The Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul

Turkey is traditionally one of the most visited countries. The Turkish Republic - so correctly called this country - is located mainly in southeastern Europe, and partly in the Middle East. East, as we know, "a delicate matter," he always attracted, more precisely, attracted travelers from different countries of the world.

General information

The largest city of the Turkish Republic is Istanbul, an ancient city, the former capital of the Byzantine, Roman, Ottoman and Latin empires.

Istanbul: Ayia Sofia is a place worth visiting

The tourists who came here often have a question, what to see from the sights. Hagia Sophia (Hagia Sophia) is an ancient temple, the most interesting to visit. This monument of ancient architecture is located in the historical center of the city, in an area called Sultanahmet. Earlier it was the center of Constantinople, near the Imperial Palace.

The Hagia Sophia Mosque is one of the main sights of the city of Istanbul (Turkey). As you know, earlier in the country was located the Byzantine Empire, famous for its high level of culture. Aya-Sofia is translated from Greek as "holy wisdom". Previously, it was the Orthodox Patriarchal Cathedral, then the building served as a mosque (Muslim religious structure), and now it is a museum, whose status the temple received in the first half of the XX century, more precisely, in 1935.

The building of Hagia Sophia was considered the largest Christian church for over a thousand years, until the construction of St. Peter's Basilica (Rome, Italy). The height of the cathedral is 55.6 meters, and the diameter of the dome reaches 31 meters.

History of the construction of the cathedral

The Aya-Sofia cathedral was built in 324 - 337 years on the main market square Auguston under the emperor Constantine the First (according to some other data - under Emperor Constantia II). At first, the temple was Arian ("Arianism" - one of the currents in Christianity, affirming the created nature of the god-son), then was transferred to Christianity by the Emperor Theodosius the First. But the building did not last long. During the popular uprising in 404, the cathedral was killed in a fire. The new church built in its place also burned down (415).

By the order of Theodosius, a new basilica was erected on the same spot. Basilica is a type of rectangular structure with an odd number of naves (different in height). But this cathedral was destroyed by fire. This happened in 532, but the ruins of this building were found only during excavation in the XX century on the territory of the cathedral.

After this, the third fire, at the behest of the Emperor Justinian, the cathedral was erected, which now bears the name of Aya-Sophia.

For the construction, the best architects were invited, who already have extensive experience in building a temple type. They were Anthimius Trallsky and Isidore Meletsky. According to legend, the idea of architects was embodied daily by more than ten thousand workers!

In the capital city of Constantinople, the best materials, marble and columns from ancient buildings (columns from the Temple of the Sun, columns of green marble from Ephesus) were brought. Indeed, the building became the richest and largest temple of that time. This structure and later turned into the current Cathedral of Hagia Sophia.

History of the Cathedral in the Byzantine Empire

In the historical period of the Byzantine Empire, Hagia Sophia suffered several times from earthquakes, therefore, it was completed and rebuilt. In particular, it received a higher dome. To strengthen the stability of the walls, buttresses were built (pillars for supporting the supporting structures protruding from them), and this, of course, changed the look of the cathedral.

With the Cathedral of St. Sophia, according to legend, the historical division of the Christian churches into Catholic and Orthodox churches is connected, since it was in this building in July 1054 that Cardinal Humbert handed the excommunication letter to Mikhail Kurullaria.

Until 1204, one of the shrines of the temple was the famous Turin Shroud, which, according to legend, was wrapped in the body of Jesus Christ after suffering and dying.

History after the conquest by the Ottomans

After the historic conquest by the Ottomans in 1453, the St. Sophia Cathedral had to change its religion. She was converted to Islam by building four minarets in the corners and turning them into mosques. As is known, in the Muslim religion it is important, when praying, to turn to the ancient temple, Mecca. The Ottomans had to change everything inside the cathedral, the frescoes were smeared with plaster (thanks to which they were preserved through many centuries), and the worshipers settled at an angle to the rectangular building.

Further, until the middle of the nineteenth century, no reconstruction work was done on the Aya-Sofia Cathedral in Istanbul. In the XIX century, it was decided to restore the building in connection with the threat of collapse. Soon after the restoration, in 1935, the mosque was turned into a museum, leaving only a small room for Muslim worship.

Architectural features of the mosque

Architecturally the cathedral is a rectangle that forms four naves (central - more and side - smaller). It is crowned with a dome of the basilica with a sidetrack, representing a quadrangle. The building was a masterpiece of the dome system of its time, and the strength of the walls, according to legend, is preserved thanks to the extract of ash leaves, added to the solution. A complex system of triple arches and columns supports the dome from all sides and thereby strengthens it.

The sights of the mosque

So, the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul is one of the most important sights. Consider the main relics of this most interesting museum.

• The copper-covered "weeping column", according to the belief, fulfills the wishes of those who put their hand in the hole and feel moisture.

• The "cold window" is another miracle of nature, a cold breeze blows out of it even on the hottest and driest day.

• Ancient frescoes depicting Jesus Christ and Our Lady, preserved under dense layers of plaster, represent a majestic spectacle.

• In the upper gallery of the temple on the railing you can see graffiti. Many of them were made many hundreds of years ago and are protected by the state (for this purpose they are covered with transparent plastic). These inscriptions - Scandinavian runes - were presumably scrawled on the parapet of the cathedral by soldiers in the Middle Ages.

• The mosaics of the cathedral represent an interesting example of the monumental art of Byzantium.

• Portrait of Emperor Alexander was made during his lifetime, opened a landmark in 1958 during the restoration of the mosaic cover.

In the cathedral there are also Muslim shrines, to which thousands of pilgrims annually come. Among them we can distinguish:

• Minbar (the place where the imam preaches).

• The Lodge of the Sultan (built during the restoration by the Fossati brothers).

• Mihrab.

Like the eastern fairy tale, the Turkish Holy Wisdom combines seemingly opposite concepts: Orthodoxy and Eastern Islam, two religions, so different, but in some ways very similar to each other. Outside, the temple seems like a simple heap of architectural forms of different eras and destinations, but inside you will be struck by the majesty of the dome and its height, and much more.

This is the only building that has been preserved from the sixth century AD to the present in almost unchanged form, now it has deservedly become a museum, the charter to give religious duty to different faiths.

Conclusion

If you are lucky enough to visit Istanbul for at least a couple of days, be sure to visit the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia. Turkey will play for you with new colors thanks to this temple.