Byzantine Wonder – Hagia Sophia
Sane Mind Turkey

Byzantine Wonder – Hagia Sophia

The last time I visited Hagia Sophia was in 2019, when I travelled around Turkey. I started that particular trip in Istanbul where I stayed for a week, before departing for Bursa. Regardless of the fact that I had already seen this Byzantine wonder many times in the past, I went again.

Hagia Sophia was a museum in 2019. The ticket to enter was 6o Turkish liras, which was approximately 10 euros at that time.

However, under the pretext that it is a property of the Fatih Sultan Mehmed’s foundation, they re-converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque in 2020. Initially, the entrance was free, but now they charge 25 euros to enter. Despite this eye watering price, there was a long queue of tourists waiting to buy the ticket when I was there at the beginning of June this year.

In my opinion, it’s either a mosque or a museum. If it’s a mosque, the fee shouldn’t be charged.

 

 

HAGIA SOPHIA – BYZANTINE WONDER

 

I published a lot of posts from my Turkish trip five years ago. But, at that time, I decided not to write about Hagia Sophia for two reasons.

The first reason is that there is so much written about this Byzantine wonder. I am sure that my post will be totally lost in the ocean of available articles on the internet.

The second reason is that I wasn’t entirely happy with the photos. So, I decided to wait until the next time when I’m in Istanbul, to go back and take some better pictures. However, it seems that I will probably never take any new photos. I am reluctant to pay 25 euros to enter a mosque.

More importantly, from what I read, you can see only a small part of Hagia Sophia now. They’ve selected one part of the upper gallery for touristic visits. Unless you go there to pray, you will never be able to see this iconic structure from its ground floor perspective.

Even worse is that you will probably never be able to see some of the Hagia Sophia’s legendary mosaics, as they are covered. The floor is carpeted, you can no longer see the original floor and the coronation square.

Basically, now you have to pay a much higher fee, to see much less compared with what you could see in the past.

Thus, I’m publishing this post because I’d like to convey the magic of this former Christian Orthodox Byzantine wonder to people that have never seen it. But even if you go, you most likely won’t see images that you can see in this post.

 

 

SHORT HISTORY OF HAGIA SOPHIA

 

Built in 537, it served as the the Christian Orthodox temple until 1453. Fatih Sultan Mehmed converted it into a mosque literally 3 days after he had conquered Constantinople.

Being one of the world’s greatest monuments, Hagia Sophia became a museum in 1934. It happened after the establishment of the Turkish secular republic under the helm of the Father of the Nation – Kemal Atatürk. Turning Hagia Sophia into a museum was undoubtedly a symbolic move.

 

Hagia Sophia interior
Hagia Sophia

 

Conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque in 1453 marked the start of the Islamic rule over what had been Christian territory until that moment. Equally, conversion of Hagia Sophia into a museum in 1934 marked the establishment of the Turkish secular republic.

Hagia Sophia is again a mosque, but Turkey is still a secular state and, I believe, it will remain so forever. At this point, I no longer see how they can go back in time and establish an Islamic state. But maybe I’m wrong, the strangest things can happen with Hagia Sophia being the evidence of that.

 

Virgin and Child
Hagia Sophia Apse

 

 

VIRGIN AND CHILD

 

The mosaic of Virgin and Child is the oldest and most valuable mosaic in Hagia Sophia. Located in the apse of the former church, it’s directly above the mihrab and therefore covered by curtains.

I don’t know if they open the curtains outside of the prayer times. I also don’t know whether you can see this image properly from the upper gallery.

 

Apse
Virgin and Child

 

 

ISLAMIC ELEMENTS

 

You can see both the mosaic and the mihrab in the photo below. The mihrab indicates the direction of Mecca.

Two bronze lamps that you can see on each side of the mihrab were a loot by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent after the Budapest military operation.

 

Hagia Sophia mihrab
Mihrab

 

The minbar was added during the reign of Sultan Murad III.

 

Hagia Sophia minbar
Minbar

 

Sultan Mahmud I built the library in 1739. It consists of the reading room and library, decorated with the 16th and 18th century Iznik, Kütahya and Tekfur palace tiles.

 

Hagia Sophia library
Sultan Mahmud I’s Library

 

One of the most famous calligraphers of the period, Kazasker Mustafa Izzet Efendi, wrote the calligraphic roundels between 1847 and 1849 that you can see hanging on the walls of the central area.

 

Hagia Sophia calligraphic roundel
Calligraphic Roundel

 

There are two lustration urns in Hagia Sophia, I took a photo of one of them. They belong to the Hellenistic period (330-30 BC). Sultan Murad III brought them from the ancient city of Pergamon.

 

Hagia Sophia lustration urn
Lustration Urn

 

 

CHRISTIAN ORTHODOX MOSAICS

 

Mosaics that you can see in these three photos are all on the upper gallery of this Byzantine wonder. I don’t know whether it’s possible to see all of them under the new rules for foreign visitors.

This 13th century mosaics depicts Christ in the middle, John the Baptist on the right and Virgin Mary on the left.

 

Byzantine wonder
Virgin Mary and John the Baptist requesting Christ’s intercession for humanity

 

In this 12th century mosaic, Virgin Mary is in the middle with the Child in her arms, the Emperor John II Komnenos on the left and his wife Eirene on the right.

 

Byzantine wonder
The Emperor and his wife donating money for Hagia Sophia

 

Finally, this 11th century mosaic shows Christ on the throne in the middle, the Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos on the left and the Empress Zoe on the right.

 

Byzantine wonder
The Emperor and his wife donating money to Hagia Sophia

 

 

BYZANTINE WONDER – MUSEUM OR MOSQUE?

 

Was it necessary to re-convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque?

I suppose it doesn’t really matter for as long as they look after this very precious building. You can see a big scaffolding in the photo below. Keep in mind that the photo is 5 years old, although I believe that they are still doing the restoration works.

 

Byzantine wonder
Hagia Sophia dome

 

I can only think of the Pantheon in Rome as an equivalent to Hagia Sophia. Also an ancient building, the Pantheon is a functioning Catholic church, but they charge 5 euros to enter.

No fee should be charged to enter into a church or a mosque as a matter or principle. In Istanbul, you don’t have to pay to enter in any other mosque. But the current ticket price is extortionate, especially because you can no longer stand under the dome and marvel at Hagia Sophia’s immense size and beauty.

 

 

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