Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sofia

Hagia Sofia Turkeye

Hagia Sophia is a huge architectural marvel in Istanbul, Turkey that was originally built about 1,500 years ago as a Christian basilica.

Hagia Sophia is a huge architectural marvel in Istanbul, Turkey that was originally built about 1,500 years ago as a Christian basilica. Like the Parthenon in the Eiffel Tower in Paris or Athens, the Hagia Sophia is a lasting symbol of the cosmopolitan city.However, as much as its structure is remarkable, its role in Istanbul's history and, for that matter, the world, is important and has an impact on issues related to international politics, religion, art and architecture.

Hagia Sophia anchors the old city of Istanbul and has for centuries served as an important destination for both Orthodox Christians and Muslims, as its importance has changed with the dominant culture in the Turkish city.  ۔

Istanbul, crossing the Bosphorus Strait, is a waterway that serves as the geographical border between Europe and Asia.The city of Turkey, with a population of about 15 million, is thus located on both continents.

Hagia Sophia (Isophia in Turkey) was originally built as a basilica for the Greek Orthodox Christian Church. However, his work has changed several times over the centuries since then.

The Byzantine Emperor Constantine began construction of the first Hagia Sophia in A. 360 A.D.At the time of the construction of the first church, Istanbul was known as Constantinople, which got its name from Constantius' father, Constantinople I, the first ruler of the Byzantine Empire.

A wooden roof was first shown in Hagia Sophia.The structure was demolished in 404 AD during the riots in Constantinople as a result of political conflict in the family of the then Emperor Arcadius, which had a turbulent period from 395 to 408 AD.

Archdeus's successor, Emperor Theodosius II, rebuilt Hagia Sophia, and the new structure was completed in 515. The second Hagia Sophia had five flaws and a monumental entrance, and was also covered with a wooden roof.

However, less than a century later, it would again prove to be a fatal flaw for this important basilica of the Greek Orthodox faith, as the structure was burnt down for the second time during the so-called 'Nika Rebellion' against Emperor Justini. I, who ruled from 527 to 565.

Unable to repair the damage caused by the fire, Justini ordered the demolition of the Hagia Sophia in 532.He commissioned the famous architects Isdorus (Millet) and Antimius (Trails) to build a new basilica.

The third Hagia Sophia was completed in 537, and is still standing today.

The first religious service was held on December 27, 537 in the 'new' Hajia Sofia. At this point, Emperor Justini said, "Thank you, my Lord, for giving me the opportunity to build such a place of worship."

From its inception, the third and final Hagia Sophia was indeed a remarkable structure. He combined the traditional design elements of the Orthodox basilica with a large, domed roof and semi-domed altar that included two narcissists (or 'porches').

The arches of the dome were covered with six-winged angel mosaics called hexaptergun.

In an effort to build a magnificent basilica representing all the representatives of the Byzantine Empire, Emperor Justini ordered all the provinces under his rule to send pieces of architecture for use in its construction.

The marble used for the floor and roof was made in Anatolia (present-day eastern Turkey) and Syria, while the other bricks (used in the floor walls and parts) came from as far away as North Africa.  The interior of Hagia Sophia is lined with many marble slabs that are said to be designed to mimic moving water.

And, 104 columns of Hagia Sophia were imported from the Temple Artemis of Ephesus, as well as from Egypt.

The building is 269 feet long and 240 feet wide, and at its height, the roof of the dome is 180 feet long in the air. When the first dome partially collapsed in 557, it was replaced by Acidor Inger (nephew of Isdorus, one of the original architects) with structural ribs and a clearer arc, and this version of the structure still stands today. Is based on  .

The central dome rests on a window ring, and with the help of two semi-domes and two large pillars, a large nave can be formed, the walls of which are actually a complex Byzantine made of gold, silver, glass, terra cotta and colored. Stood by the mosaic. Christians present the Gospel stones and the famous landscapes and figures.

Because Greek Orthodox was the official religion of the Byzantines, Sofia was considered the center of the faith, and thus became the place where the new emperors were crowned.

The ceremonies took place in the new, where there is an offline (navel of the earth), a large circular marble section of colored stones in a revolving circular design on the floor.

Hagia Sophia played this important role in Byzantine culture and politics for most of her 900 years of existence.

However, during the Crusades, the city of Constantinople, and later Hagia Sophia, remained under Roman control for a short time in the 13th century. Hagia Sophia suffered severe damage during this period, but was repaired when the Byzantines regained control of the surrounding city.

The next major period of change in Hagia Sophia began less than 200 years later, when the Ottomans, led by the victorious Sultan, conquered Constantinople in 1453. The Ottomans renamed the city Istanbul.

Since Islam was the main religion of the Ottomans, a mosque in Hagia Sophia was renovated. As part of the conversion, the Ottomans covered many of the original Orthodox mosaics designed by Kadaskar Mustafa Zeit with Islamic calligraphy.

The panels or medals that hung on the columns of the Navi include the names of Allah, the Prophet of Islam, the first four caliphs, and the two grandsons of the Prophet.

The music on the central dome - which is thought to be the image of Christ - was also covered with gold calligraphy.

An altar or nave was erected in the wall, as is customary in mosques, to indicate the direction of Mecca, one of the holy cities of Islam. The Ottoman Emperor Koni Sultan Suleiman (1520-1566) installed two bronze lamps on each side of the altar, and Sultan Murad III (1574-1595) added two marble cubes from the Turkish city of Bergama, dating to 4 BC.

During the building, four minarets were added to the original building, partly for religious purposes (museums to call for prayers) and for the partly to strengthen the structure after the recent earthquakes in the city.

During the reign of Sultan Abd al-Masid, between 1847 and 1849, Hagia Sophia underwent a major renovation, led by the Swiss architect Fusati brothers. At this point, the Hankar Mehfili (a separate basket for the emperors to use for prayer) was removed and replaced by another near Mehrab.

The role of Hagia Sophia in politics and religion is controversial and important, even today - 100 years after the fall of the Ottoman Empire.

Nine years after 1935, when the Republic of Turkey was established by Ataturk , this historic structure was run by the national government as a museum. Beginning in 2013, some Islamic religious leaders in the country sought to reopen Hagia Sophia as a mosque.  In July 2020, the Turkish Council of State and President Erdogan reconstructed it as a mosque