What does the name of Hagia Sophia mean? Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople
This grandiose architectural structure on the banks of the Bosphorus attracts many tourists and pilgrims every year from many countries and from different continents. They are driven by the realization of the fact that a simple description of the Temple in Constantinople from a school history textbook does not give a complete picture of this outstanding cultural monument of the ancient world. It must be seen with your own eyes at least once in your life.
From the history of the ancient world
Even the most detailed description of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople will not provide the full picture of this architectural phenomenon. Without a consistent consideration of the series of historical eras through which he happened to pass, it is unlikely that he will be able to realize the full importance of this place. Before it appeared before our eyes in the state in which modern tourists can see it, a lot of water flowed under the bridge.
This cathedral was originally erected as the highest spiritual symbol of Byzantium, a new Christian power that arose on the ruins of ancient Rome in the fourth century AD. But the history of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople began even before the collapse of the Roman Empire into the western and eastern parts. This city itself, located on a strategically important border between Europe and Asia, needed a bright symbol of spiritual and civilizational greatness. Emperor Constantine I the Great understood this like no one else. And it was only in the power of the monarch to begin the construction of this grandiose structure, which had no analogues in the ancient world.
The date of foundation of the temple is forever associated with the name and period of the reign of this emperor. Even despite the fact that the actual authors of the cathedral were other people who lived much later, during the reign of Emperor Justinian. From historical sources, we know two names of these major architects of their era. These are the Greek architects Anfimy of Trall and Isidore of Miletus. It is they who own the authorship of both the engineering and construction and the artistic part of a single architectural project.
How the temple was built
The description of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, the study of its architectural features and stages of construction inevitably leads to the idea that the original plan for its construction changed significantly under the influence of various political and economic circumstances. There were no structures of this scale in the Roman Empire before.
Historical sources claim that the date of foundation of the cathedral is 324 from the birth of Christ. But what we see today began to be built about two centuries after that date. From the buildings of the fourth century, the founder of which was Constantine I the Great, only the foundations and individual architectural fragments have survived. What stood on the site of the modern Hagia Sophia was called the Basilica of Constantine and the Basilica of Theodosius. Emperor Justinian, who ruled in the middle of the sixth century, faced the task of erecting something new and hitherto unseen.
The fact that the grandiose construction of the cathedral lasted only five years, from 532 to 537, is truly amazing. More than ten thousand workers, mobilized from all over the empire, worked on the construction at the same time. For this, the best grades of marble from Greece were delivered to the shores of the Bosphorus in the required quantity. Emperor Justinian did not spare funds for the construction, since he was building not just a symbol of the state majesty of the Eastern Roman Empire, but also a Temple to the glory of the Lord. He was supposed to bring the light of the Christian dogma to the whole world.
From historical sources
The description of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople can be found in the early historical chronicles of the Byzantine court chroniclers. From them it is clear that the grandeur and grandeur of this structure made an indelible impression on contemporaries.
Many believed that it was absolutely impossible to build such a cathedral without the direct intervention of divine forces. The main dome of the greatest Christendom was visible from afar to all sailors in the Sea of Marmara, approaching the Bosphorus. It served as a kind of beacon, and this also had a spiritual and symbolic meaning. This was originally conceived: Byzantine churches were supposed to overshadow with their grandeur everything that was built before them.
Cathedral interior
The overall composition of the temple space is subject to the laws of symmetry. This principle was the most important even in ancient temple architecture. But in terms of its volume and level of execution of the interiors, the Temple of Sophia in Constantinople significantly exceeds everything that was built before it. Just such a task was set before the architects and builders by Emperor Justinian. By his will, from many cities of the empire, ready-made columns and other architectural elements taken from pre-existing ancient structures were delivered to the decoration of the temple. Of particular difficulty was the dome completion.
The grandiose main dome was supported by an arched colonnade with forty window openings that provided overhead illumination of the entire temple space. The altar part of the cathedral was finished with special care; a significant amount of gold, silver and ivory was used to decorate it. According to Byzantine historiographers and modern experts, Emperor Justinian spent several annual budgets of his country only on the interior of the cathedral. In his ambitions, he wanted to surpass the Old Testament king Solomon, who built the Temple in Jerusalem. These words of the emperor were recorded by court chroniclers. And there is every reason to believe that Emperor Justinian managed to carry out his intention.
Byzantine style
Hagia Sophia, whose photos now grace the promotional merchandise of many travel agencies, is a classic epitome of the imperial in architecture. This style is easily recognizable. With its monumental grandeur, it certainly goes back to the best traditions of imperial Rome and Greek antiquity, but it is simply impossible to confuse this architecture with something else.
Byzantine temples can easily be found at a considerable distance from historical Byzantium. This direction of temple architecture is still the predominant architectural style throughout the territory, where the Orthodox branch of world Christianity has historically dominated.
These structures are characterized by massive domed completions above the central part of the building and arched colonnades below them. The architectural features of this style have been developed over the centuries and have become an integral part of Russian temple architecture. Today, not everyone even realizes that its source is located on the shores of the Bosphorus Strait.
Unique mosaics
Icons and mosaic frescoes from the walls of Hagia Sophia have become world-famous classics of fine art. In their compositional constructions, the Roman and Greek canons of monumental painting are easily visible.
The frescoes of the Hagia Sophia were created over two centuries. Several generations of masters and many icon-painting schools worked on them. The mosaic technique itself has a much more complex technology compared to the traditional tempera painting on wet plaster. All elements of mosaic frescoes were created by masters according to only one known rules, which were not allowed to the uninitiated. It was both slow and very costly, but the Byzantine emperors did not spare funds for the interior of the Hagia Sophia. The masters had nowhere to hurry, because what they created had to survive many centuries. Of particular difficulty in creating mosaic frescoes was the height of the walls and roofing elements of the cathedral.
The viewer was forced to see the figures of saints in a complex perspective reduction. Byzantine icon painters were the first in the history of world fine art who had to take this factor into account. Before them, no one had such experience. And they coped with the task with dignity, this can be witnessed today by many thousands of tourists and pilgrims who annually visit St. Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul.
During the long period of Ottoman rule, Byzantine mosaics on the walls of the temple were covered with a layer of plaster. But after the restoration work carried out in the thirties of the twentieth century, they appeared to the eye in almost their original form. And today, visitors to the Church of Hagia Sophia can observe Byzantine frescoes with images of Christ and the Virgin Mary interspersed with calligraphically derived quotations from the Koran.
The heritage of the Islamic period in the history of the cathedral was also treated with respect by the restorers. It is also interesting to note the fact that some Orthodox saints on mosaic frescoes were given portrait resemblance by icon painters to ruling monarchs and other influential people of their era. In subsequent centuries, this practice will become common in the construction of cathedrals in the largest cities of medieval Europe.
Cathedral vaults
Sophia Cathedral, the photo of which is taken away from the banks of the Bosphorus by tourists, acquired its characteristic silhouette not least thanks to the grandiose domed completion. The dome itself has a relatively small height with an impressive diameter. This ratio of proportions will later be included in the architectural canon of the Byzantine style. Its height from the foundation level is 51 meters. It will be surpassed in size only in the Renaissance, during the construction of the famous in Rome.
The special expressiveness of the vault of St. Sophia Cathedral is given by two domed hemispheres, located from the west and from the east of the main dome. With their outlines and architectural elements, they repeat it and, on the whole, create a single composition of the cathedral vault.
All these architectural discoveries of ancient Byzantium were subsequently used many times in temple architecture, in the construction of cathedrals in the cities of medieval Europe, and then throughout the world. In Russia, the dome of the Hagia Sophia found a very bright reflection in the architectural appearance in Kronstadt. Like the famous temple on the shores of the Bosphorus, it was supposed to be visible from the sea to all sailors approaching the capital, thus symbolizing the greatness of the empire.
End of Byzantium
As you know, any empire reaches its peak, and then moves towards degradation and decline. This fate did not pass by Byzantium. The Eastern Roman Empire collapsed in the middle of the fifteenth century under the weight of its own internal contradictions and under the growing onslaught of external enemies. The last Christian service in the Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople took place on May 29. This day was the last for the capital of Byzantium itself. The empire that had existed for almost a thousand years was defeated on that day under the onslaught of the Ottoman Turks. Constantinople also ceased to exist. Now it is the city of Istanbul, for several centuries it was the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The conquerors of the city broke into the temple at the time of worship, brutally dealt with those who were there, and ruthlessly plundered the treasures of the cathedral. But the Ottoman Turks were not going to destroy the building itself - the Christian temple was destined to become a mosque. And this circumstance could not but be reflected in the appearance of the Byzantine cathedral.
Dome and minarets
During the Ottoman period, the appearance of the Hagia Sophia underwent significant changes. The city of Istanbul was supposed to have a cathedral mosque corresponding to the status of the capital. The building of the temple that existed in the fifteenth century corresponded to this goal by no means ideally. Prayers in the mosque should be performed in the direction of Mecca, while the Orthodox church is oriented with the altar to the east. The Ottoman Turks reconstructed the temple they inherited - they attached rough buttresses to the historical building to strengthen the load-bearing walls and built four large minarets in accordance with the canons of Islam. Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul became known as Hagia Sophia Mosque. A mihrab was built in the southeastern part of the interior, so the praying Muslims had to be located at an angle to the axis of the building, leaving the altar part of the temple on the left.
In addition, the walls of the cathedral with icons were plastered. But this is what made it possible to restore the authentic wall paintings of the temple in the nineteenth century. They are well preserved under a layer of medieval plaster. Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul is also unique in that in its external appearance and in its internal content, the heritage of two great cultures and two world religions - Orthodox Christianity and Islam - is bizarrely intertwined.
Hagia Sophia Museum
In 1935, the building of the Hagia Sophia mosque was removed from the category of cults. This required a special decree of Turkish President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. This progressive step made it possible to put an end to the claims to the historical building of representatives of different religions and confessions. The leader of Turkey was also able to indicate his distance from all sorts of clerical circles.
The state budget financed and carried out works on the restoration of the historic building and the area around it. The necessary infrastructure has been equipped to receive a large flow of tourists from different countries. Currently, the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is one of the most important cultural and historical sights of Turkey. In 1985, the temple was included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List as one of the most significant material objects in the history of the development of human civilization. Getting to this attraction in the city of Istanbul is very simple - it is located in the prestigious Sultanahmet district and is visible from afar.
Your help to the site and coming
GREAT LENT (SELECTION OF MATERIALS)
Calendar - records archive
Site search
Site categories
Select a rubric 3D-excursions and panoramas (6) Uncategorized (11) To help the parishioners (3 678) Audio recordings, audio lectures and talks (306) Booklets, memos and leaflets (131) Video films, video lectures and talks (967) Questions to the priest (410) ) Images (258) Icons (540) Icons of the Mother of God (105) Sermons (1 018) Articles (1 780) Requests (31) Confession (15) Sacrament of Marriage (11) Sacrament of Baptism (18) St. George Readings (17) Baptism of Russia (22) Liturgy (152) Love, Marriage, Family (76) Sunday School Resources (413) Audio (24) Video (111) Quizzes, Questions & Riddles (43) Didactic Resources (73) Games (28) Images (43) ) Crosswords (24) Methodological materials (47) Crafts (25) Coloring (12) Scenarios (10) Texts (98) Novels and stories (30) Tales (11) Articles (18) Poems (29) Textbooks (17) Prayer ( 509) Wise thoughts, quotes, aphorisms (381) News (280) News of the Kinel diocese (105) News of the parish (52) News of the Samara Metropolis (13) General Church General news (80) Fundamentals of Orthodoxy (3 768) Bible (780) Law of God (792) Missionary work and catechesis (1 382) Sects (7) Orthodox library (481) Dictionaries, reference books (51) Saints and Ascetics of piety (1 765) Blessed Matrona of Moscow (4) John of Kronstadt (2) Symbol of Faith (98) Temple (160) Church singing (32) Church notes (9) Church candles (10) Church etiquette (11) Church calendar (2 454) Antipascha (6) 3rd Week after Pascha, Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women (14) 3rd Week after Pentecost (1) 4th Week after Pascha, about the paralytic (7) 5th Week after Pascha about the Samaritan (8) Week 6 on Easter, about the blind (4) Fasting (447) Radonitsa (8) Parental Saturday (31) Holy Week (26) Church holidays (690) Annunciation (10) Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos (10) Exaltation of the Holy Cross (14) Ascension of the Lord (17) Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (16) Day of the Holy Spirit (9) Day of the Holy Trinity (35) Icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" (1) Kazan Icon of the Mother of God (15) Circumcision of the Lord (4) Easter (128) Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos (20) Feast of the Epiphany (44) Feast of the Renovation of the Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (1) Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord (1) Transfiguration of the Lord (15 ) Origin (wearing) of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord (1) Nativity (118) Nativity of John the Baptist (9) Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos (23) Meeting of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (3) Meeting of the Lord (17) Beheading of the head of John the Baptist (5) Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (27) Church and sacraments (148) Consecration of the Unction (8) Confession (32) Confirmation (5) Communion (23) Priesthood (6) Sacrament of Wedding (14) Sacrament of Baptism (19) Fundamentals of Orthodox culture (34) Pilgrimage ( 241) Athos (1) The main shrines of Montenegro (1) Shrines of Russia (16) Proverbs and sayings (9) Orthodox newspaper (35) Orthodox radio (65) Orthodox magazine (34) Orthodox music archive ( 169) Bells (10) Orthodox film (95) Proverbs (102) Schedule of services (60) Recipes of Orthodox cuisine (14) Holy springs (5) Legends about the Russian land (94) Word of the Patriarch (109) Media about the parish (23) Superstitions (37) TV channel (372) Tests (2) Photos (25) Temples of Russia (245) Temples of the Kinel diocese (11) Temples of the Northern Kinel deanery (7) Temples of the Samara region (69) Fiction of preaching and catechetical content and significance (125 ) Prose (19) Poetry (42) Miracles and signs (60)
Orthodox calendar
Cheesy week. Memories of Adam's Exile. Forgiveness Sunday. Voice 8th.
St. Tarasia, archbishop. Constantinople (806).
St. Sylvester, Archbishop Omsky, isp. (1920)1; ssmch. Alexander Vinogradov presbyter, rec. Mstislava Fokina (1938); ssmch. Nicholas Trinity Presbyter (1945).
Morning – Ev. 8th, John, 64 credits, XX, 11–18. Lit. - Rom., 112 credits, XIII, 11 - XIV, 4. Matt., 17 credits, VI, 14-21.
Conspiracy for Great Lent.
In the morning there was a shambles "Like by dry land...". At the liturgy, the prokeimenon, tone 8: "Pray and repay ...".
On this Sunday and the next five (until the Week of Vay), at Vespers, an entrance is made for the sake of the great prokimens: “Do not hide Your Face ...” and “Thou hast given inheritance ...”, which are sung alternately every Sunday. On this Sunday, after Vespers, according to tradition, the rite of forgiveness is performed.
We congratulate birthday people on Angel Day!
Icon of the day
Saint Tarasios, Patriarch of Constantinople
Saint Tarasius, Patriarch of Constantinople , came from a noble family, was born and raised in Constantinople, where he received a good education. He quickly advanced at the court of Emperor Constantine VI the Porphyrogenic (780–797) and his mother, the holy Empress Irene (797–802; Comm. 7 August), and attained the rank of senator.
In those days, the Church was troubled by iconoclastic turmoil. Holy Patriarch Paul (780-784; Comm. 30 August), who did not sympathize with iconoclasm in his soul, due to weakness of character could not decisively fight heresy, and therefore retired to a monastery, where he received the schema. When the holy Empress Irina came to him with her son-emperor, Saint Paul announced to them that only Saint Tarasios (at that time a layman) could be his worthy successor.
Tarasius refused for a long time, not considering himself worthy of such a high rank, but then he obeyed the general desire, with the condition that an Ecumenical Council be convened to condemn the iconoclastic heresy.
Having passed through all the hierarchical levels in a short time, Saint Tarasios was elevated to the patriarchal throne in 784. In 787, under the presidency of the hierarch - Patriarch Tarasius, the VII Ecumenical Council was held in Nicaea, which was attended by 367 bishops. The veneration of holy icons was approved at the Council. Those of the bishops who repented of iconoclasm were re-accepted by the Church.
Saint Tarasius wisely ruled the Church for 22 years. He led a severe ascetic life. He spent all his estate on charitable deeds, nourishing and resting the elderly, the poor, orphans and widows, and on Holy Pascha he arranged a meal for them, at which he himself served.
The holy patriarch fearlessly denounced Tsar Constantine the Porphyrogenic when he slandered his wife, Empress Maria, granddaughter of the righteous Philaret the Merciful (+ 792; Comm. 1 December), in order to imprison Mary in a monastery and marry his relative. Saint Tarasius resolutely refused to annul the emperor's marriage, for which he was disgraced. Soon, however, Constantine was deposed by his mother, Queen Irene.
Saint Tarasios died in 806. At his death, the demons, reminiscent of his life from his very youth, tried to ascribe to the saint the sins he had not committed. “I am innocent of what you are talking about,” answered the saint. “You falsely slander me, you have no power over me.” Mourned by the Church, the saint was buried in the monastery he had built on the Bosporus. Many miracles were performed at his tomb.
Troparion to Saint Tarasius, Archbishop of Constantinople
The rule of faith and the image of meekness, / the abstinence of the teacher / reveal thee to your flock, / the truth of things, / for this sake you acquired high humility, / rich in poverty. / Father Tarasia, / pray to Christ God / / be saved to our souls.
Translation: By the rule of faith and the image of meekness, abstinence as a teacher, the immutable Truth has revealed you to your flock. Therefore, by humility you have acquired high, by poverty you have gained wealth. Father Tarasia, pray to Christ God that our souls be saved.
Kontakion to Saint Tarasius, Archbishop of Constantinople
Having understood the Orthodox dogmas of the Church, / and honor Christ’s, blessed, honest icon / and teach everyone to worship, / you denounced the godless decree of the iconoclasts.
Translation: Having explained the Orthodox dogmas of the Church, and Christ, blessed, revered icon to glorify and teach everyone to worship it, you denounced the godless teachings of the iconoclasts. Therefore, we appeal to you, father: “Rejoice, wise Tarasius!”
First Prayer to Saint Tarasius, Archbishop of Constantinople
Oh, all-praiseful to the saint of Christ and the miracle worker Tarasia! Receive this small prayer from us sinners who come running to you, and with your warm intercession, beseech the Lord and our God Jesus Christ, as if, having looked upon us mercifully, grants us forgiveness of our voluntary and involuntary sins, and by your majesty save us from your majesty , sorrows, sorrows and diseases of the soul and body that hold us; let it give fruitfulness to the earth, and all that is necessary for the benefit of our present life; May this temporary life end with us in repentance, and may it grant us sinners and unworthy of His Heavenly Kingdom, with all the saints glorify His infinite mercy, with His Beginning Father and the Holy and Life-Giving Spirit in the Ages. Amen.
Second Prayer to Saint Tarasius, Archbishop of Constantinople
Oh, the precessive and sacred glabel and grace of the Holy Spirit performed, Sunzovo with the Father, the Great Bishop, the Warm Support, St. Tarasie, comes to the throne of all the king and enjoying the light of the Soft Trinity and Heruvimski from the angels who brought the song Trisity, the great and inener Having to the furnace lords, moths to escape the flock of Christ, the welfare of holy churches asserts, the bishops of saint saint decorated, monasticing to the feud Deliver us from famine and destruction, and save us from the attack of foreigners, console the old, instruct the young, make the foolish, have mercy on widows, intercede for orphans, increase babies, return captives, heal the weak, and call those who give warmth I, praying to you from all misfortunes and troubles by your intercession, pray for us the All-Generous and Human-loving Christ our God, and on the day of His terrible coming He will deliver us from Shuyago standing and the joys of the saints, the communicants will create with all the saints. Amen.
Reading the Gospel Together with the Church
The Holy Church reads the Gospel of Matthew. Chapter 6, Art. 14-21.
14 For if you forgive people their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive people their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.
16 Also, when you fast, do not be despondent like the hypocrites, for they take on gloomy faces in order to appear to people who are fasting. I tell you truly, they already receive their reward.
17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 to appear fasting, not before men, but before your Father who is in the secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly.
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal, 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Matthew ch. 6:14-21.)
cartoon calendar
Orthodox educational courses
OLD BUT NOT ALONE WITH CHRIST: Sermon on the Meeting of the Lord
With Imeon and Anna - two old people - did not see themselves as lonely, because they lived by God and for God. We do not know what life sorrows and senile illnesses they had, but for a person who loves God, is grateful to God, such trials and temptations will never replace the most important thing - the joy of the Meeting of Christ....
Download
(MP3 file. Duration 9:07 min. Size 8.34 Mb)
Hieromonk Nikon (Parimanchuk)
Preparation for the Sacrament of Holy Baptism
AT section " Preparation for Baptism" site "Sunday school: online courses " Archpriest Andrey Fedosov, head of the department of education and catechesis of the Kinel Diocese, information has been collected that will be useful to those who are going to be baptized themselves, or who want to baptize their child or become a godparent.
R The section consists of five categorical conversations, which reveal the content of the Orthodox dogma within the framework of the Creed, explain the sequence and meaning of the rites performed at Baptism, and provide answers to common questions related to this Sacrament. Each conversation is accompanied by additional materials, links to sources, recommended literature and Internet resources.
O The lectures of the course are presented in the form of texts, audio files and videos.
Course Topics:
- Conversation #1 Preliminary Concepts
- Conversation #2 Sacred Bible Story
- Conversation No. 3 Church of Christ
- Conversation #4 Christian Morality
- Conversation No. 5 The Sacrament of Holy Baptism
Applications:
- Frequently asked Questions
- Orthodox saints
Reading the lives of the saints of Dmitry Rostov for every day
Recent Entries
Radio "Vera"
Radio VERA is a new radio station that talks about the eternal truths of the Orthodox faith.
TV channel Tsargrad: Orthodoxy
Pravoslavnaya Gazeta, Yekaterinburg
Pravoslavie.Ru - Encounter with Orthodoxy
- Meeting 7. The experience of the spiritual life of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt
Considered sl. questions: advice on fighting passions and acquiring virtues, advice on family life and raising children, attitudes towards modern culture and modern problems, missionary experience.
- Sermon on the Day of Remembrance of the Monk Martyr Cornelius of Pskov-Caves
The senior steward of the Pskov-Caves Monastery is the Monk Martyr Cornelius. And we monks are just servants. And it's a shame if we forget about it.
- Understanding "universality" in the Orthodox tradition
The Orthodox tradition has never considered the epithet "Ecumenical" in the title of any bishop as an indication of his worldwide jurisdiction.
- Exhibition "The Last Days of the Last Tsar"
Items that belonged to Nicholas II and his family, found in the Ipatiev House during the investigation of the murder of the royal family in 1918, are on display at the Museum of Russian History at the Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville.
To Every society, like every person, needs a bright spiritual ideal. Society needs it especially acutely in the era of the "Time of Troubles". What serves us, the Russian people, as this spiritual ideal, the spiritual core, the force that has united Russia for a whole millennium in the face of invasions, troubles, wars and other global cataclysms?
H There is no doubt that Orthodoxy is such a binding force, but not in the form in which it came to Russia from Byzantium, but in the form in which it acquired on Russian soil, taking into account the national, political and socio-economic characteristics of Ancient Russia. Byzantine Orthodoxy came to Russia, having already formed a pantheon of Christian saints, for example, such as Nicholas the Wonderworker, John the Baptist and others, deeply revered to this day. By the 11th century, Christianity in Russia was only taking its first steps, and for many ordinary people of that time it was not yet a source of faith. Indeed, in order to recognize the holiness of the alien saints, one had to believe very deeply, to be imbued with the spirit of the Orthodox faith. It is a completely different matter when before one's eyes there is an example in the person of one's own, a Russian person, sometimes even a commoner, performing holy asceticism. Here the most skeptical person towards Christianity will come to believe. Thus, by the end of the 11th century, the Russian pantheon of saints began to form, revered to this day on a par with common Christian saints.
) was built in the 4th century AD. In the middle of the 15th century, as a result of the capture of a European city by the Ottoman Turks, the cathedral became an Islamic mosque. In 1935, the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul acquired the status of a museum, and in 1985 it was included as a historical monument in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Where is Hagia Sophia located?
The famous symbol of great Byzantium is now officially called the Hagia Sophia Museum and is located in the historical district of Sultanahmet - in the old center of Turkish Istanbul.
Who built the Hagia Sophia?
The history of Hagia Sophia began in the first quarter of the 4th century during the reign of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great, the founder of the capital of the empire, Constantinople. In 1380, Emperor Theodosius I handed over the temple to Orthodox Christians and appointed Gregory the Theologian archbishop. Several times the cathedral was destroyed by fire and damaged by earthquakes. In 1453, the Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque, four minarets and buttresses were built next to it, which completely transformed the general appearance of the architectural structure, and the temple frescoes were covered over. Only after Hagia Sophia was declared a museum, layers of plaster were removed from numerous frescoes and mosaics.
Architecture of Hagia Sophia
As a result of many reconstructions and restorations, almost nothing remained of the original building. But in general, the architecture of the majestic building retained the features inherent in Byzantine art: a special combination of pomp and solemnity. Today, the Hagia Sophia in Turkey is a quadrangular building that forms three naves. The basilica is crowned with a giant dome, consisting of forty arches, supported by huge columns of malachite and porphyry. There are 40 windows in the upper part of the dome, in addition, there are 5 windows in each niche. The unique strength and strength of the walls, according to experts, is ensured by the fact that an extract of ash leaves was added to the mortar.
The interior decoration of the cathedral is especially pompous: details of colored marble, fancy mosaics on the golden floor, mosaic compositions on the walls depicting biblical and historical scenes, as well as floral ornaments. In mosaic works, three time periods in the development of this type of art are clearly distinguished, differing in the features of the use of color and the creation of an image.
The sights of the temple are 8 unusually green jasper columns, once brought from, and the famous "weeping column". According to legend, if you touch a hole in a column covered with layers of copper and at the same time feel the presence of moisture, then the hidden desire will certainly come true.
A feature of Hagia Sophia is a combination of images of Christian symbols, Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, saints, Old Testament prophets and quotations from the Koran, located on huge shields. Of particular interest are the inscriptions made on stone parapets over many centuries. The most ancient are the Scandinavian runes left by the Varangian warriors in the Middle Ages. Now they are covered with a special heavy-duty transparent material that protects the runic inscriptions from erasure.
In recent years, there has been an extensive campaign to return Hagia Sophia to Orthodox Christianity, as originally intended. Christians in many countries of the world join the demands to return the ancient temple to Orthodoxy, so that believers have the opportunity to pray in the church.
: 41°00?31 s. sh. 28°58?48 E d. / 41.00861° s. sh. 28.98000° E d. / 41.00861; 28.98000 (G) (O) (I)
Hagia Sophia - the Wisdom of God, Hagia Sophia of Constantinople, Hagia Sophia (Greek ?, in full: ?; Tur. Ayasofya) - a former patriarchal Orthodox cathedral, later a mosque, now a museum; the world-famous monument of Byzantine architecture, a symbol of the "golden age" of Byzantium. The official name of the monument today is the Hagia Sophia Museum (tour. Ayasofya Muzesi).
During the Byzantine Empire, the cathedral was located in the center of Constantinople next to the imperial palace. Currently located in the historical center of Istanbul, Sultanahmet district. After the capture of the city by the Ottomans, the Sofia Cathedral was turned into a mosque, and in 1935 it acquired the status of a museum. In 1985, the Hagia Sophia, among other monuments of the historical center of Istanbul, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
For more than a thousand years, the St. Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople remained the largest church in the Christian world - until the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. The height of St. Sophia Cathedral is 55.6 meters, the diameter of the dome is 31 meters.
Story
First buildings
Fragments of the Basilica of Theodosius
The cathedral was built on the market square of Augusteon in 324-337 under the Byzantine emperor Constantine I. Socrates Scholasticus the construction of the first temple, called Sophia, refers to the reign of Emperor Constantius II. According to N. P. Kondakov, Constantius only expanded the construction of Constantine. Socrates Scholasticus reports the exact date of the consecration of the temple: “after the erection of Eudoxius to the episcopal throne of the capital, the great church was consecrated, known under the name of Sophia, which happened on the tenth consulate of Constantius and the third of Caesar Julian, on the fifteenth day of the month of February.” From 360 to 380, St. Sophia Cathedral was in the hands of the Arians. Emperor Theodosius I in 380 handed over the cathedral to the Orthodox and on November 27 personally introduced Gregory the Theologian, who was soon elected the new Archbishop of Constantinople, to the cathedral.
This temple burned down during a popular uprising in 404. The newly built church was destroyed by fire in 415. Emperor Theodosius II ordered to build a new basilica on the same site, which was completed in the same year. The Theodosius Basilica burned down in 532 during the Nika uprising. Its ruins were discovered only in 1936 during excavations on the territory of the cathedral.
The Constantine and Theodosius churches were large five-aisled basilicas. A meager idea of it is given only by archaeological finds, which allow us to judge only its impressive size and rich marble decoration. Also, based on its ancient descriptions, they conclude that two-tier galleries were located above its side aisles, similar to the basilica of St. Irene built simultaneously with it.
Justinian Basilica
An angel shows Justinian a model of the Hagia Sophia
According to John Malale, the temple burned down on January 13, 532 during the Nika uprising. Forty days after the fire, Emperor Justinian I ordered a new church of the same name to be built in its place, which, according to his plan, was to become an adornment of the capital and serve as an expression of the greatness of the empire. For the construction of a grandiose temple, Justinian bought the nearest plots of land from private owners and ordered the demolition of the buildings located on them. To manage the work, Justinian invited the best architects of that time: Isidore of Miletus and Anthimius of Trall, who had previously established themselves by building the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus. Under their leadership, 10,000 workers worked daily.
Construction history
The best building material was used for the construction. Marble was brought from Proconnis, Numidia, Karista and Hierapolis. Also, according to the imperial circular, architectural elements of ancient buildings were brought to Constantinople (for example, eight porphyry columns taken from the Temple of the Sun were delivered from Rome, and eight green marble columns from Ephesus). In addition to marble decorations, Justinian, in order to give the temple he was building an unprecedented brilliance and luxury, used gold, silver, and ivory to decorate it. The Russian pilgrim Anthony of Novgorod, who compiled a description of Constantinople before it was sacked by the crusaders in 1204, gives the following description of the altar of the cathedral:
In the great altar, above the great holy meal, under the catapetasma, the crown of Konstantin was hung, and a cross was hung in it, under the cross there was a golden dove; and other kings' crowns hang around the catapetasma. The same catapetasma is all made of gold and silver, and the pillars of the altar and ambon are all silver ... And yet, a miracle and a terrible and holy phenomenon: in St. Sophia in the great altar behind the holy throne stands a golden cross, above two people from the ground with precious stones and pearls made, and before him hangs a cross of gold and a half cubits ... in front of him are three golden lamps in which oil burns, these lamps and the cross were built by King Justinian, the builder of the church.
Construction of Hagia Sophia (miniature from the chronicle of Constantine Manasseh)
The unprecedented and unheard-of splendor of the temple amazed the people's imagination to such an extent that legends arose about the direct participation of heavenly forces in its construction. According to one legend, Justinian wanted to cover the walls of Hagia Sophia with gold from floor to arch, but astrologers predicted that “at the end of the centuries, very poor kings will come who, in order to capture all the wealth of the temple, will tear it down to the ground,” and the emperor, who took care of his glory, limited the luxury of construction.
The construction of the cathedral absorbed three annual incomes of the Byzantine Empire. "Solomon, I have surpassed you!" - such words were uttered, according to legend, by Justinian, entering the built cathedral and referring to the legendary Jerusalem Temple. The solemn consecration of the temple on December 27, 537 was performed by the Patriarch Mina of Constantinople.
Procopius of Caesarea, a contemporary of construction, describing the buildings of Emperor Justinian, enthusiastically describes the Hagia Sophia:
This temple presented a wonderful sight - for those who looked at it, it seemed exceptional, for those who heard about it - absolutely incredible. In height, it rises as if to the sky and, like a ship on the high waves of the sea, it stands out among other buildings, as if leaning over the rest of the city, decorating it as an integral part of it, it itself is decorated with it, since, being a part of it and entering into its composition, it stands out above it so much that from it you can see the whole city at a glance.
Procopius of Caesarea. On Buildings (Book 5: I:27)
From the moment of construction, the name "great" was assigned to the church. For the performance of divine services in the cathedral there were numerous precious utensils. For the manufacture of the precious throne of the cathedral, according to Dorotheus of Monemvasia, “gold, silver, copper, electr, iron, glass, many honest stones, yachts, emeralds, beads, kasider, magnet, he (x) y, diamonds and other things were used. seventy-two different things." On it, the emperor placed the inscription "Yours from Yours we bring to You Yours, Christ, servants Justinian and Theodora." The state church and clergy of the cathedral under Justinian was designed for 525 people: 60 priests, 100 deacons, 40 deaconesses, 90 subdeacons, 110 readers, 25 chanters and 100 gatekeepers. Under Emperor Heraclius, it reached 600 people. According to the 43rd short story of Justinian, each trade and craft corporation allocated a certain number of workshops (ergastiriya), the income from which went to the needs of the Hagia Sophia.
The history of the cathedral during the Byzantine Empire
Interior view of the vaults of the cathedral
A few years after the completion of construction, an earthquake destroyed part of the cathedral:
the Eastern part of St. Sophia fell, which is under the holy altar, and destroyed the ciborium (that is, the canopy) and the holy meal and pulpit. And the mechanics admitted that since they, avoiding costs, did not arrange support from below, but left spans between the pillars that supported the dome, therefore the pillars could not stand it. Seeing this, the most pious king erected other pillars to support the dome; and in this way the dome was arranged, rising in height by more than 20 spans in comparison with the former building.
Chronography of Theophanes, year 6051/551
The cathedral also suffered from the earthquake of 989, especially its dome was destroyed. The building was propped up with buttresses, from which it lost its former appearance. The collapsed dome was rebuilt by the Armenian architect Trdat, the author of the Ani Cathedral, and the architect made the dome even more sublime.
On July 16, 1054, in the St. Sophia Cathedral, on the holy altar, during a divine service, the legate of the Pope, Cardinal Humbert, Patriarch Michael Cerularius of Constantinople was presented with a letter of exclusion. (It is this date that is considered to be the date of the division of the churches into Catholic and Orthodox.)
Before the Crusaders sacked Constantinople in 1204, the Shroud of Turin was kept in the cathedral.
In the 14th century, the well-known church composer John Kladas was the lampdarium of the cathedral.
Cathedral after the Ottoman conquest
Central view of the north nave in 1852
On May 30, 1453, Sultan Mehmed II, who conquered Constantinople, entered the Hagia Sophia, which was turned into a mosque. Four minarets were added to the cathedral, and the cathedral turned into the Ayasofya mosque. Since the cathedral was oriented according to the Christian tradition - the altar to the east, the Muslims had to change it, placing the mihrab in the southeast corner of the cathedral (direction to Mecca). Because of this alteration in Hagia Sophia, as in other former Byzantine temples, praying Muslims are forced to position themselves at an angle relative to the main volume of the building. Most of the frescoes and mosaics remained unscathed, according to some researchers, precisely because they were plastered over for several centuries.
In the second half of the 16th century, under sultans Selim II and Murad III, heavy and rough buttresses were added to the cathedral building, which significantly changed the appearance of the building. Until the middle of the 19th century, no restoration work was carried out in the temple. In 1847, Sultan Abdulmecid I commissioned the architects Gaspard and Giuseppe Fossati to restore the Hagia Sophia, which was in danger of collapsing. Restoration work continued for two years.
In 1935, according to the decree of Ataturk, Aya Sofya became a museum, and layers of plaster hiding them were removed from the frescoes and mosaics. In 2006, a small room was allocated in the museum complex for holding Muslim religious rites by the museum staff.
architectural features
1. Entrance 2. Imperial Gate 3. Weeping Column 4. Altar. Mihrab 5. Minbar 6. The Sultan's Lodge 7. Omphalos ("navel of the world") 8. Marble urns from Pergamum a.) Byzantine baptistery, tomb of Sultan Mustafa I b.) Minarets of Sultan Selim II
In terms of plan, the cathedral is an oblong quadrangle (75.6 m long and 68.4 m wide), forming three naves: the middle one is wide, the side ones are narrower. This is a basilica with a quadrangular cross, crowned with a dome. The giant domed system of the cathedral became a masterpiece of architectural thought of its time. The strength of the walls of the temple is achieved, according to Turkish researchers, by adding an extract of ash leaves to the mortar.
The middle of the wide nave, square at the base, is limited at the corners by four massive pillars supporting huge arches, and is covered with a rather flat dome 31 m in diameter, the top of which is 51 m from the floor. The dome consists of forty radial arches; arched windows (there are also 40 of them) are cut in the lower parts of the inter-arch spaces, due to which a feeling of a continuous light belt is created in the lower part of the dome. The dome is connected to the overlapped rectangular space with the help of spherical triangles - sails - which later became widespread in world architecture. Two colossal niches with a hemispherical top adjoin the domed space from the east and west: three more smaller niches open into the eastern niche with their arches, of which the middle one, which served as the altar apse, is deeper than the others and protrudes from the general plan of the temple in the form of a semicircle; three niches also adjoin the western large niche; of these, the middle one, representing at the top not a hemispherical, but an ordinary box vault, contains three doors leading to the inner and outer vestibules attached to the temple (esonartex and exonartex), in front of which there was once a now non-existent courtyard, surrounded by a gallery with columns.
The domed space on the north and south sides communicates with the side aisles with the help of arches supported by porphyry and malachite columns taken from the temples of Asia Minor and Egypt; under these arches there is another tier of similar arches, which open into the dome space arranged in the side aisles of the gynaecium galleries, and even higher - the huge arches supporting the dome are sealed with a straight wall with windows arranged in three rows. In addition to these windows, the interior of the temple provides abundant, although somewhat diffused illumination of 40 windows encircling the base of the dome, and five windows each in large and small niches.
The central nave of the cathedral, the chancel and the main dome
The interior decoration of the temple lasted for several centuries and was distinguished by special luxury (mosaics on the golden floor, 8 green jasper columns from the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus). The walls of the temple were also completely covered with mosaics (both plot compositions and ornaments). With its majestic architecture and decoration
the main sanctuary of the entire state inspired the idea of the power of the Byzantine Empire and the church. This was served by the size of the temple, designed for crowds of thousands of people, and the luxury of interior decoration with colored marble and decorative mosaics, and the splendor of the ceremonies that took place in the temple. It was in a new type of building, in the domed basilica of St. Sophia, the most consistently expressed characteristic of Byzantine art of the 6th century. tendencies towards grandiosity, majestic pomp and solemnity.
The sights of Hagia Sophia include the "weeping column", covered with copper (there is a belief that if you put your hand in the hole and, feeling wet, make a wish, it will surely come true), as well as the "cold window", where even on the hottest day blows cool breeze.
In 1935, layers of plaster covering them were removed from the frescoes and mosaics. Thus, at present, on the walls of the temple, one can see both images of Jesus Christ and the Mother of God, and quotes from the Koran on four large oval shields.
On the railings of the upper gallery of the temple, you can find graffiti left throughout the history of its existence. The most ancient of them are covered with transparent plastic and are considered one of the protected sites (see section Runic inscriptions).
Mosaic cycle
Mosaic image of the Virgin in the apse
The mosaics of Hagia Sophia are an example of Byzantine monumental art from the period of the Macedonian dynasty. The mosaics show all three stages in the development of metropolitan neoclassicism, as they were made in three periods: around the middle of the 9th century, at the turn of the 9th-10th centuries and at the end of the 10th century.
Mosaic of the apse
The very first mosaic cycle was created after the end of iconoclasm in 867. These include the mosaics of the apse and the vima adjoining it. The manner of execution of these mosaics makes them related to the painting of the 7th century. In the apse there is a throne image of the Mother of God, holding in front of her on her knees the baby Christ. Two archangels were depicted on the arches of the vima on either side of the figure of the Virgin (only a mosaic with the archangel Gabriel has survived. A Greek inscription (almost completely lost) was placed along the edge of the conch with the following text: “The images that the deceivers overthrew here were restored by the pious rulers.” pilgrim Anthony of Novgorod, who visited Constantinople around 1200, reports that the mosaic of the apse was created by the icon painter Lazar, who suffered during the period of iconoclasm, and after the Triumph of Orthodoxy received wide recognition.The probability of this is admitted by A. Grabar and completely excluded by the Byzantinist K. Mango. Academician V. N Lazarev described the mosaic depicting the Virgin as follows:
Archangel Gabriel (mosaic of the arch of vima)
Instead of subordinating the figure to the plane, the mosaicist arranges it as if it protrudes from a golden background. In such an interpretation, the remnants of that ancient understanding of form, which could be called statuary, are vividly felt. And the ancient echoes in the beautiful, full of femininity face of Mary are just as strong. A soft oval, a well-shaped nose, juicy lips - everything gives it an earthy character. But at the same time, he captivates with his spirituality.
No less highly appreciated by him is the mosaic with the archangel Gabriel, he believes that "next to the Nicene angels, this amazing image represents one of the highest incarnations of the Byzantine genius." It is noted that the mosaicist conveyed an impetuous spiritual power in the image, but the proportions of the image are elongated and the correct outlines of the image are lost.
Mosaics of the southern vestibule and the northern tympanum
The images in the vaulted room in the southwestern corner above the southern vestibule of the cathedral belong to the first period of the creation of mosaic decoration. The entrance wall was decorated with a deesis (the figure of John the Baptist has not been preserved). 12 figures were placed on the vault, of which only the prophet Ezekiel, the first martyr Stephen in the pose of an orant, and the emperor Constantine have been preserved and can be identified. In the lunettes of the side walls are placed half-figures of the twelve apostles and four holy patriarchs of Constantinople during the iconoclasm: Herman, Tarasius, Nicephorus and Methodius. V. N. Lazarev notes the low level of these mosaics and suggests that they were created by masters from monastic circles, and their very period of creation immediately after the end of the iconoclasm period determines the influence of folk art on them.
John Chrysostom
Around 878, mosaics depicting sixteen Old Testament prophets and fourteen saints were created in the north tympanum of the cathedral. Of these, mosaics depicting John Chrysostom, Ignatius the God-bearer and four other saints have been preserved. The level of mosaicists who worked on their creation, V.N. Lazarev assesses as low, but notes:
The figures are broad and squat, the facial features are large, still devoid of the dryness and pointedness characteristic of later mosaics, the robes fall in calm folds, in which there is nothing of calligraphic refinement. The pinkish tones of the faces are treated with green shadows, the palette is built on light, mainly gray and white, shades, so that it lacks the density and saturation of color that distinguish the mosaics of the 11th century.
Narfik entrance mosaic
Emperor Leo VI kneels before Jesus Christ
During the reign of Emperor Leo VI (886-912), the lunette of the narficus was decorated with a mosaic depicting Jesus Christ sitting on a throne with the Gospel open with the words “Peace be with you. I am the light of the world”, in the left hand and blessing with the right. On either side of it in medallions are depicted half-figures of the Virgin Mary and the Archangel Michael in medallions. To the left of Jesus is the kneeling Emperor Leo VI. Despite the fact that the composition is not symmetrical (the figure of the Lion does not correspond to any figure on the right), the mosaic has a strict balanced composition: “It is carried out due to the wide strip below, against which the figure is placed, which thus does not constitute an independent compositional spot. This strip contributes to the weighting of the lower part of the image, its solid construction.
Andrei Grabar notes that this composition is very rare for imperial iconography. It probably reflects some solemn religious ceremony. This version is based on the solemn meeting of the emperor by the patriarch in the narthica of the church of Hagia Sophia, described in the work of Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus “On Ceremonies”. The emperor listened to the “prayer of entry” from the patriarch, and then, before entering the nave of the cathedral, he bowed three times before this door. Parallels are also found between the plot of the mosaic and the poem of Leo VI in which he describes the Last Judgment and falls at the feet of Christ and appeals for intercession to the Mother of God and heavenly powers.
Academician V.N. Lazarev described the mosaic of Emperor Leo’s worship of Jesus Christ as follows:
In terms of texture, the mosaic of the lunette occupies an intermediate position between the mosaics of the apse and vima and the mosaic of the vestibule of St. Sofia. In the figures there is still a heaviness typical of the art of the 9th century: large, rather massive heads, squat proportions, large limbs. The drawing, especially in the interpretation of fabrics, is sometimes knocked down, the faces are devoid of subtle spirituality, there is something sluggish and even impersonal in the whitish color scheme.
Austrian art historian Otto Demus points out that this mosaic can only be viewed from below and from a very large angle of view. This is because the mosaic cubes are placed obliquely in the wall to form a right angle with the viewer's eye.
Portrait of Emperor Alexander
Emperor Alexander
On the northwestern pillar of the northern gallery of the cathedral is a mosaic portrait of Emperor Alexander. It was opened during the restoration work in 1958 and has an exact date of 912. The mosaic belongs to the type of votive images and is a lifetime portrait of the emperor.
The figure is depicted in a frontal pose, Alexander is presented in a precious vestment, girded with lore, adorned with precious stones, and a crown with pendants. A cylindrical object (akakia or anaksikakia) is placed in the right hand, and an orb in the left. The mosaic depicts the emperor at the Easter service. According to the book “On Ceremonies”, on this day the emperor from the Grand Palace went to the cathedral, carrying an akakiya in his hand (according to Georgy Kodin, it was a bundle of silk fabric filled with earth), and girded himself with lore.
On the sides of the image are medallions containing the name of the emperor and monograms, deciphered as "Lord, help your servant, Orthodox noble emperor." On the arches adjacent to the mosaic with the image of Emperor Alexander, fragments of mosaics with ornaments, made at the same time as the portrait, have been preserved. However, among them two fragments of the image of acanthus shoots dated from the period of Justinian I were discovered.
Academician V. N. Lazarev notes that a feature of this mosaic is the widespread use of silver cubes (compared to gold ones), which occupy about 1/3 of the background of the mosaic. Also, in some places of the mosaic (for example, the thumb and on the palm of the left hand), the preparatory fresco painting was not covered with mosaic cubes.
Mosaic of the south vestibule
Emperors Constantine and Justinian in front of the Mother of God
The mosaic of the lunette above the door from the southern vestibule to the narthic of the cathedral was created in the second half of the 10th century. It depicts the Mother of God on the throne with the Mother of God on her knees, and on the sides of the emperors Constantine (on the right), bringing the city of Constantinople as a gift, and Justinian (on the left), bringing the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia to the Mother of God. The plot itself, according to V. N. Lazarev, was borrowed from ancient art. According to the art critic V. D. Likhacheva, this mosaic reminds of the portraits of Justinian and Theodora in the Basilica of San Vitale. The room on the same mosaic of Constantine and Justinian does not find analogues in Byzantine art. Andrei Grabar notes that it is possible that the mosaicist copied some ancient pattern, since the emperors, although depicted in ceremonial clothes of the 11th century, do not have beards, although they were in fashion at the time the mosaic was created.
The mosaic is distinguished by an attempt to convey space - the plane of the earth and the perspective in the image of the throne give it depth; also the figures themselves have volume. They note an attempt to create historical portraits of emperors on this mosaic. Academician V. N. Lazarev writes that this mosaic is inferior to other examples of late Macedonian art, and in comparison with the mosaic of the vestibule, it differs in the use of purple, gold and silver colors, beloved at the imperial court. Also, this mosaic is distinguished by the fact that in its individual elements the linear-patterned interpretation becomes overwhelming technique (for example, the hands of the Virgin and emperors are drawn to the wrists with curved, but depicting nothing lines).
Islamic elements of architecture and decoration
Minbar, from where the imam delivers sermonsRunic inscriptions
One of the runic inscriptions at Hagia Sophia Main article: Runic inscriptions at Hagia Sophia
Runic inscriptions in Hagia Sophia are inscriptions made in Scandinavian runes on the marble parapets of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. They were probably scrawled by warriors from the Varangian guard of the emperor of Byzantium in the Middle Ages. The first of the runic inscriptions was discovered in 1964, then a number of other inscriptions were found. The possibility of the existence of other runic inscriptions is also assumed, but special research of this kind was not carried out in the cathedral.
Temple Liberation Campaign
In 2007, a number of influential American businessmen and politicians led a movement to return Hagia Sophia's original status, the Free Agia Sophia Council. At a Congressional Human Rights Caucus public hearing on June 20, 2007 chaired by Congressional Foreign Policy Committee Chairman Tom Lantos, New Hampshire Democratic Party President Raymond Buckley said, in part: : “It is unacceptable to deprive people of the right to pray in their Mother Church<…>It is unacceptable to endure the daily desecration of this sacred place, which is used for trade fairs and concerts. It is unacceptable to continue to allow such open disrespect for Orthodox Christianity, and indeed for all Christianity.”
Chris Spirou, president of the international movement Council for the Liberation of Hagia Sophia, said in an April 2009 interview with the Russian newspaper Zavtra:
We strive for the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia of the Wisdom of God to take its rightful place again as a temple, sacred to all Christianity, as the mother of all churches, as the royal temple of Orthodoxy - which it was before the capture by the Ottoman Turks in 1453. The thing is that Hagia Sophia has never been a mosque and has never been a museum. It has always been a Christian temple, converted into a mosque of the conquering sultan, and then into a museum. I consider it obligatory to return this temple to its original purpose.
The cathedral is located in the historical center of Istanbul in the Sultanahmet area. Today it is one of the symbols of the city and a museum.
Hagia Sophia is recognized as one of the greatest examples of Byzantine architecture that has survived to this day, which even sometimes called "the eighth wonder of the world."
According to the Russian scientist N.P. Kondakov, this temple "did more for the empire than many of its wars." The Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople became the pinnacle of Byzantine architecture and for many centuries determined the development of architecture in the countries of Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the Caucasus.
The temple is one of the most ancient and majestic buildings belonging to the Christian religion. Hagia Sophia is considered the 4th museum in the world equal in scale to such masterpieces as the Church of St. Paul in London, San Pietro in Rome and the Houses in Milan.
The name Sophia is usually interpreted as "wisdom", although it has a much broader meaning. It can mean "mind", "knowledge", "skill", "talent", etc. Christ is often identified with Sophia in the sense of wisdom and reason. Thus, Sophia represents an aspect of Jesus as an image of Divine Wisdom.
Sophia is not only a spiritual category, but also a popular female name. It was worn by the Christian Saint Sophia, who lived in the 2nd century - her memory is celebrated on May 15th. The name Sofia is common in Greece, Romania and South Slavic countries. In Greece, there is also a male name Sophronios with a similar meaning - reasonable, wise.
Sophia - The Wisdom of God is dedicated to numerous Orthodox churches, among which the most famous is Hagia Sophia in Constantinople - the main temple of the Byzantine Empire.
Hagia Sophia
The lights were on, incomprehensible
The language sounded, the great sheikh read
Holy Quran - and the immense dome
Disappeared in gloomy darkness.
Throwing a curved saber over the crowd,
Sheikh raised his face, closed his eyes - and fear
Reigned in the crowd, and dead, blind
She lay on the carpets...
And in the morning the temple was bright. Everything was silent
In humble and sacred silence,
And the sun brightly illuminated the dome
In an unfathomable height.
And the doves in it, rhea, cooed,
And from above, from every window,
The expanse of heaven and the air called sweetly
To you, Love, to you, Spring!
Ivan Bunin
This is how the Byzantine writes about the temple chronicler Procopius: “This temple is a wonderful sight ... It soars up to the very sky, standing out among other buildings, like a boat in the stormy waves of the open sea ... It is all full of sunlight, it seems as if it is the temple itself that radiates this light.”
FOR MORE THAN 1000 YEARS, SOPHIA CATHEDRAL IN CONSTANTINOPOLE REMAINED THE LARGEST TEMPLE IN THE CHRISTIAN WORLD (PRIOR TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF ST. PETER'S CATHEDRAL IN ROME).
Its height is 55 meters, the diameter of the dome is 31 meters, the length is 81 meters, and the width is 72 meters. If you look at the temple from a bird's eye view, you can see that it is a cross measuring 70x50.
The most spectacular part of the structure is its dome. In shape, it is close to a circle, with a diameter of almost 32 meters. For the first time, sails were used for its construction - curved triangular vaults. 4 supports support the dome, and it is formed by 40 arches with windows cut into them. The light entering these windows creates the illusion that the dome is floating in the air. The inner space of the temple is divided into 3 parts - naves, with the help of columns and pillars.
The experts conclude that the domed system of this ancient structure of such colossal proportions, which still amazes specialists and remains a real masterpiece of architectural thought. However, like the decoration of the cathedral itself. It has always been considered the most luxurious.
The interior decoration of the temple lasted for several centuries and was distinguished by special luxury - 107 columns of malachite (according to legend from the temple of Artemis in Ephesus) and Egyptian porphyry support the galleries surrounding the main nave. Mosaic on the golden floor. Mosaic completely covering the walls of the temple.
The central nave of the cathedral, the chancel and the main dome
Tradition tells that the builders of the Sophia Temple competed with their predecessors, who once created the legendary Solomon Temple in Jerusalem, and when the Hagia Sophia was completed on Christmas Day 537 and consecrated, Emperor Justinian exclaimed: “Solomon, I have surpassed You.”
An angel shows Justinian a model of the Hagia Sophia
Even for a modern person, the Hagia Sophia makes a great impression. What can we say about the people of the Middle Ages! That is why many legends were associated with this temple. In particular, it was said that the plan of the building was handed to Emperor Justinian by the angels themselves when he was sleeping.
The Hagia Sophia is about a thousand years old, as are the frescoes on its walls and ceilings. These frescoes depict contemporaries of biblical events that took place at the turn of the first millennium, 10 centuries ago. The Hagia Sophia has been reconstructed since 1934.
Above the entrance you will see the icon of Our Lady of Blachernae with angels, the exonarthex depicts the childhood of Christ.
Mosaic image of the Virgin in the apse
Emperors Constantine and Justinian in front of the Mother of God
Emperor Alexander
Archangel Gabriel (mosaic of the arch of vima)
John Chrysostom
Mihrab located in the apse
When Sultan Mehmed II captured Constantinople (1453), the temple was turned into a mosque. 4 minarets were added, the interior decoration was greatly changed, the frescoes were covered with plaster, the altar was moved. Sophia Cathedral was renamed the Hagia Sophia Mosque.
After the Turkish conquest of Constantinople Sultan Mehmed Fatih in 1453, Aya Sofia was converted into a mosque. Sultan Mehmed II Fatih (the Conqueror) renovated the building and built one minaret. The frescoes and mosaics were covered with a layer of plaster and were only rediscovered during restoration work. In numerous reconstructions carried out during the Ottoman period, Hagia Sophia was significantly strengthened, including through stabilizing minarets. Subsequently, additional minarets appeared (there were only 4 of them), a library at the mosque, a madrasah at the mosque (a Muslim educational institution that acts as a secondary school) and shadyrvan (a place for ritual ablution before prayer).
Since 1935, by order of the founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Hagia Sophia has become a museum, and the mosaics and frescoes smeared by the Ottomans were opened, but bewitching Islamic ornaments were left next to them. Therefore, now inside the museum you can observe an unimaginable mixture of Christian and Islamic symbols.
The Fall of Constantinople (painting by an unknown Venetian artist of the late 15th - early 16th century)
