Before I go into detail about the Hagia Sophia(Divine Wisdom in Greek) I first want to cover what the Byzantine Era looked like in terms of art and architecture. The Byzantine Era lasted from 330–1453AD during the middle of this time period the belief of iconoclasm was adopted by several of the rulers. Which is the belief in destroying religious icons, symbols, or monuments. This idea originated from the idea from the Ten Commandments that no one should worship idols. There were two times that this idea became popular first in 726–787AD and then again in 814–842AD. Although the Hagia Sophia was finished in 537AD which was before iconoclasm became popular it still had its challenges.
Byzantine art is known for its frescos, mosaics and illuminated manuscripts. Byzantine art evolved from early Christian art which is why most of the Byzantine art was centered around religion. This art style focuses on the changes of lines and flat areas rather than focusing on three dimensional form. Byzantine art also focus on a standard facial structure which consisted of a frontal pose and large eyes with a penetrating gaze. Along with these characteristics Byzantine art is known for having a gold background that has the effect of making the image appear to be floating between the wall and the viewer.
Now to talk about the architecture of the Hagia Sophia and what is so unique about it. The Hagia Sophia has been built three times because the first two were destroyed from riots. The third one which was built under the rule of Emperor Justinian I and designed by Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus.
The Hagia Sophia dome is the first one to be built from a square or rectangular base. This type of architectural structure is known as a pendentive.
The building dimensions are 269 ft. long, 240 ft. wide and 180 ft. tall. Since the Hagia Sophia took only 6 years to build the original dome collapse some 20 years later due to several earthquakes and the material being too heavy for the dome to support. Emperor Justinian 1 ordered that the church be reconstructed. The job was given to Isidorus the Younger who was the nephew of Isidore of Miletus. Isidorus the Younger changed to lighter materials and also used a ribbed dome.
The dome consists of 40 windows that flood the center of the church with natural light. Which brings out the golden mosaics which are all around the building.
The building itself is two floors with a stone ramp connecting them together. In the Hagia Sophia you can find marble from all over the East. There was also 8 Corinthian columns imported from Lebanon when the dome clasped in 557.
Since the Hagia Sophia was built before the iconoclasm era many of the images were destroyed and them rebuilt. There was also new art pieces that were added after the fact. One of the more famous ones was the Virgin and Child in the Apse. Which is of the Virgin Mary with the Christ child sitting on her lap. This is the oldest mosaic in the Hagia Sophia being built in 867AD. The image had the inscription “The images which the impostors had cast down here pious emperors have again set up.” Which talks about finally putting the idea of iconoclasm to rest.
In 1453 the Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque after Mehmet II conquered Constantinople . Once the city was conquered the Turks renamed the city Istanbul. Many of the surrounding building were left in decay, but the Hagia Sophia was one of the few buildings that was still in fairly good condition. When the church was converted to a mosque many of the murals were plastered over and several items were added. These items include mihrab, minbar, minarets and all the panels with Arabic writing on them.
The minarets have two purposes one is to give the imam a way to call people to prayer. The other is to reinforce the building from earthquakes that it has survived over the last several centuries. In 1935 the building was reallocated to being a museum. Which led to many if not all of the mosaics being uncovered. As of this July 2020 the Hagia Sophia has reverted back to a mosque.
I really enjoyed learning about this building and realizing that it has so much more history than I thought it would. Also realizing how much this building has been though and it is still standing today. Learning about this building and realized that I have been there gives me more appreciation for what a big architectural significance and culture that this building has.
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