This historical building is a witness to many events in ancient Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) and has a centuries-old history, eventful: wars, fires, earthquakes, destruction.

The attraction is indicated in almost all tourist brochures, so you can imagine how popular this place is among tourists.

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The Cathedral of Sophia of Constantinople opened to parishioners in 537, almost 6 years after the first stone was laid at the foundation of the shrine. What knowledge did the builders of Hagia Sophia need? During the construction, fragments of other destroyed temples, columns from the Temple of Artemis, gold, silver and precious stones were used.

Even foreign ambassadors who came to Constantinople froze with admiration in front of the Church of St. Sophia of Constantinople. This cathedral subsequently burned down more than once, but every ruling emperor of that time ordered the shrine to be rebuilt.

After the conquest of Constantinople (1453), the St. Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople became the Hagia Sophia Mosque. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Turkish government decided to turn Hagia Sophia into a museum.

This Istanbul landmark has several names: Hagia Sophia, St. Sophia Cathedral, St. Sophia Cathedral of Constantinople. Translated from Greek, “Aya Sophia” means “sacred wisdom.”

At first glance, the Hagia Sophia Cathedral is unremarkable and has no special decorations - an ordinary building in a traditional style, of which there are many in Turkey. But if you first get into the courtyard and then go inside the building, you realize that all the beauty is inside.

Even by modern standards, the building is striking in its size: 75 by 68 meters, the diameter of the huge dome is 31 meters, the height from the floor is 51 meters. The labor of more than 10 thousand workers was used in the construction, and construction technologies and successful design solutions were subsequently successfully used in world architecture.

Initially, the cathedral looked completely different from what people are used to seeing it today. Previously, the cathedral looked like a building with a large dome and a number of extensions on the sides. In the 15th century (after the conquest of Constantinople), the cross on the dome was replaced by a golden crescent, and the Cathedral became the Hagia Sophia Mosque.

4 minarets were added to the main building in the corners (by the way, the minarets were built at different times by different sultans, so three minarets are made of white stone, and the fourth is made of red brick). After numerous fires and destruction in the 16th century, it was decided to restore and strengthen the mosque; additionally, stone buttresses were added, which served as some kind of supports to prevent the building from “sliding.” And after the 16th century, the tombs of the great sultans began to be added to the building.

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The interior decoration amazes with its splendor. The vaulted ceilings are decorated with frescoes and stucco. After Constantinople was conquered by the Turks, all the frescoes in the cathedral were covered with plaster, which is why they were so well preserved to this day, when during restoration work the layer of plaster was removed and the frescoes were again revealed to the world.

Due to the color of the marble, the first two floors Hagia Sophia in Constantinople appear dark gray, almost black. And closer to the dome, especially the upper tiers, are cast in gold - due to the warm golden color of the frescoes and paintings on the dome.

The floor is covered with black and gray tiles, which are cracked and fallen in places - these places are fenced off with special tapes. The walls are lavishly decorated with mosaics from the Byzantine period. These are mainly ornamental mosaics, but at a later time images of saints and scenes of Christian life began to appear.

The mosaic image of the Mother of God is especially valued by historians, which can be seen on the apse (a semicircular niche with a vault at the altar). The mosaic is made, like all the others, on a gold background, the Virgin's clothing is dark blue, and this combination of dark blue and gold reflects the spirit of Byzantine grandeur.

The altar and apse are very well preserved; next to it you can see the Sultan’s box (the Sultan was there with his sons and associates during services), and opposite there was a box for the female half of the Sultan’s family. An important element of the interior decoration are the huge panels on the walls, made in the classical traditions of Ottoman calligraphy.

The museum is also famous for its huge collection of ancient icons., relating to different periods of the development of Christianity, as well as objects of Christian worship. Hagia Sophia also has its own characteristics:

In the photo of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (Constantinople), which can be found in huge quantities, unique frescoes, mosaics and other decorations of the building are clearly visible.

This grandiose architectural structure on the shores of the Bosphorus every year attracts many tourists and pilgrims from many countries and from different continents. They are driven by the awareness 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. You need to see it 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 a complete 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 it will be possible 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 has passed under the bridge.

This cathedral was originally built as the highest spiritual symbol of Byzantium, a new Christian power that arose from the ruins of ancient Rome in the fourth century AD. But the history of the Temple of 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 founding date of the temple is forever associated with the name and period of the reign of this emperor. Even though the actual authors of the council 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 Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus. They are the authors of both the engineering, construction and artistic parts of a single architectural project.

How the temple was built

The description of the Temple of 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 had never been structures of this scale in the Roman Empire before.

Historical sources claim that the founding date of the cathedral is 324 AD. But what we see today began to be built about two centuries after this date. From the buildings of the fourth century, the founder of which was Constantine I the Great, only foundations and individual architectural fragments have now been preserved. 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 mid-sixth century, was faced with the task of erecting something new and hitherto unprecedented.

What is truly amazing is the fact that the grandiose construction of the cathedral lasted only five years, from 532 to 537. More than ten thousand workers, mobilized from all over the empire, worked simultaneously on construction. For this purpose, the best varieties of marble from Greece were delivered to the shores of the Bosphorus in the required quantities. Emperor Justinian did not spare funds for construction, since he was erecting not just a symbol of the state greatness of the Eastern Roman Empire, but also a Temple to the glory of God. He was supposed to bring the light of Christian teaching to the whole world.

From historical sources

A description of the Temple of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople can be found in the early historical chronicles of the Byzantine court chroniclers. It is clear from them that contemporaries were left with an indelible impression by the grandeur and grandeur of this structure.

Many believed that it was absolutely impossible to build such a cathedral without the direct intervention of divine powers. The main dome of the greatest Christian world was visible from afar to all sailors in the Sea of ​​Marmara approaching the Bosphorus Strait. It served as a kind of beacon, and this also had a spiritual and symbolic meaning. This was what was planned from the beginning: Byzantine churches were supposed to eclipse in their grandeur everything that was built before them.

Cathedral interior

The general 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 interior execution, the Temple of Sophia in Constantinople significantly surpasses everything that was built before it. This is precisely the task that Emperor Justinian set before the architects and builders. By his will, ready-made columns and other architectural elements taken from pre-existing ancient structures were delivered from many cities of the empire to decorate the temple. The dome completion was particularly difficult.

The grandiose main dome was supported by an arched colonnade with forty window openings, which 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 spent on its decoration. According to the testimony of Byzantine historiographers and the estimates of modern experts, Emperor Justinian spent several of his country’s annual budgets on the interior of the cathedral alone. In his ambitions, he wanted to surpass the Old Testament King Solomon, who erected 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 fulfill his intention.

Byzantine style

St. Sophia Cathedral, photos of which currently adorn the advertising products of many travel agencies, is a classic embodiment 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 historically dominated by the Orthodox branch of world Christianity.

These structures are characterized by massive domed tops above the central part of the building and arched colonnades below them. The architectural features of this style have been developed over centuries and have become an integral part of Russian temple architecture. Today, not everyone even realizes that its source is on the shores of the Bosphorus Strait.

Unique mosaics

Icons and mosaic frescoes from the walls of Hagia Sophia have become internationally recognized classics of fine art. In their compositional structures, the Roman and Greek canons of monumental painting are easily visible.

The frescoes of 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 traditional tempera painting on wet plaster. All elements of mosaic frescoes were created by masters according to rules known only to them, into which the uninitiated were not allowed. It was both slow and very expensive, but the Byzantine emperors spared no expense on the interior of the Hagia Sophia. The masters had nowhere to rush, because what they created had to survive many centuries. The height of the walls and roofing elements of the cathedral created a particular difficulty in creating mosaic frescoes.

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. No one had had such experience before. And they coped with the task with dignity, as today many thousands of tourists and pilgrims who annually visit the St. Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul can testify.

During the long period of Ottoman rule, the Byzantine mosaics on the walls of the temple were covered with a layer of plaster. But after restoration work carried out in the thirties of the twentieth century, they appeared in almost their original form. And today, visitors to the Hagia Sophia can observe Byzantine frescoes with images of Christ and the Virgin Mary interspersed with calligraphic quotes from suras from the Koran.

The restorers also treated the heritage of the Islamic period in the history of the cathedral with respect. It is also interesting to note the fact that icon painters gave some Orthodox saints on mosaic frescoes a portrait resemblance to the ruling monarchs and other influential people of their era. In subsequent centuries, this practice would become common in the construction of cathedrals in the largest cities of medieval Europe.

Cathedral vaults

The St. Sophia Cathedral, photos of which are taken away by tourists from the shores of the Bosphorus, acquired its characteristic silhouette not least thanks to its grandiose domed top. 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 during the Renaissance, with the construction of the famous one in Rome.

Particular expressiveness of the vault of the St. Sophia Cathedral is given by two domed hemispheres located on the west and east of the main dome. With their outlines and architectural elements they repeat it and, as a 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 was very clearly reflected in the architectural appearance of Kronstadt. Like the famous temple on the shores of the Bosphorus Strait, it was supposed to be visible from the sea to all sailors approaching the capital, thereby 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 escape Byzantium either. The Eastern Roman Empire collapsed in the mid-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 existed for almost a thousand years was defeated on this day under the onslaught of the Ottoman Turks. Constantinople also ceased to exist. Now this is the city of Istanbul, for several centuries it was the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The conquerors of the city burst into the temple at the time of the service, brutally dealt with those there, and mercilessly plundered the treasures of the cathedral. But the Ottoman Turks did not intend to destroy the building itself - the Christian temple was destined to become a mosque. And this circumstance could not but affect the appearance of the Byzantine cathedral.

Dome and minarets

During the Ottoman Empire, the appearance of the Hagia Sophia underwent significant changes. The city of Istanbul was supposed to have a cathedral mosque corresponding to its capital status. The temple building that existed in the fifteenth century did not correspond perfectly to this purpose. Prayers in a mosque should be performed in the direction of Mecca, while an Orthodox church is oriented with the altar to the east. The Ottoman Turks reconstructed the temple they inherited - they added rough buttresses to the historical building to strengthen the load-bearing walls and built four large minarets in accordance with the canons of Islam. The Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul became known as the Hagia Sophia Mosque. A mihrab was built in the south-eastern part of the interior, thus the praying Muslims had to be positioned 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 precisely what made it possible to restore the authentic paintings of the temple walls in the nineteenth century. They were well preserved under a layer of medieval plaster. The St. Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul is also unique in that the heritage of two great cultures and two world religions - Orthodox Christianity and Islam - are intricately intertwined in its external appearance and internal content.

Hagia Sophia Museum

In 1935, the building of the Hagia Sophia mosque was removed from the category of places of worship. This required a special decree from Turkish President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. This progressive step made it possible to put an end to the claims of representatives of different religions and denominations to the historical building. The leader of Turkey was also able to indicate his distance from various clerical circles.

The state budget financed and carried out restoration work on the historical building and the area around it. The necessary infrastructure has been equipped to receive a large flow of tourists from different countries. Currently, the St. Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul is one of the most important cultural and historical attractions in Turkey. In 1985, the temple was included in the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage 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 easy - it is located in the prestigious Sultanahmet area and is visible from afar.

: 41°00?31 s. w. 28°58?48 in. d. / 41.00861° n. w. 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: ?; Turkish Ayasofya) - a former patriarchal Orthodox cathedral, later a mosque, now a museum; a 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 (Turkish: 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 city was captured by the Ottomans, the St. Sophia Cathedral was converted into a mosque, and in 1935 it acquired the status of a museum. In 1985, St. Sophia Cathedral, among other monuments of the historical center of Istanbul, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For more than a thousand years, St. Sophia's Cathedral in Constantinople remained the largest temple in the Christian world - until the construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The height of the 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 Augusteon market square in the years 324-337 under the Byzantine emperor Constantine I. According to Socrates Scholasticus, the construction of the first temple, called Sophia, dates back 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 elevation of Eudoxius to the episcopal throne of the capital, the great church known under the name of Sophia was consecrated, which happened in the tenth consulate of Constantius and the third of Caesar Julian, on the fifteenth day of the month of February.” From 360 to 380 the Cathedral of St. Sophia was in the hands of the Arians. Emperor Theodosius I in 380 handed the cathedral over to the Orthodox and on November 27 personally introduced Gregory the Theologian into the cathedral, who was soon elected the new Archbishop of Constantinople.

This temple burned down during a popular uprising in 404. The newly built church was destroyed by fire in 415. Emperor Theodosius II ordered the construction of a new basilica on the same site, which was completed in the same year. The Basilica of Theodosius burned down in 532 during the Nika uprising. Its ruins were discovered only in 1936 during excavations on the territory of the cathedral.

The Konstantinovsky and Theodosian temples were large five-nave 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 above its side naves there were two-tier galleries, similar to the Basilica of St. Irene, built at the same time.

Justinian's Basilica

An angel shows Justinian a model of Hagia Sophia

According to John Malala, the temple burned down on January 13, 532 during the Nika uprising. Forty days after the fire, Emperor Justinian I ordered the construction of a new church of the same name in its place, which, according to his plan, was to become the decoration of the capital and serve as an expression of the greatness of the empire. To build a grandiose temple, Justinian bought nearby plots of land from private owners and ordered the demolition of the buildings located on them. To supervise the work, Justinian invited the best architects of the time: Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles, who had previously established themselves by building the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus. Under their leadership, 10,000 workers worked daily.

History of construction

The best building materials were used for the construction. Marble was brought from Prokonnis, Numidia, Karystos and Hierapolis. Also, architectural elements of ancient buildings were brought to Constantinople by imperial circular (for example, eight porphyry columns taken from the Temple of the Sun were delivered from Rome, and eight green marble columns were delivered from Ephesus). In addition to marble decorations, Justinian, in order to give the temple he was building unprecedented splendor and luxury, used gold, silver, and ivory for its decoration. The Russian pilgrim Anthony of Novgorod, who wrote a description of Constantinople before its sack by the Crusaders in 1204, gives the following description of the cathedral altar:

In the great altar, above the great holy table, under the catapetasm, Konstiantin’s crown is hung, and a cross is hung from it, under the cross is a golden dove; and the crowns of other kings hang around the catapetasma. The same catapetasm is all made of gold and silver, and the pillars of the altar and the ambon are all silver... And this is a miracle and a terrible and holy phenomenon: in St. Sophia in the great altar behind the holy throne there is a gold cross, above two people from the ground with precious stones and pearls done, and in front of him hangs a golden cross, one and a half cubits long... 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 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 the floor to the vaults, but astrologers predicted that “at the end of the centuries very poor kings would come who, in order to seize all the wealth of the temple, would raze it to the ground,” and the emperor, who cared about its glory, limited the luxury of construction.

The construction of the cathedral consumed three annual revenues of the Byzantine Empire. “Solomon, I have surpassed you!” - these words were said, according to legend, by Justinian, entering the built cathedral and referring to the legendary Temple of Jerusalem. The solemn consecration of the temple on December 27, 537 was performed by the Patriarch of Constantinople Mina.

Procopius of Caesarea, a contemporary of the construction, describing the buildings of Emperor Justinian, enthusiastically describes the Hagia Sophia:

This temple presented a wonderful sight - to those who looked at it it seemed exceptional, to those who heard about it - completely incredible. It rises in height as if to the sky and, like a ship on the high waves of the sea, it stands out among other buildings, as if bending over the rest of the city, decorating it as an integral part of it, it itself is decorated with it, since, being part of it and entering into its composition, it stands out so much above it that from it you can see the whole city at a glance.

Procopius of Caesarea. About Buildings (Book 5: I:27)

From the moment of its construction, the name “great” was assigned to the church. There were numerous precious utensils for performing divine services in the cathedral. To make the precious throne of the cathedral, according to Dorotheus of Monemvasia, “gold, silver, copper, electr, iron, glass, many honest stones, yahonts, emeralds, beads, kasider, magnet, he(ix)iy, diamonds and other materials were used.” seventy-two different things." On it the emperor placed the inscription “Thine from Thine we bring to Thee Thine, O Christ, servants Justinian and Theodora.” The staff of the church and clergy of the cathedral under Justinian was designed for 525 people: 60 priests, 100 deacons, 40 deaconesses, 90 subdeacons, 110 readers, 25 choristers and 100 gatekeepers. Under Emperor Heraclius it reached 600 people. According to Justinian's 43rd novella, each trade and craft corporation was allocated a certain number of workshops (ergastirii), the income from which went to the needs of the Church of Hagia Sophia.

History of the cathedral during the Byzantine Empire

Interior view of the cathedral vaults

A few years after construction was completed, an earthquake destroyed part of the cathedral:

The eastern part of St. Sophia, which was under the holy altar, fell 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 built, rising in height by more than 20 spans compared to the previous building.

Chronography of Theophanes, year 6051/551

The cathedral was also damaged by the earthquake of 989, especially its dome. The building was supported by 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 elevated.

On July 16, 1054, in the St. Sophia Cathedral, on the holy altar, during a service, the legate of the Pope, Cardinal Humbert, presented a letter of excommunication to the Patriarch of Constantinople, Michael Cerullarius. (This date is considered to be the date of the division of churches into Catholic and Orthodox.)

Before the sack of Constantinople by the crusaders in 1204, the Shroud of Turin was kept in the cathedral.

In the 14th century, the famous church composer John Kladas was the lampadar 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 converted into a mosque. Four minarets were added to the cathedral, and the cathedral turned into the Aya Sophia Mosque. Since the cathedral was oriented according to Christian tradition - the altar to the east, Muslims had to change it, placing the mihrab in the south-eastern corner of the cathedral (direction to Mecca). Because of this alteration, in the Hagia Sophia, as in other former Byzantine churches, praying Muslims are forced to sit at an angle relative to the main volume of the building. Most of the frescoes and mosaics remained unharmed, as some researchers believe, precisely because they were covered with plaster 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 mid-19th century, no restoration work was carried out in the temple. In 1847, Sultan Abdülmecid I commissioned the architects Gaspar and Giuseppe Fossati to carry out the restoration of the Hagia Sophia, which was in danger of collapse. Restoration work lasted two years.

In 1935, according to Ataturk’s decree, Aya Sophia became a museum, and the layers of plaster that had hidden them were removed from the frescoes and mosaics. In 2006, a small room was allocated in the museum complex for the conduct of Muslim religious ceremonies by museum staff.

Architectural features

1. Entrance 2. Imperial Gate 3. Weeping Column 4. Altar. Mihrab 5. Minbar6. Sultan's Lodge 7. Omphalos ("navel of the world") 8. Marble urns from Pergamon a.) Byzantine-era Baptistery, tomb of Sultan Mustafa I b.) Minarets of Sultan Selim II

In 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, topped with a dome. The cathedral's gigantic dome system became a masterpiece of architectural thought of its time. The strength of the temple walls is achieved, according to Turkish researchers, by adding ash leaf extract to the mortar.

The middle of the wide nave, square at the base, is bounded at the corners by four massive pillars supporting huge arches, and is covered with a fairly flat dome 31 m in diameter, the top of which is 51 m from the floor. The dome consists of forty radial arches; in the lower parts of the inter-arch spaces there are arched windows (there are also 40 of them), due to which the 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. Adjacent to the dome space from the east and west are two colossal niches with a hemispherical top: 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 them, the middle one, which at the top is not a hemispherical, but an ordinary box vault, contains three doors leading to the inner and outer vestibules (esonartex and exonartex) attached to the temple, in front of which there was once a now non-existent courtyard, surrounded by a gallery with columns.

The dome space on the northern and southern sides communicates with the side naves 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 space under the dome of the gyneceum galleries arranged in the side naves, and even higher - the huge arches supporting the dome are sealed with a straight wall with windows located in three rows. In addition to these windows, the interior of the temple provides abundant, although somewhat diffuse, lighting from 40 windows encircling the base of the dome, and five windows each in large and small niches.

The central nave of the cathedral, the altar and the main dome

The interior decoration of the temple continued for several centuries and was particularly luxurious (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 subject compositions and ornaments). Thanks to 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 supported by the size of the temple, designed for crowds of thousands of people, and the luxury of decorating the interior 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. Sofia, the most consistently expressed characteristics of Byzantine art of the 6th century. tendencies towards grandeur, majestic pomp and solemnity.

The attractions 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 the moisture, make a wish, it will definitely come true), as well as the “cold window”, where even on the hottest day there is a breeze cool breeze.

In 1935, the layers of plaster that had hidden them were removed from the frescoes and mosaics. Thus, at present, on the walls of the temple you can see images of Jesus Christ and the Mother of God, and quotes from the Koran on four large oval-shaped 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 attractions (see section Runic inscriptions).

Mosaic cycle

Mosaic image of the Virgin Mary in the apse

The mosaics of Hagia Sophia represent an example of Byzantine monumental art from the Macedonian dynasty. The mosaics show all three stages of 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.

Apse mosaic

The very first mosaic cycle was created after the end of iconoclasm in 867. These include mosaics of the apse and the adjacent vima. The manner of execution of these mosaics makes them similar to the painting of the 7th century. In the apse there is a throne image of the Virgin Mary holding the infant Christ on her knees in front of her. On the vaults of the vima, on either side of the figure of the Virgin Mary, two archangels were depicted (only the mosaic with the Archangel Gabriel was preserved. Along the edge of the concha was placed a Greek inscription (almost completely lost) with the following text: “The images that the deceivers overthrew here, the pious rulers restored.” Russian pilgrim Anthony of Novgorod, who visited Constantinople around 1200, reports that the mosaic of the apse was created by the icon painter Lazarus, who suffered during the period of iconoclasm, and after the Triumph of Orthodoxy received wide recognition. The possibility of this is admitted by A. Grabar and completely excluded by the Byzantinist K. Mango. Academician V. N. Lazarev described the mosaic with the image of the Virgin Mary as follows:

Archangel Gabriel (mosaic of the vault of the vima)

Instead of subordinating the figure to a plane, the mosaicist positions it as if it were protruding 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 equally strong are the echoes of antiquity in the beautiful, full of femininity, face of Mary. A soft oval, a well-shaped nose, luscious lips - everything gives him an earthly character. But at the same time, he captivates with his spirituality.

He appreciated the mosaic with the Archangel Gabriel no less highly; 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 mosaic artist conveyed 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 northern tympanum

The first period of creation of mosaic decoration includes images in the vaulted room in the southwest corner above the southern vestibule of the cathedral. The entrance wall was decorated with a deesis (the figure of John the Baptist has not survived). On the vault were placed 12 figures, of which only the prophet Ezekiel, the first martyr Stephen in the orant pose and the emperor Constantine were preserved and can be identified. In the lunettes on the side walls there are half-figures of the twelve apostles and four holy Patriarchs of Constantinople during the iconoclasm period: Herman, Tarasius, Nikephoros and Methodius. V.N. Lazarev notes the low level of these mosaics and suggests that they were created by masters from monastic circles, and the very period of their creation, immediately after the end of the period of iconoclasm, 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 northern tympanum of the cathedral. Of these, mosaics depicting John Chrysostom, Ignatius the God-Bearer and four other saints have been preserved. V. N. Lazarev assesses the level of mosaic artists who worked on their creation as low, but notes:

The figures are wide and squat, the facial features are large, still devoid of the dryness and pointedness characteristic of later mosaics, the clothes fall in calm folds, in which there is nothing of calligraphic fineness. The pinkish tones of the faces are treated with green shadows, the palette is based on light, mainly gray and white, shades, so that it lacks the density and richness of color that distinguishes the mosaics of the 11th century.

Narfic entrance mosaic

Emperor Leo VI kneels before Jesus Christ

During the reign of Emperor Leo VI (886-912), the lunette of the narfic was decorated with a mosaic depicting Jesus Christ sitting on a throne with the Gospel opened 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 asymmetrical (the figure of Leo does not correspond to any figure on the right), the mosaic has a strictly balanced composition: “It is achieved due to a wide stripe at the bottom, against the background of which a 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 strong construction.”

Andrei Grabar notes that this composition is very rare for imperial iconography. It probably reflects some kind of solemn religious ceremony. This version is based on the solemn meeting of the emperor by the patriarch described in the work of Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus “On Ceremonies” in the narfic of the Church of Hagia Sophia. The emperor listened to the “entry prayer” from the patriarch and then, before entering the nave of the cathedral, bowed three times before this door. There are also parallels 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 calls for intercession to the Mother of God and the heavenly powers.

Academician V. N. Lazarev described the mosaic of Emperor Leo’s worship of Jesus Christ as follows:

According to the texture of execution, the mosaic of the lunette occupies an intermediate place between the mosaics of the apse and vima and the mosaic of the vestibule of St. Sofia. The figures also have the heaviness typical of 9th-century art: large, rather massive heads, squat proportions, large limbs. The drawing, especially in the interpretation of fabrics, is sometimes confused, the faces lack subtle spirituality, and there is something sluggish and even impersonal in the whitish color scheme.

Austrian art critic Otto Demus points out that this mosaic can only be viewed from below and from a very large viewing angle. This is due to the fact that the mosaic cubes are placed obliquely in the wall so as to make a right angle with the viewer’s view.

Portrait of Emperor Alexander

Emperor Alexander

On the northwestern pillar of the northern gallery of the cathedral there is a mosaic portrait of Emperor Alexander. It was discovered during restoration work in 1958 and is precisely dated to 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 a cord decorated with precious stones, and a crown with pendants. A cylindrical object (akakia or anaxikakia) is placed in the right hand, and an orb is placed in the left hand. The mosaic depicts the emperor at the Easter service. According to the book “On Ceremonies,” on this day the emperor walked from the Great Palace to the cathedral, carrying an acacia in his hand (according to Georgy Kodin, it was a bundle of silk cloth filled with earth), and girded himself with lor.

On the sides of the image there are medallions containing the name of the emperor and monograms that stand for “Lord, help your servant, the Orthodox Blessed Emperor.” On the arches adjacent to the mosaic depicting Emperor Alexander, fragments of mosaics with ornaments, made at the same time as the portrait, have been preserved. However, among them two fragments of images of acanthus shoots dating 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), which occupy about 1/3 of the background of the mosaic. Also, in certain 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.

South lobby mosaic

Emperors Constantine and Justinian before the Virgin Mary

The mosaic of the lunette above the door from the south vestibule to the narfic of the cathedral was created in the second half of the 10th century. It depicts the Mother of God on a throne with the Child of God on her knees, flanked by the emperors Constantine (on the right), offering the city of Constantinople as a gift, and Justinian (on the left), offering the Hagia Sophia to the Mother of God. The plot itself, according to V.N. Lazarev, was borrowed from ancient art. According to art critic V.D. Likhacheva, this mosaic is reminiscent of the patron portraits of Justinian and Theodora in the Basilica of San Vitale. The placement on the same mosaic of Constantine and Justinian has no analogues in Byzantine art. Andrei Grabar notes that the mosaicist may have copied some ancient model, 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 the 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 is distinguished by the use of purple, gold and silver colors, which were favorite at the imperial court. This mosaic is also distinguished by the fact that in some of its elements the linear-patterned interpretation becomes the dominant technique (for example, the hands of the Virgin Mary and the emperors are lined up to the wrists with curved lines, but not depicting anything).

Islamic elements of architecture and decoration

Minbar from where the imam reads sermons

Runic inscriptions

One of the runic inscriptions in the Hagia Sophia Main article: Runic inscriptions in the Hagia Sophia

Runic inscriptions in the Hagia Sophia - inscriptions made with Scandinavian runes on the marble parapets of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. They were probably scratched by soldiers from the Varangian Guard of the Byzantine Emperor 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 assumed, but special research of this kind has not been 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 to its original status - the Free Agia Sophia Council. At a public hearing of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus held on June 20, 2007, chaired by the head of the US Congress Foreign Policy Committee Tom Lantos, New Hampshire Democratic Party President Raymond Buckley said, in particular : “It is unacceptable to deprive people of the right to pray in their Mother Church<…>It is unacceptable to tolerate the daily desecration of this sacred site, which is used for trade fairs and concerts. It is unacceptable to continue to allow such open disrespect for Orthodox Christianity and all Christianity.”

The president of the international movement Council for the Liberation of Hagia Sophia, Chris Spirou, said in an April 2009 interview with the Russian newspaper Zavtra:

We strive for Hagia Sophia of the Wisdom of God to once again take its rightful place as a temple sacred to all Christianity, as the mother of all churches, as the royal temple of Orthodoxy - which it was before its capture by the Ottoman Turks in 1453. The thing is that Hagia Sophia was never a mosque and was never 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.

Hagia Sophia – stay here
The Lord judged nations and kings!
After all, your dome, according to an eyewitness,
As if on a chain, suspended to heaven.
And to all centuries - the example of Justinian,
When to kidnap for foreign gods
Diana of Ephesus allowed
One hundred and seven green marble pillars.
But what did your generous builder think?
When, high in soul and thought,
Arranged the apses and exedra,
Pointing them to the west and east?
A beautiful temple, bathed in peace,
And forty windows - a triumph of light;
On sails, under the dome, four
Archangel is the most beautiful.
And a wise spherical building
It will survive nations and centuries,
And the seraphim's echoing sobbing
Will not warp dark gold plates.

O. Mandelstam, 1912

The Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is a miracle of engineering and construction art, the greatest creation of the golden age of Byzantium. One of the largest surviving structures of Byzantine architecture still amazes the imagination with the grandeur of its design and the brilliance of its execution. Having been the most important shrine of the Christian world for a thousand years, and then, over the next five hundred years, of the Muslim world, this temple has turned into a real historical encyclopedia, evidence of the centuries-old spiritual quest of mankind.

Outside

Saint Sophia of Constantinople, inside

The first basilica dedicated to the Wisdom of God (Hagia Sophia or Hagia Sophia from the Greek. Αγία Σοφία ), was founded in the city on the banks of the Bosphorus Strait under Constantine the Great in 324–327. The Byzantine monk-chronicler of the 8th century, Theophan the Confessor, writes about this in his “Chronography”. Apparently, the basilica was completed by Constantine’s son Constantius II during his reign in the 340–350s. The Byzantine historian of the early 5th century, Socrates Scholasticus, in his “Ecclesiastical History” indicates the exact date of the consecration of the church dedicated to Hagia Sophia - 360: “ on the construction of Eudoxia to the episcopal throne of the capital, the great church known as Sophia was consecrated, which happened in the tenth consulate of Constantius and the third of Caesar Julian, on the fifteenth day of the month of February". Surpassing in size all the temples that existed by that time in Constantinople, this basilica was known as “ Magna Ecclesia", which translated from Latin means "Big Church".

The naming of the cathedral in honor of Hagia Sophia should be understood as its dedication to Jesus Christ, God the Word. In the era of early Christianity, the idea of ​​Sophia - the Wisdom of God - comes closer to the image of Jesus as the incarnate Word of God. According to the Gospel of John, the Logos (Word) is the only begotten Son of God, who incarnates and is born, becoming the God-man Jesus Christ: “ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; and we have seen His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father"(John 1:14). In the Christian dogma of the Trinity, the Logos (Word) or the Son of God is the second hypostasis of the one and only God. He, together with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, created the visible and invisible world and is the provider and sanctifier of the whole world. Wisdom or Sophia (from Greek. «Σοφία» – wisdom) is an essential property of the Triune God. God knows from eternity all His actions and the results of these actions, all His goals and the best means for achieving goals. The Son of God, as a hypostasis of the Holy Trinity, contains within Himself all the divine properties in the same completeness as the Father and the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, directly calls Christ “the Wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24) and says: “ From Him you also are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification and redemption."(1 Cor. 1:30).

In 404, the early Christian temple of Hagia Sophia burned down in a fire. Emperor Theodosius II in 415 ordered the construction of a new basilica in the same place, next to the imperial palace. This cathedral stood for a century and also died in a fire in 532 during the Nika uprising. From individual fragments found as a result of archaeological excavations in 1936, one can only judge the enormous size of the Basilica of Theodosius II and its magnificent carved decoration. Apparently, it was a grandiose five-nave structure with two-tier galleries and a wooden ceiling.

Facade of the Basilica of Theodosius II. 415. Reconstruction

All that has survived from it are parts of the columns, individual capitals, segments of arches, details of the ceilings, as well as part of the frieze with a bas-relief depicting twelve lambs, symbolizing the twelve apostles. These valuable finds are currently on display in the archaeological area of ​​the Hagia Sophia Museum.

On the left is the capital, on the right is the column of the Basilica of Theodosius II. 415 Constantinople

Frieze with the image of lambs. Basilica of the era of Theodosius II. 415 Constantinople

In 532–537, Justinian I built a new Sophia on the site of the burnt temple. To realize his ambitious plan to create a grandiose, hitherto unprecedented temple, the Byzantine emperor invites the best architects of his time - Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles. These were not just builders, but outstanding scientists and engineers, famous for their research in the fields of mathematics and physics.

View of Constantinople in the Byzantine era. Reconstruction

Map of the center of Constantinople

For the construction of the temple, the best marble is delivered from the islands of Proconnesus and Euboea, from the city of Hierapolis (Asia Minor), and from North Africa. According to legend, eight porphyry columns were brought from Rome to Constantinople, and green marble columns were brought from the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus. The famous poet of the 6th century Paul Silentiarius in his poem of 563 “Ekphrasis of the Church of Hagia Sophia” speaks of the amazing polychrome in the interior, mentioning the different marbles used in the decoration: Phrygian - pink with white veins, Egyptian - purple, Laconian - green, Carian - blood red and white, Lydian - pale green, Libyan - blue, Celtic - black and white.

Columns from the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

« Who could count the splendor of the columns and marbles with which the temple is decorated? You would think that you are in a luxurious meadow covered with flowers. Indeed, how can one not be surprised at their purple or emerald color; some show a crimson color, others, like the sun, shine white; and some of them, being immediately multi-colored, show different colors, as if nature were their artist“,” wrote the Byzantine historian, a contemporary of Justinian, Procopius of Caesarea, who in his treatise “On Buildings” left a fairly detailed description of the Hagia Sophia.

Hagia Sophia, Constantinople. Byzantine capital

Gold, ivory, silver, and precious stones are used to decorate the temple. The cathedral amazed with its unprecedented splendor and royal luxury. " The ceiling is lined with pure gold, combining beauty and splendor; competing in brilliance, its radiance defeats the brilliance of stones (and marbles)

Hagia Sophia, Constantinople

Archbishop Anthony of Novgorod, having visited Hagia Sophia of Constantinople before its plunder by the crusaders in 1204, in his book “The Pilgrim” spoke about the rich decoration of the temple, replete with gold and silver, including mentioning golden lamps suspended from the ceiling, and a huge golden cross in the altar, decorated with precious stones and pearls.

However, what was unique in its impact on those entering the temple was not so much its decoration as its vast space, above which a gigantic dome rose to an incredible height. The huge temple, flooded with light, evoked a feeling of the grandeur of the universe, created according to the great Divine plan. This powerful visually sounding spiritual space transported believers to ethereal worlds. The Russian ambassadors who arrived in Constantinople in 987, visiting Hagia Sophia, experienced real delight from the liturgy unfolding under its arches. " We didn’t know whether we were in heaven or on earth: there is no such spectacle and such beauty on earth, and we don’t know how to tell about it. We only know that God dwells there with people“, they reported to Prince Vladimir, who was conducting a “test of faith” at that time. As a result, Vladimir chose for Rus' the path proposed by the Church of Constantinople.

Saint Sophia of Constantinople

Hagia Sophia is a brilliant engineering and architectural embodiment of the idea of ​​a temple as an image of the Divine universe. The grandiose basilica, which had a length of 82 meters and a width of 73 meters, was not an architectural innovation in itself. In the 4th–6th centuries, the basilica was the most common type of Christian church. The novelty was the combination of a huge basilica with a giant dome. Attempts to combine the type of basilica with a domed roof were made already in the 5th century. It is enough to recall the temple of the second half of the 5th century of the Alahan monastery in Isauria (Asia Minor). The Hagia Sophia, designed by the brilliant Byzantine architects of the Justinian era, became the enchanting conclusion of this search.

Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. 532-537. Longitudinal section of the temple

The composition of the temple combines elements of a three-nave basilica and a centric domed volume. A giant dome with a diameter of 31 meters covers the central space of the temple, rising to a height of 55 meters. The sphere of the dome is like the dome of heaven, embracing the entire universe. Church worship is connected with the sacrament that takes place in heaven. And thus the idea of ​​universal liturgy is embodied. " And every time someone enters this temple to pray, he immediately understands that such a thing was completed not by human power or art, but by God’s permission; his mind, rushing to God, soars in heaven, believing that he is not far", wrote Procopius of Caesarea.

The architecture of Hagia Sophia, unlike early Christian basilicas, contains a fundamentally new concept. The horizontal movement, characteristic of the longitudinal spatial composition of the first Christian churches, gives way here to a vertical direction. The dome becomes the absolute center of the composition, evoking visible associations with the theme of the unity of all in God. Architecture develops from top to bottom, according to the theory of the Celestial Hierarchy of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. The dome is connected to the supporting structures of the temple through spherical triangles - sails, which marked an amazing architectural discovery of Byzantine architects, which largely determined the further development of church construction. In this building, Byzantine architects developed and fully implemented the principle of distributing the pressure of a huge dome using a system of semi-domes, arches, exedra, connected into a single whole. The weight of the dome is transferred to four huge pillars. At the same time, its expansion, as is clearly visible on the plan of the cathedral, is dampened by small semi-domes, which frame the large hemispheres in a semicircle, as well as by the vaults of the side naves.

Plan of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople

Four dome arches rise to great heights, creating the feeling of the dome floating. The effect of apparent weightlessness is enhanced by forty arched windows cut into its base. Thanks to this continuous ribbon of windows, it seems as if the dome, raised to a dizzying height, floats freely above the temple.

Dome of Hagia Sophia of Constantinople

Adjacent to the dome space from the east and west are two huge niches with hemispherical ceilings. The eastern niche, in turn, has three more niches, the middle of which served as an apse.

Hagia Sophia, Constantinople. Photo: alienordis.livejournal.com

Hagia Sophia, Constantinople. Dome, sails

Hagia Sophia, Constantinople

If in early Christian basilicas space was clearly divided into separate plastic volumes, in Hagia Sophia the constant flow of space from sphere to hemisphere, opening end-to-end perspectives embodied the idea of ​​a comprehensive, single homogeneous space. The indivisible space of the temple presupposed a similar unity of all believers, as the monolithic body of Christ.

The usual tectonics of the temple is being radically rethought. The feeling of heaviness and materiality of forms, as if dissolved in space, disappears. The connection between the structural elements of the structure is hidden from view. The rhythm of curved surfaces, cleverly disguised load-bearing supports, openwork colonnades of arcades, a huge number of windows cutting through the walls, choir-galleries of the second tier - everything creates the impression of an illusory shell, limiting a space in which the usual physical laws do not seem to apply. A person had to comprehend a miracle not with his mind, but with his heart.

Hagia Sophia, Constantinople

Photo: Alexander Vlasov, vlasshole.livejournal.com

In Byzantine aesthetics, the key concept is light. One of the Greek Church Fathers of the 4th century, Athanasius the Great, believed that “ light is God, and likewise light is the Son; because He is of the same essence of true light". Architects Isidore of Miletus and Anfimius of Tralles developed an amazing technological concept, as a result of which light in architecture became perhaps the most important means of expression. The continuous ribbon of windows in the lower part of the dome and the light pouring through them created the feeling of a luminous cloud constantly hanging under the dome, as the embodiment of the image of God. Hagia Sophia has a completely different light drama than in early Christian basilicas. There are no areas of contrasting light here. The temple is completely flooded with light penetrating inside through a system of numerous windows. " One could say that this place is not illuminated from the outside by the sun, but that the brilliance is born within itself: such an amount of light spreads in this temple“,” noted Procopius of Caesarea.

Dome of the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia of Constantinople. Photo 1959

At night, apparently, the temple was illuminated by a huge number of lamps, many of which, according to the description of Paul the Silentiary, were in the shape of ships and trees. The illuminated temple probably gave such a glow that the poet figuratively compared it with the famous Faros lighthouse. This is how he described this phenomenon:

« Everything here breathes beauty, you will marvel at everything
your eye; but tell me, with what radiant radiance
the temple is illuminated at night, and the word is powerless. You'll say:
A certain night Phaeton shed this shine on the shrine!»
« This brilliance drives out all darkness from the soul, and looks upon it not only as a beacon,
but even in anticipation of help from the Lord God the sailor looks,
whether he sails on the Black or Aegean Sea» .

Saint Sophia of Constantinople

The decorative decoration of the temple during the time of Justinian and his successor Justin II can be judged only by indirect data. According to many researchers, including the famous Russian Byzantinist V.N. Lazarev, Hagia Sophia was decorated with mosaics, which were mainly of a dogmatic icon character. However, this heritage of the 6th century was completely destroyed during the iconoclastic period (8th - early 9th centuries). Only a few mosaic fragments with elements of floral ornament have survived.

The dome of Hagia Sophia originally contained a huge image of a cross. However, this mosaic has not survived to our time, since in 989, as a result of a strong earthquake, the dome built by the architects of the Justinian era collapsed. The restoration of the dome ceiling was carried out in 994 under the leadership of the Armenian architect Trdat.

The most important source from which one can get some idea of ​​the individual elements of the decoration of Hagia Sophia is the poem “Ekphrasis of the Temple of Hagia Sophia” by Paul Silentiary. For example, the poet gives a colorful description of the woven image of Jesus Christ located in the cathedral, which represented the iconographic type of Pantocrator:

« Golden radiance, shining with the rays of the pink-fingered Eos,
reflected the cloak on the divine members,
and the tunic glows purple from Tyrian sea shells.
He covers the right frame with beautiful fabric.
And there the coverlet slipped off the clothes,
and, beautiful, falling from the shoulder,
spreads smoothly under the left hand, opening
part of the palm and elbow. And it’s as if Christ himself
He extended his right hand to us, revealing His eternal word.
In his left hand He holds a book of divine words,
Who announced to the world everything that by His protective will
The King Himself commanded us, establishing our foot on the earth.
All His clothes sparkle with a golden radiance,
For fine gold is woven everywhere between the threads» .

The main decoration of Hagia Sophia was the altar barrier, a detailed description of which we find in the same Paul the Silentiary. The poet notes that on the architrave the medallions depicted Christ, the archangels, Saint Mary, the apostles and prophets, with Christ occupying a central position in the composition. Paul the Silentiary does not indicate in what technique these images were made. But from his testimony that the columns of the altar barrier were lined with silver, one can assume that the images were also minted from silver. This composition, which occupied the central and most honorable place in the temple, and embodied the idea of ​​intercession, was nothing more than the Deesis. According to V.N. Lazarev, the architrave of the altar barrier of Hagia Sophia became the prototype of all future iconostases.

Altar barrier and pulpit of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, reconstruction. From the book V.N. Lazarev. Byzantine painting, 1971

The second half of the 9th century marks the end of the iconoclastic period. The Byzantine Church now begins to claim universal significance, Constantinople becomes a cultural and artistic center, the influence of which spreads over vast territories. From this time on, the reconstruction of the mosaics of St. Sophia Cathedral began. The mosaics of Hagia Sophia after the iconoclastic period represent the finest examples of the classical Byzantine style, belonging to the monumental art of different eras, including the eras of the Macedonian dynasty, the Komnenos dynasty and the Palaiologan dynasty.

Madonna and Child Enthroned. Mosaic in the apse. 867 Hagia Sophia, Constantinople

Archangel Gabriel, mosaic of the vault of the vima, 867. Hagia Sophia, Constantinople

V. N. Lazarev considered these images to be among the most beautiful in Byzantine monumental art. They are truly distinguished by their exquisite beauty and the highest technical skill. They clearly show a connection with ancient traditions. Solemn, monumental figures, executed with a magnificent sense of proportion and scale, seem to protrude from a golden background. Saint Mary is presented in perspective, with her leg extended forward. The spectacular turn of her figure and the throne, which goes into the depths, create a feeling of the presence of the Mother of God in the real space of the temple. The Archangel Gabriel is also depicted in a light spread. The rhythm of movement of the sculptural folds of his clothes emphasize the volume and plastic shape of the figure. Antique reminiscences can also be read in the tonal modeling, turning mosaics into real picturesque images. The finest transitions of color, the absence of hard lines and contours, and soft colorful modeling give the faces an earthly, sensual character. But at the same time, these images of ideal anthropomorphic beauty are endowed with an extraordinary sense of spirituality. Large eyes, filled with sadness, are directed into the unknown distance. In the solemn calm and invulnerable self-sufficiency of the images one can read detachment from the world of earthly dimensions.

In 878, mosaics depicting sixteen prophets and fourteen saints appeared in the northern tympanum of the cathedral. Of these, only a few images have survived, including the images of John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and Ignatius the God-Bearer.

Saints John Chrysostom and Ignatius the God-Bearer. 878 Mosaics in the northern tympanum of Hagia Sophia, Constantinople. Photo by R.V. Novikov

John Chrysostom. Mosaic. 878 Hagia Sophia, Constantinople

The style of these mosaics tends towards the spiritualization of form and greater abstraction. The frontal, pillar-shaped figures of saints seem as if nailed to a golden background. The feeling of flatness is enhanced, which is emphasized by a clearly defined contour. Forms lose their material heaviness and volume. Persons acquire a strict ascetic character. And individual symbolic elements are deliberately increased in size: large crosses on the omophorions of saints, the palms of their right hands.

In the lunette above the central entrance to the cathedral is an unusual composition depicting Emperor Leo VI in front of Jesus Christ, dating from the period between 886 and 912.

Emperor Leo VI before Christ. 886-912. Mosaic above the entrance to the temple. Hagia Sophia, Constantinople

Christ in the image of Pantocrator solemnly sits on the throne with an open Gospel in his hand, broadcasting the Word of God. Above, on the sides of Christ, there are two medallions with half-figures of the Mother of God and the Archangel Gabriel - a peculiar version of the Deesis. Leo VI is depicted to the left of Jesus in a pose of deep proskynesis bow, with his hands outstretched to the Savior. Such iconography is interpreted as an illustration of the solemn religious ceremony described by the son of Leo VI, Constantine VII, in the treatise “On the Ceremonies of the Byzantine Court.” According to this document, the Byzantine emperor, met by the patriarch in the narthex of Hagia Sophia, prostrated himself three times before entering the temple and only then crossed the threshold of the cathedral. In general, the composition can be considered as a scene of the earthly ruler’s worship of the Heavenly King, who is the embodiment of the Wisdom of God, and at the same time as a scene of a prayer for intercession addressed to the Mother of God and the Heavenly Powers.

By ordering mosaics depicting scenes of worship, as well as votive mosaics with scenes of bringing gifts, Byzantine emperors thereby designated their status in the sacred space of the church and emphasized the primacy of spiritual power over secular power. The Byzantines' views on the emperor as the highest official appointed by God in order to take care of the people subordinate to him and lead them to the highest good are revealed in the treatise “The Royal Statue” by the Byzantine theologian, 13th-century encyclopedist Nicephorus Blemmides. All subordinates of the Byzantine state, according to this concept, are only executors of God's will. And the emperor in this case is no exception.

The votive mosaic, dating from 950 and located in the lunette above the door leading from the southern vestibule to the narthex of the cathedral, depicts the Virgin and Child enthroned and the emperors Constantine and Justinian presenting the city of Constantinople and Hagia Sophia to the Queen of Heaven.

Emperors Constantine and Justinian before the Mother of God. 950 Mosaic. Hagia Sophia, Constantinople

Emperors Constantine and Justinian before the Mother of God. 950 Mosaic. Hagia Sophia, Constantinople

This is a unique work where the two great emperors Constantine and Justinian are presented in the space of one composition. We are certainly not talking about portrait images with individual features. Historical figures are identified by the gifts they hold in their hands and the inscriptions indicating their names. For all its symbolism and hieroglyphics, this mosaic is distinguished by its unexpected spatial composition. The throne on which the Mother of God sits and its foot are presented from perspective. The earth is depicted with tonal transitions from light green to dark green, which further emphasizes the depth of space. And the figures of the emperors thus do not hang in the air, but stand firmly on the ground.

Another mosaic votive composition of the southern gallery of Hagia Sophia, dating from 1044–1055, dates back to the late period of the Macedonian Renaissance - an image of Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos and Empress Zoe Porphyrogenitus standing before Jesus Christ.

Emperor Constantine IX Monomakh and Empress Zoe before Christ. XI century. Mosaic. Hagia Sophia, Constantinople

On the left is Emperor Constantine IX Monomakh. On right -
Empress Zoe. Mosaic detail. XI century. Hagia Sophia, Constantinople

The symbolic composition represents the scene of the laying of gifts on the throne of Hagia Sophia by the imperial couple. Konstantin Monomakh holds a bag of gold in his hands, and his wife holds a letter listing gifts. They are dressed in luxurious, jeweled robes, and their heads are crowned with richly decorated crowns. Their faces are abstractly idealized. Before us, in fact, are conventional images of the beautiful-faced, eternally youthful empress and the courageous emperor, who are frozen for all eternity in the pose of standing before the Savior seated on the throne.

A similar composition is repeated in another votive mosaic of the southern gallery of Hagia Sophia, which already dates back to the period of the Komnenos dynasty, dates back to 1118 and depicts John II Komnenos with his wife Irene in front of the Mother of God.

John II Komnenos and his wife Irene before the Mother of God. 1118 Mosaic. Hagia Sophia, Constantinople

The strict symmetrical composition, clearly defined intervals between figures, frontality and flatness that distinguish this mosaic further emphasize the symbolism of the depicted scene. Flat, volumeless figures are drawn in silhouette on a golden background, which, due to very small smalt cubes, turns into a continuous, smooth, shining surface. In the elaboration of faces, the pictorial interpretation gives way to a linear-graphic approach. Even the blush on the cheeks is indicated by subtle strokes. However, these are no longer abstract conventional images. The faces not only reflect the individual portrait features of the Comnenian type: a long thin nose, narrow eyes, architectural, clearly defined eyebrows, a small mouth. They also manifest a certain psychological shade of internal tension. And the Mother of God directs her gaze no longer to some unknown distance, but directly to the viewer.

Virgin and Child. Mosaic detail of John II Komnenos and his wife Irene in front of the Mother of God. 1118 Hagia Sophia, Constantinople

The undisputed masterpiece of Hagia Sophia is the Deesis from the south gallery.

This mosaic belongs to the Palaiologan Renaissance and dates back to 1261. In the second half of the 13th century, a sophisticated, refined art was born in Constantinople, which has almost no analogues, and which amazingly combined deep Christian philosophy with the traditions of ancient art. The main artistic expression of the Deesis mosaic from Hagia Sophia is color. Thanks to the finest tonal transitions, the color scheme acquires extraordinary softness and naturalness.

Deesis. 1261. Mosaic. Hagia Sophia, Constantinople

The face of Jesus Christ, lined with tiny cubes of smalt with alternating dark and light shades, seems alive, vibrant, glowing from within. This shimmering inner radiance, combined with the feeling of embodied living flesh, conveys the essence of the fusion of the divine nature with the human nature. The Savior seems infinitely close and at the same time infinitely distant. His divine essence and remoteness from the earthly world are emphasized by the most mystical consonance of colors in Byzantine painting - the dark blue color of His himation and the gold of his chiton.

Jesus Christ. Detail of the Deesis mosaic. 1261 Hagia Sophia, Constantinople

The images of the Mother of God and John the Baptist, presented in the prayer of intercession before Jesus, reflected different shades of psychological state. Mary's face is filled with tender, touching love and humility. In the face of John the Baptist, furrowed with wrinkles, traces of spiritual quest and difficult internal struggles were imprinted.

On the left is the Mother of God. On the right is John the Baptist. Detail of the Deesis mosaic. 1261. Hagia Sophia, Constantinople. Photo by S. N. Lipatova

The Deesis of Hagia Sophia is an outstanding work of Byzantine art, which combined high classical nobility with lyrical softness, a sense of transcendence with a surprisingly lively chamber intonation.

Deesis. 1261 Mosaic. Saint Sophie Cathedral. Constantinople. Photo by S. N. Lipatova

In 1453, Constantinople was captured by the Ottoman Turks. The fall of Constantinople marked the end of the Byzantine Empire. The Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, having solemnly entered the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire on May 30, 1453 and crossed the threshold of the Hagia Sophia, was so amazed by the beauty and perfection of this building that he ordered it to be preserved and converted into a mosque. Thus ended the Christian history of the main shrine of Constantinople.

Constantinople. Map. XVI century. Georg Braun, Franz Hogenberg. Image: www.raremaps.com

The mihrab, which was supposed to indicate the direction to Mecca, was placed in the southeastern corner of the structure. Mosaics with Christian themes were covered with plaster. In the 16th century, minarets grew around Sofia, and a carved marble minbar appeared in the interior. In the second half of the 16th century, to strengthen the building, due to the threat of a new collapse of the dome, rough, heavy buttresses were added, which, unfortunately, forever changed the appearance of the masterpiece of Byzantine architecture of the 6th century.

Saint Sophia of Constantinople

Mihrab. XIX century. Hagia Sophia

In the middle of the 19th century, urgent restoration of the mosque was required. Restoration work was carried out in 1847–1849 under the leadership of the Italian architect Gaspar Fossati, who served at the Russian embassy in Constantinople. Gaspar Fossati not only coped with the task brilliantly, but also completed a whole series of drawings depicting Hagia Sophia in 1853, which can serve as a historical document of his era.

Gaspar Fossati. Hagia Sophia. Color lithography. 1852. From the album Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Library of Congress

During restoration work in Hagia Sophia, giant round medallions with a diameter of 7.5 meters appeared with inscriptions indicating the names of Allah, the Prophet Muhammad and the first four caliphs. Made by the famous master Kazasker Mustafa Izzet Efendi, they are considered the largest works of Islamic calligraphy in size.

Hagia Sophia, Constantinople. Photo: Alexander Vlasov, vlasshole.livejournal.com

Hagia Sophia, Constantinople. Photo: alienordis.livejournal.com

In 1935, according to the decree of Ataturk, the founder of the modern Turkish state, the first president of the Turkish Republic, Hagia Sophia became a museum. Layers of plaster were removed from the mosaics, and five hundred years later the faces of Christ, the Mother of God and the saints were again revealed to the world. From now on, they live together with the symbols of Islamic culture in the same space. Thus, centuries later, the Hagia Sophia of Constantinople, a grandiose creation of Byzantine architecture, united two of the world's greatest religions under its dome.

Our Lady in the apse, mosaic. 867 Hagia Sophia, Constantinople

Minbar. End of the 16th century. Hagia Sophia. Photo: pollydelly.livejournal.com

The Hagia Sophia in Constantinople became the most perfect embodiment of the ideals of the Byzantine Christian worldview and the newly realized idea of ​​the Church as a universal liturgy, and the temple as an image of the universe. " This temple presented a wonderful sight - to those who looked at it it seemed exceptional, to those who heard about it - completely incredible - Procopius of Caesarea testified in the 6th century . – It rises in height as if to the sky and, like a ship on high waves of the sea, it stands out among other buildings, as if leaning over the rest of the city» .

Saint Sophia of Constantinople

Hagia Sophia, Constantinople. Photo: Alexander Vlasov, vlasshole.livejournal.com

This work occupies an exceptional position not only in the history of world art, but also in the history of all spiritual quests of mankind. It fully reflected the desire to embody in stone the elusive beauty of the mysterious, incomprehensible world created by Divine Wisdom, characteristic of early Byzantine architecture. Saint Sophia of Constantinople became the starting point for the further development of church architecture and was the prototype of many subsequently created churches. At the same time, it still remained a unique phenomenon in terms of the pathos of grandeur inherent in it and the idea of ​​cosmicity embodied in it. Byzantine churches will eventually decrease in size, become simpler in design, and more stable in their cross-domed composition. But all of them, as a rule, trace their origins to Sophia of Constantinople, in which for the first time a huge basilica received a gigantic domed completion.

The Church of Hagia Sophia was built under Emperor Justinian. He was one of the most famous rulers of Byzantium, coming to power in 527. His name is associated with many actions that led to the power of the Byzantine Empire - the creation of a code of laws, the expansion of territory, the construction of palaces and temples. But the most famous temple in Constantinople is perhaps the Hagia Sophia.

Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, the Cathedral Church of Hagia Sophia, Hagia Sophia, the Great Church - this interesting building has many names. At one time, there were many legends surrounding the erected temple about the resources expended, but they all paled in comparison with reality.

Construction of the cathedral

The idea alone exceeded all possible goals - the Temple of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople was supposed to be better than the famous Temple of King Solomon in Jerusalem. For five years (532-537), ten thousand workers worked to build a new symbol of Constantinople. The temple was made of brick, but much more expensive material was used for decoration. Ornamental stone, gold, silver, pearls, precious stones, and ivory were used here. Such investments greatly tightened the treasury of the empire. Eight columns were brought here from the famous Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. The whole country worked to build this miracle.

By the time the construction of the Hagia Sophia temple in Istanbul began, Byzantine craftsmen already had experience in constructing similar structures. Thus, the architects Anthimius of Thrall and Isidore of Miletus completed the construction of the Church of Sergius and Bacchus in 527. It was they who were destined by fate to become the builders of a great legend, a symbol of the greatness and power of the empire.

floating dome

The building's plan has a rectangle with sides 79 meters by 72 meters. The height of the Church of Hagia Sophia along the dome is 55.6 meters, the diameter of the dome itself, “hanging” above the temple on four columns, is 31.5 meters.

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul was built on a hill, and its position stood out from the general background of the city. Such a decision amazed his contemporaries. Its dome stood out especially, visible from all sides of the city, and standing out in the dense buildings of Constantinople.

Inside the temple

In front of the entrance to the Hagia Sophia Cathedral there is a spacious courtyard with a fountain located in the center. There are nine doors leading into the temple itself; the right to enter through the central door was granted only to the emperor and the patriarch.

The inside of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul looks no less beautiful than the outside. The huge domed hall, corresponding to the image of the universe, evokes deep thoughts in the visitor. There is no point in even describing all the beauty of the temple; it is better to see it once.

Cathedral mosaics

In earlier times, the tops of the walls were covered with mosaics with paintings on various themes. During the time of iconoclasm in 726-843, they were destroyed, so the current situation does not fully reflect the picture of the former beauty of the interior decoration of the building. In later times, new artistic creations were created in the Church of Hagia Sophia in Byzantium.

Mosaic image of the Virgin Mary in the apse

Temple destruction

The Hagia Sophia temple was damaged many times during fires and earthquakes, but each time it was rebuilt. But natural elements are one thing, people are another. So after the defeat by the Crusaders in 1204, it turned out to be impossible to restore the interior decoration.

The end of the greatness of the temple came with the fall of Constantinople in 1453. About ten thousand Christians sought salvation in the temple on the day of the death of Byzantium.

Legends and interesting facts

There are also interesting legends associated with the Hagia Sophia in Turkey. So on one of the marble slabs of the temple you can see a handprint. According to legend, it was left by Sultan Mehmed II, who conquered Constantinople. When he rode into the temple on a horse, the horse got scared and reared up. To stay in the saddle, the conqueror had to lean against the wall.

Another story is connected with one of the niches of the temple. If you put your ear to it, you hear a noise. People say that during the assault, a priest took refuge in this niche, and the noise reaching us is his endlessly continuing prayer for salvation.

Hagia Sophia Mosque

After the conquest, it was decided to convert the Christian temple into the Hagia Sophia mosque. Already on June 1, 1453, the first service was performed here. Of course, during perestroika many Christian decorations were destroyed. Also in later times, the temple was surrounded by four minarets.

Hagia Sophia Museum

Restoration work in the temple began in 1935 by order of the President of Turkey. Hagia Sophia acquires the status of a museum. Here, the first images hidden behind thick layers were cleared for the visitor. Even today, the Church of Hagia Sophia can safely be considered a great achievement of human thought, a reflection of spirituality in architecture.