Istanbul, Turkey - Hagia Sophia

5/19/2012 The Hagia Sophia is an incredible building and we are all very fortunate that this has been preserved and opened as a museum.  It was packed with people today due to the National Holiday.

This building has a very long history.  Before you look at the photos, consider its history:

• Eastern Orthodox Cathedral (562–1204)
• Catholic Church Cathedral (1204–1261)
• Eastern Orthodox Cathedral (1261–1453)
• Imperial Mosque (1453–1931)
• Museum (1931-present)

More details are available on wikipedia.

To get to the building entrance, you need to make your way through the vendors!  This one is selling a book about the sites.  I told my scarf and bracelet vendor to catch me on my return (which they did!)  This one is not my vendor because when I was talking to mine, I was in the heavy negotiating mode.  As I had to wait until the end of the tour, you have to wait until the end of the post to see what I purchased.

The building has a pinkish hue on the outside with complex structure.  It is a fine example of Byzantine architecture.  Of note, the exterior is clad in stucco and tinted yellow and red during restorations in the 19th century at the direction of the architects.

The yard just outside of the entrance had pieces from prior eras.

Stone remains of the basilica show The Lamb of God.  (center of the yard)

The interior view shows Islamic elements on the top of the main dome.

Another interesting fact about the original structure of the dome was how the architects were able to place forty windows around the base of the dome. Hagia Sophia is famous for the mystical quality of light that reflects everywhere in the interior of the nave, which gives the dome the appearance of hovering above the nave. This design is possible because the dome is shaped like a scalloped shell or the inside of an umbrella with ribs that extend from the top of the dome down to the base. These ribs allow the weight of the dome to flow between the windows, down the pendentives, and ultimately to the foundation. (wikipedia) 

The interior design is interesting with the transition of the circular dome to the rectangular base.  The transition is done with four pendentives (click here for a definition).

The church was richly decorated with mosaics throughout the centuries. They either depicted the Virgin Mother, Jesus, saints, or emperors and empresses. Other parts were decorated in a purely decorative style with geometric patterns.

The floor tiles show the wear and tear over the years.

Following the building's conversion into a mosque in 1453, many of its mosaics were covered with plaster, due to Islam's ban on representational imagery. A large number of mosaics were uncovered in the 1930s by a team from the Byzantine Institute of America led by Thomas Whittemore. The team chose to let a number of simple cross images remain covered by plaster, but uncovered all major mosaics found. Because of its long history as both a church and a mosque, a particular challenge arises in the restoration process. The Christian iconographic mosaics are being gradually uncovered. However, in order to do so, important, historic Islamic art would have to be destroyed. Restorers have attempted to maintain a balance between both Christian and Islamic cultures. In particular, much controversy rests upon whether the Islamic calligraphy on the dome of the cathedral should be removed, in order to permit the underlying Pantocrator mosaic of Christ as Master of the World, to be exhibited (assuming the mosaic still exists). (Source: wikipedia)

The Imperial Gate was used only by emperors to enter the church. The mosaics above the gate show the emperor bowing down before Christ Pantocrater, who is giving his blessing.

The Apse Mosaics

• Virgin and Child: this was the first of the post-iconoclastic mosaics. It was inaugurated on 29 March 867 by Patriarch Photius and the emperors Michael III and Basil I. This mosaic is situated in a high location on the half dome of the apse. Mary is sitting on a throne without a back, holding the Child Jesus on her lap. Her feet rest on a pedestal. Both the pedestal and the throne are adorned with precious stones. These mosaics were believed to be a reconstruction of the mosaics of the 6th century that were previously destroyed during the iconoclastic era by the Byzantines of that time, as represented in the inaugural sermon by the patriarch Photios. However, no record of figural decoration of Hagia Sophia exists before this time. The mosaics are set against the original golden background of the 6th century. The portraits of the archangels Gabriel and Michael (largely destroyed) in the bema of the arch also date from the 9th century. (Source: wikipedia)

Later that day, as the Crown Princess departed Istanbul, I was able to see the Hagia Sophia majestically sitting on the hill above the sea.  This view shows the immense size of this incredible building.

UNESCO Brief Background: With its strategic location on the Bosphorus peninsula between the Balkans and Anatolia, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, Istanbul has been associated with major political, religious and artistic events for more than 2,000 years. Its masterpieces include the ancient Hippodrome of Constantine, the 6th-century Hagia Sophia and the 16th-century Süleymaniye Mosque, all now under threat from population pressure, industrial pollution and uncontrolled urbanization.  See the full description on the UNESCO site.

No, I did not forget.  Here are photos of my artfully-negotiated-for purchases.  I purchased several scarves.  I like to negotiate in volume!  The left one is an orange-ish pashmina, the center one is a pale blue and cream pashmina, and the one on the right is a sheer white and black. I bought several of these as gifts, and also kept a red one for myself.

 These bracelets have become quite a sensation upon return.  They are so cute and just fun!  Next time I plan to buy more of these as they were fun gifts to friends and family.  The blue beads with the white dot...look like eyes?  They are!   These blue eyes ward off evil.  Just what every girl needs!