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nothing
was lacking in the building of it. Eight columns of red porphyry
were brought from the Diana Temple at Ephesus. Other marbles were
obtained from classical sites and from some of the finest marble
quarries of the Byzantine world. A thousand masons and ten
thousand apprentices worked on the building, the aim being to
finish it as soon as possible. The work began in 532 AD, was
completed in five years, 11 months and 10 days, and the church
was consecrated on 27th December, 537 by the Emperor Justinianus.
The grand piers over the underground cisterns on the site were,
to some extent, a measure against earthquake damage, but did not
prevent this monumental structure from suffering some damage
during earthquakes in 533, 557 and 559. We learn that it was
restored in 562 by the architect Isidoros, nephew of the earlier
architect of the same name, who raised the previously depressed
dome by some 6.25 m. Further support for the major piers was
provided by buttresses.
In
the 9th century, during the reigns of the emperors Theophilos and
Mikhael III, the bronze doors were installed. In 869 and 889, the
church was damaged by earthquake, and was reopened after
extensive repair on 13th May, 994. Mosaics were added during the
reign of the Emperor Basileios II.
During
the Latin invasion of 1204, St. Sophia was raided and stripped of
its finest ornaments, including the doors, which were mistakenly
believed to be gold. The building was greatly damaged during this
invasion. Four major buttresses were added to the building in
1317, but it underwent considerable damage later in the
earthquake of 1346, to be restored once again in 1354 by the
architect G. Prella. Mehmet the Conqueror had the church restored
once again after the conquest of Istanbul, and converted it into
a mosque. Among the many restorations and additions to this, the
largest church of the Byzantine era, one of the most extensive
was the addition of buttress walls on the north and south façades
in 1317 by Andronikos II.
The
four minarets, one on each corner of the building were added at
various times during the Ottoman period, the southeastern minaret
dating from the reign of Mehmed II, the northeastern minaret to
Bayezid II and the two minarets on the western facade to the
period of Selim II. The last restoration, carried out during the
Ottoman period, the southeastern minaret from the reign of Mehmed
II, the northeastern minaret to Bayezit II and the two minarets
on the western facade to the period of Selim II. The last
restoration, carried out during the Ottoman period coincides with
the reign of Abdülmecid. The church was converted into a
museum during the recent Republican period, by order of Mustafa
Kemal Atatürk, and re-opened on 1st February, 1935. The
building covers an area of 100 x 70 m., and the plan consists of
a wide central nave flanked by two smaller naves, an apsis, an
inner and outer narthex and a central dome up to 55.6 m. in
height. Owing to restorations carried out at various periods,
this dome is no longer entirely circular but has, gradually
become elliptical.
The
forty lobes of the dome, separated by brick ribs, are pierced by
oculi. In the center of the dome are inscribed verses from the
Koranic text - the Sure-i Nur, executed by the Ottoman
calligrapher Kazasker Mustafa Izzet Efendi. The interior of the
church is of extreme importance to art historians, being finely
decorated with a number of important mosaics and artifacts from
various periods. According to accounts of the late classical
period, it was decorated with fine mosaics of gold, silver,
glass, stone, marble, limestone, granite and terra
cotta tesserae.
Some
of the more important mosaics are as follows: Entering the main
portal to the inner narthex, one sees, over the portal, the
figure of the Madonna holding the Christ child, flanked by
Constantine the Great on her right, presenting a model of the
city of Constantinople to her, and on her left, the Emperor
Justinianus presenting a model of the church. This dates from the
last quarter of the 10th century and the reign of the Emperor
Basil II. The cross-vaulted portico to the inner narthex is
decorated with gold mosaics of the Justinian period. These are
the original non-figurative mosaics of St. Sophia, which, being
non-figurative, released from damage during the Iconoclastic
period. The Emperor’s Gate, on the south - western façade
of the church is surmounted by a mosaic showing Christ enthroned
on a semicircular encrusted throne, holding a book. The medallion
to the right of this contains a bust portrait of the Madonna, and
to the left, a bust of Gabriel.
The
figure prostrating himself before Christ is thought to be the
Emperor Leo, and the mosaic is thought to date to the 10th
century AD. The semi-dome of the apse contains a mosaic of the
Madonna enthroned, holding the Christ child, dating to the 9th
century. It is thought to be the earliest figurative mosaic on
the Post-iconoclastic period in the church. To the right of the
drum stands the white-robed figure of Gabriel, and to the left,
nowadays considerably damaged figure of the archangel Michael.
Portraits of the saints once decorated the semi-circular arched
niches below the northern tympanum, only three of these have
survived. On the western wall, contained in the niches, are
portraits of the patriarch of the eastern church, the Istanbul
patriarchs Saint Ignatius and Ioannes Krysostomos in the first
and central niche, and the figure of Saint Ignatius Theophoros,
patriarch of Antakya (Antioch) in the fifth niche. These figures
are robed in mantles bearing cruciform motifs on the collar and
skirt, and hold the bible in their hands. The names of the
figures are written beside them in Greek. These mosaics date from
the end of the 9th century to the beginning of the 10th century.
The four pendentives of the dome are decorated with the figures
of cherubim or seraphim. Those on the eastern side of the church
are original, while the western figures were restored in fresco
in 1847 by Fossati. Access to the galleries of the church is
obtained via a stone-paved ramp. The gallery decorated with green
columns directly opposite the apsis was used by the empress and
her retinue during ceremonies. Entering the southern gallery from
here one passes through a pseudo-wooden marble door, now named
the gate of heaven and hell. The right-hand side, decorated with
floral motifs representing heaven; the left-hand side,
undecorated, representing hell.
Passing
through this door one enters the chamber set aside for the
meetings of the consuls, decorated with the Deisis mosaic, one of
the most famous mosaics in the world. It portrays Christ flanked
by the Virgin and John the Baptist. This extremely expressive
mosaic dates to the 12th century. In the gallery to the southeast
of the Church is to be found the Comnenos mosaic, in which the
enthroned Madonna and child enthroned are flanked on the left by
the Emperor Ioannes Comnenos II holding a pouch of money and on
the right by the Empress Irene, a Hungarian princess.
The
figure of the Madonna is surmounted by a monogram describing her
as the mother of God, while the names of the other figures are
inscribed next to them in Greek. In one corner one can also sees
the mosaic portraying the sons of the Emperor Inane (John)
Comnenos II, and his co-ruler Alexius Comnenos. The latter is
shown in a frontal pose, in elaborate gown and crown, and holds a
scepter in his raised right hand. On the northern wall of the
emperor’s hall, in the southern gallery is to be found the
Zoe mosaic. The empress stands to the right of the enthroned
Christ with her third husband, the Emperor Constantine Monomachos
IX on his left. The mosaic dates to the 11th century AD. The
mosaic of the Emperor Alexander can be seen on the southwestern
end of the central hall on the northern gallery.
Alexander,
the third son of Basil I, who ruled for 13 months in 912, is
shown standing, facing forward, elaborately dressed in ceremonial
robes and crown. In his left hand he holds an orb, and in his
right hand a pouch. His name and titles are inscribed in two
medallions on either side of his head. Dating to the Xth century
AD, this mosaic is in reasonably good condition. After seeing
these extremely important mosaics, we will have completed our
tour of the St. Sophia Church, except for the grounds where one
may see the monumental fountain built by the Ottoman Sultan
Mahmut I.
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