinople in his honor Constantine the Great was the first emperor to declare himself a Christian and ruled the Empire from his namesake City.

 

The Hagia Sophia was built around five-30 AD by the great Byzantine Emperor Justinian the first the last Latin speaking monarch of the Roman Empire Constantinople had become the most important city in the Roman Empire at this time and the Basilica dominated the heart of the city the accomplished Roman general Belisarius was vital to the funding of the majestic church his campaigns over the Ostrogoths and vandals amassed much wealth for the empire this was the seed of the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople for centuries every Byzantine Emperor was crowned here it took over 10,000 men and just under six years to build the church an unbelievable accomplishment for its the time, when it was finished Justinian, is said to have exclaimed Solomon.

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I have outdone thee originally the surface of the interior was covered in gold mosaic treasures included the remains of two Saints the true cross the hammer nails of the passion swaddling clothes of Christ the table from the Last Supper and the chains of st. Peter remaining today are eight columns from the temple of the Sun in Rome and columns a green marble from the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus and almost 33 meters wide it had the most prodigious domed ceiling in the world combined with its height of 49 meters it would remain the largest Church on the globe for the next seven hundred years it was an outstanding example of Byzantine wealth and grandeur the original mosaics that adorn the interior were replaced when it was converted to a mosque in the 1400s the Byzantine mosaics are gradually being exposed but only those on the higher gallery levels missus Oh Muslims are not confronted with Christian imagery in the main chamber of the building which served as a mosque for nearly 500 years this mosaic from around the 10th century features the Virgin Mary with Constantine and Justinian on the right.

Constantine the Great is presenting a model of the city of Constantinople and to the left Emperor Justinian is presenting the Church of the Hagia Sophia here Christ is flanked by Constantine the 9th and Emperor Zoe both in ceremonial costumes, he is offering a donation to the church while she is holding a scroll with a record of her donations one of the best-known mosaics in the Hagia Sophia this is called a Babli mosaic it depicts a triumphant Christ on judgment day flanked by the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist this marble door led to the meeting chamber for ecclesiastical councils meetings of high clergy to decide on religious issues 14:53 would mark the end of the Byzantine Empire after a siege that lasted eight weeks the Sultan of the Ottoman Turks Mehmet ii had accomplished what no other invader could the great walls of the invincible city of Constantinople were breached bringing an end to an empire that had endured for more than 1100 years the city was renamed Istanbul and Mehmet the Conqueror declared himself the new Caesar of Rome the Ottomans converted the Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

The bells altar and other Christian vestiges were removed and many of the mosaics were plastered over Islamic features including four minarets were added the ground-level most of the decorations are Islamic this beautiful marble structure is an example of that the Mira a niche found in all mosques indicate the direction of Mecca to the left as the grand Sultan's Lodge built by two Swiss architects the Fossati brothers in the mid-1800s the facade II Brothers were commissioned to renovate the interior their work included the addition of these calligraphic rondelle's that remain today it remained a mosque until 1935 of all the buildings Justinian built during his 38 years as Roman Emperor none would be revered more than the Hagia Sophia it was the Church of all future Byzantine emperors for more than 900 years Hagia Sophia had been the most important building in the Eastern Christian world and the grandest church in all the world as the Sunset on the Byzantine Empire so did the Hagia Sophia fade into history you.