Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia, a fitting testimony to the Grand History of the City's glory days

Around 660 BC, according to legend, Greek settlers from Megara founded the strategic port city of Byzantium (named after their King Byzas) on the Bosphorus Strait on advice from the Oracle of Delphi. Ever since then, the city has been vital to controlling trade between the Aegean and Black Seas.

In 330 AD, Roman Emperor Constantine the Great (r. 306-337 AD) rebuilt and expanded Byzantium, renaming it Constantinople and making it the new capital of the Holy Roman Empire. Constantinople quickly became a centre of trade along the famed Silk Road attracting goods from all over the world and with it religious and cultural influences. 

Over the ensuing centuries, the city faced numerous sieges, including by the Avars, Persians, Arabs, Ottoman Turks, and Allied forces during WWI, and the founding of the modern state of Türkiye (Turkey) on October 29, 1923, following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the conclusion of the Turkish War of Independence (1919–1923).

The Original Hagia Sophia

The original Hagia Sophia was the first significant structure built by the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great when he converted to Christianity. He wisely located it on one of the seven hills of Istanbul, which reminded him of the eternal city of Rome, also built on seven hills.

In a nod to wise King Solomon, he chose to name it "Great Church of the Holy Wisdom” (commonly called St Sophia, or “Aya Sofya" in Greek and Hagia Sophia in Turkish). 

However, the wooden structure was irreparably damaged by a fire in 404 AD during the reign of Emperor Arcadius (r. 395-408 AD). Coincidentally Emperor Arcadius was the first ruler over the Eastern part of the Roman Empire (while his brother Emperor Honorius was given charge of the Western Roman Empire which collapsed in 476 AD, almost 1000 years before the fall of Constantinople in 1453).

The second Hagia Sophia

The second Hagia Sophia was constructed in the 5th century by Roman Emperor Theodosius II (r. 402-450 AD) but that church was destroyed during the Nika Riots of 532 AD during the reign of Emperor Justinian the Great (r. 527-565 AD). 

On January 13, 532 AD, during a chariot race at the Hippodrome, tension between the rival Green and Blue racing teams boiled over into a popular uprising against the heavy taxation by Emperor Justinian the Great. Over the next five days, the riots spread throughout the city when thousands of homes were destroyed, and large parts of Constantinople were left in ruins, including the original Hagia Sophia. Justinian ordered his generals, Belisarius and Mundus, to suppress the uprising. They lured the rioters back to the Hippodrome with promises of negotiation, only to trap them inside and massacre an estimated 30,000 people in cold blood.

Historians are divided about the real motivation for him to undertake such a monumental task. Some suggest it was to repent for the massacre of 30,000 Nika rioters; others say it was to offer atonement for a series of devastating earthquakes between 526 and 530 AD; still others say it was for the drought recorded in Constantinople in September 530. The most plausible reason was that Emperor Justinian the Great built the church as a way to legitimize his claim to being the divine representative of God on Earth. 

The current Hagia Sophia

Original mosaic showing Emperor Justinian presenting a model of the Church to Mother Mary holding the Infant Jesus

Emperor Justinian the Great intended the new Hagia Sophia to be the grandest church in the Christian world, serving as the seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople. 

The central dome, designed by the architect Isidore of Miletus and supervised by the engineer Anthemius of Tralles, measures an astounding 31 meters in diameter - an unbelievable feat of Roman engineering marvel that became a defining feature of Byzantine architecture. 

The interior was richly adorned with mosaics, marble columns, and golden decorations depicting Christ, the Virgin Mary, Saint John the Baptist, The Emperor and his queen and even seraphim. Many of these mosaics were hidden or covered when the building became a mosque but have been uncovered in modern times.

Hagia Sophia was unlike anything seen before

Contemporary accounts of Hagia Sophia were breathtaking. 

Procopius of Caesarea (c. 500–565 AD), a prominent Byzantine historian and scholar during the reign of Emperor Justinian I said, "The church has become a spectacle of marvellous beauty, overwhelming to those who see it, but to those who know it by hearsay altogether incredible. For it soars to a height to match the sky, and as if surging up from amongst the other buildings it stands on high and looks down on the remainder of the city, adorning it, because it is a part of it, but glorying in its own beauty, because, though a part of the city and dominating it, it at the same time towers above it to such a height that the whole city is viewed from there as from a watch-tower. For onlookers, the oversized dome seems not to rest on solid masonry, but to cover the space with its golden dome suspended from heaven."

The word spread rapidly throughout the known world and visitors were struck by the quality of light in the Great Church. "It abounds exceedingly in sunlight and in the reflection of the sun’s rays from the marble. Indeed one might say that its interior is not illuminated from without by the sun, but that the radiance comes into being within it, such an abundance of light bathes the shrine", said Paul the Silentiary, speaking of the church restored after the collapse of the dome in 558, "even so in the evening men are delighted at the various shafts of light of the radiant, light-bringing house of resplendent choirs. And the calm clear sky of joy lies open to all driving away the dark-veiled mist of the soul. A holy light illuminates all." 

Imitation, the best form of flattery

Best of all, the novel design of Hagia Sophia, with its dome forming an image of the cosmos resting on arched supports, was immensely influential in the designs of Mosques worldwide. 

When Sultan Ahmed I (r. 1603-1617) commissioned the Blue Mosque, officially known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, to be built between 1609 and 1616, his architect Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa fell short by a whopping 40 feet when he tried to match the 182 feet height of Hagia Sophia built more than 1000 years earlier - such was the sophistication of Roman architecture

Ottoman Era (1453 – 1924)

Mehmed the Conqueror triumphantly entering Constantinople

On May 29, 1453, Sultan Mehmed II (aka Mehmed the Conqueror) captured Constantinople, after a 53-day siege, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire and the beginning of Ottoman rule in the region; a pivotal moment in world history.

The siege and fall of Constantinople

When just 21, Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror demonstrated exceptional strategic thinking, military innovation, and leadership during the campaign, solidifying his reputation as one of history's great conquerors. 

He deployed enormous cannons, including the legendary "Basilica," designed by the Hungarian engineer Urban capable of firing massive stone balls weighing over 500 kg, shattering the Theodosian Walls, the city's formidable triple-layered fortifications. 

But he needed to do much more, as Constantinople's defences relied heavily on the Golden Horn, a natural harbour protected by a massive chain barrier that prevented enemy ships from attacking the weaker city

walls. Mehmed famously transported ships overland on greased logs to bypass the chain and enter the Golden Horn, securing a naval advantage and cutting off the city’s resupply routes.

Using an overwhelming force of around 80,000–100,000 troops, he continuously assaulted the city's walls, keeping the defenders under constant pressure. Byzantine defenders of roughly only about 7,000 troops, including Genoese and Venetian mercenaries were vastly outnumbered. To make matters worse, the  Ottomans launched feints and attacks at various points along the walls to spread the Byzantine defences thin, ultimately focusing on weaker points.

Ottoman engineers dug tunnels in an attempt to undermine the walls, though Byzantine counter-mining operations effectively thwarted many of these efforts.

On the night of May 28–29, Mehmed launched an all-out assault on the weakened Land Walls near the Mesoteichion area. He used their elite Janissaries for the final push, breaking through breaches caused by weeks of bombardment. Exhausted defenders were overwhelmed as the Ottomans surged into the city. Emperor Constantine XI reportedly died in the fighting, marking the end of Byzantine resistance.

Hagia Sophia becomes a mosque

After the conquest, Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque. Sultan Mehmed II, recognizing the grandeur and importance of the building, ordered that it be preserved as a mosque and not destroyed. 

The Hagia Sophia's original alignment follows the typical eastward orientation of Christian churches, with the apse (the semicircular recess where the altar is located) facing roughly toward the rising sun, symbolizing the direction of Christ's resurrection and the coming of the light. Islam requires that worshippers face Mecca, which lies southeast of Istanbul. As a result, the mihrab (a prayer niche indicating the direction of Mecca) in Hagia Sophia was slightly adjusted from the central axis of the building to point toward Mecca - thus keeping the grandiose structure intact.

Four Minarets were added to the exterior and the Christian mosaics were covered with plaster or altered (a practice that continued throughout the centuries as Islam forbids any iconography inside a mosque). ElBORATE Calligraphic inscriptions were added, and Islamic elements like the minbar (pulpit) and muezzin’s platform were incorporated.

Republic of Türkiye

In 1923, the Ottoman Empire was dissolved following the establishment of the secular Republic of Turkey under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk who converted Hagia Sophia into a museum as part of broader secularization efforts. 

This allowed Hagia Sophia to be opened to the public and tourists, while maintaining its cultural and historical significance for both Muslims and Christians. 

Recreation of Mosiac depicting Mother Mary and John the Baptist standing on either side of Jesus

The mosaics, previously covered up for centuries, were uncovered and restored as part of the transition to a museum. Of special interest are the four seraphim at the base of the four supporting arches. In Christianity, Seraphim are depicted as Angelic beings closest to God, constantly worshipping and proclaiming His holiness

Also uncovered were mosaics depicting Mother Mary holding the Infant Jesus, John the Baptist and the Emperors Constantine the Great and Justinian the Great.

Following the conversion, the Turkish government promised that Hagia Sophia would remain open to visitors of all faiths, while Muslim prayers would continue to be held regularly. 

Return to a Mosque

In 2020, Hagia Sophia was reconverted into a mosque by a decree issued by the Turkish government, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The mosaics of Christian figures, including depictions of Christ and the Virgin Mary, are now partially visible during non-prayer times, with Islamic calligraphy and architecture still the dominant feature during prayer hours.

Truly a closer look at the Hagia Sophia provides a comprehensive history of this strategic city.

Reference

Atchison, B. (n.d.). Meet Justinian - builder of Hagia Sophia and the Great Plague. Hagia Sophia History. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://www.pallasweb.com/deesis/meet-justinian-builder-of-hagia-sophia.html