Hagia Sophia - Hagia Sophia Cathedral. Hagia Sophia in Istanbul - the famous Hagia Sophia Church of Sophia in Istanbul

Marina is with you again and today I’m telling you about a historical monument that is one of the main symbols of Istanbul - the Hagia Sophia Mosque (formerly Hagia Sophia). In my previous stories, I have repeatedly mentioned this stunning building with a simply fantastic history, an incredible interweaving of Christianity and Islam.

The Hagia Sophia Mosque is considered one of the eight wonders of the world, as well as one of the most important architectural structures in the world. This is one of the rarest monuments that has survived to this day in such excellent preservation.

The building is located in the Sultanahmet area opposite, they are separated by a beautiful green square with a fountain. As a matter of fact, initially it was an Orthodox cathedral, then, under the Ottomans, a mosque, and now it is a museum. But first things first.

The very first building of the cathedral was built in the 4th century by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine I. It did not stand for long and was destroyed in a fire. In the 6th century, Hagia Sophia was rebuilt by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and still stands today. Of course, the architecture of the temple has undergone significant changes, having survived more than one earthquake, which are not uncommon in these places. The dome was especially damaged by the earthquake, which was actually rebuilt, increased in size and reinforced with additional structures, from which the appearance of the building changed greatly.

Justinian invested huge amounts of money in the construction of the temple. The finished building was distinguished by its unprecedented size, splendor and luxury of interiors at that time. The walls and floors were decorated with dazzlingly beautiful golden mosaics. This was supposed to inspire the idea of ​​the power of the Byzantine Empire and the Church. For almost 9 centuries the building served as the Patriarchal Orthodox Cathedral. Of course, during this time the temple was repeatedly destroyed, restored, and plundered. For example, at the beginning of the 13th century the temple was plundered by the crusaders, and before that the Shroud of Turin was kept there.

In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by Sultan Mehmed II (the Conqueror). Hagia Sophia ceased to exist as an Orthodox church and was converted into a mosque. Four minarets were completed and the interior decoration was redone. Simply put, all the magnificent frescoes and mosaics were hidden under a layer of plaster, and instead of them, round shields with sayings from the Koran were hung on the walls and columns. From now on, the cathedral began to be called the Hagia Sophia Mosque. During the reign of the sultans, the cathedral also underwent alterations and restoration. Most of the mosaics and frescoes have been safely preserved to this day, and scientists believe that this happened precisely because over the centuries everything was hidden by a layer of plaster.

In 1935, the country's ruler Mustafa Kemal Atatürk issued a decree according to which the cathedral-mosque was turned into a museum. Frescoes and mosaics were freed from the layers of plaster that hid them. Now on the walls you can see the faces of saints and shields with quotes from the Koran. This combination cannot but surprise.

Currently, the Hagia Sophia mosque amazes not with the luxury of its interiors, which has been lost over time, but with the grandeur of its interior space. The height of the dome is 55.6 meters and its diameter is 31 meters. Standing below, you feel the power and grandeur of the temple and feel like just a speck of dust. Just the thought that these ancient walls are already 15 centuries old evokes some kind of trepidation inside.

If you wish, you can go up to the balcony, which offers a magnificent view of the decoration of the cathedral.

The interior of the cathedral is illuminated by beautiful bronze chandeliers with electric bulbs. It seems that earlier there were candles instead of light bulbs.

Among the attractions of Hagia Sophia is the wishing column, the so-called “weeping column”, covered with copper. They say it has healing powers and is generally capable of working miracles. Water leaks through this column inside. There is a belief that if you put your thumb in a special hole and, feeling moisture, manage to turn your hand 360 degrees, while making a wish, then it will definitely come true.

Another wonder is the “cold window”, where even on the hottest day a cool breeze blows.

Here are some mosaics and frescoes recovered from under the plaster:

Since the day Hagia Sophia opened as a museum, the American Byzantine Institute has been constantly working to restore the mosaics.

Currently, there is an international movement “Council for the Liberation of Hagia Sophia”, the goal of which is to return the Hagia Sophia of the Wisdom of God to the status of a functioning Orthodox church, since it is considered unacceptable for a great Christian shrine to be a museum or mosque.

Saint Sophia Cathedral or Saint Sophie Cathedral or Hagia Sophia- an outstanding monument of Byzantine architecture, a symbol of the “golden age” of Byzantium.

History of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul

The cathedral, a basilica with stone walls and a wooden roof, was built in 324–337 under the Byzantine Emperor Constantine I, but was burned after civil unrest in 404.

The reconstruction of the cathedral was carried out by order of Emperor Theodosius II (408-450) in 415, as a result of which the basilica became five-nave and also covered with a wooden roof.

In 532, during the Nika uprising, this building was also destroyed. In the same year, a new temple building was laid, which took five years to build - from 532 to 537.

It is known that after construction, Emperor Justinian entered the Church of Hagia Sophia with the words:

My Lord, thank you for giving me the opportunity to create such a place of worship.

After this, Hagia Sophia became the place where the Holy Roman Emperors were crowned.

In July 1054, in this place, Cardinal Humbert (representative of the Pope) and Patriarch Michael Kirularius anathematized each other, which caused a split in the church into Catholic and Orthodox.

After the capture of Constantinople in 1453, Sultan Mehmed ordered the conversion of a Christian temple into a Muslim mosque, which was called Hagia Sophia. The building was reconstructed, minarets were installed, and a madrasah appeared at the mosque.

In 1847-1849, reconstruction took place in Hagia Sophia; another mihrab was built on the site where emperors had previously prayed.

In 1935, according to Atatürk's decree, Hagia Sophia became the house-museum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and the layers of plaster that had hidden them were removed from the frescoes and mosaics.

In 2006, Muslim religious ceremonies were resumed in the temple.

Description of St. Sophia Cathedral

The cathedral is located in the historical center of Istanbul in the Sultanahmet Square area, and is currently a museum and one of the symbols of the city.

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 meters, the diameter of the dome is 31 meters.

Variants of the name of the cathedral:

• Saint Sophia Cathedral
• Hagia Sophia - Wisdom of God
• Saint Sophia of Constantinople
• Hagia Sophia
• Hagia Sophia

Cathedral interiors

The walls of the Hagia Sophia, in addition to marble, are covered with mosaics, for which gold, silver, glass, terracotta and precious stones were used. Inside the cathedral, Byzantine frescoes were preserved due to the fact that they were covered with plaster.

Mihrabs, minbars, and maksoorakhs were built in the 16th - 17th centuries during the period of Ottoman rule. Interestingly, the mihrab does not stand along the axis of the temple, pointing to the east, but slightly to the side, as it is oriented towards Mecca.

Inside the St. Sophia Cathedral there are attractions:

• Omphalion- the place of coronation of the Byzantine emperors and represents marble circles on the floor of the cathedral;
• Weeping Column- this is a column covered with copper and in which there is a small hole that fulfills wishes;
• "Cold Window"- from which a cold breeze constantly blows.

Hagia Sophia Museum

A museum is organized on the basis of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

There is a fee to visit the cathedral; the current cost of visiting can be found on the museum’s website.

Museum opening hours:

• summer time: from April 15 to October 1: 09.00 - 19.00

Hagia Sophia is a shrine of two world religions and one of the most magnificent buildings on our planet. For fifteen centuries, Hagia Sophia was the main sanctuary of two great empires - the Byzantine and Ottoman, having survived the difficult turns of their history. Having received the status of a museum in 1935, it became a symbol of the new Turkey, which had embarked on a secular path of development.

History of the creation of Hagia Sophia

In the 4th century AD e. the great Emperor Constantine built a Christian basilica on the site of the market square. A few years later this building was destroyed by fire. On the site of the fire, a second basilica was erected, which suffered the same fate. In 532, Emperor Justinian began the construction of a great temple, the likes of which humanity had never known, in order to glorify the name of the Lord forever.

The best architects of the time supervised ten thousand workers. Marble, gold, and ivory for decorating the Hagia Sophia were brought from all over the empire. The construction was completed in an unprecedentedly short time, and five years later, in 537, the building was consecrated by the Patriarch of Constantinople.

Subsequently, Hagia Sophia suffered from earthquakes several times - the first happened shortly after the completion of construction and brought serious destruction. In 989, an earthquake caused the collapse of the cathedral's dome, which was soon rebuilt.

Mosque of two religions

For more than 900 years, Hagia Sophia was the main Christian church of the Byzantine Empire. It was here in 1054 that events took place that split the church into Orthodox and Catholic.

From 1209 to 1261, the main shrine of Orthodox Christians was in the power of Catholic crusaders, who plundered it and took many of the relics stored here to Italy.

On May 28, 1453, the last Christian service in the history of Hagia Sophia was held here, and the next day Constantinople fell under the attacks of the troops of Sultan Mehmed II, and the temple was converted by his order into a mosque.

And only in the 20th century, when by the decision of Ataturk Hagia Sophia was transformed into a museum, the balance was restored.

Hagia Sophia is a unique religious building, in which frescoes depicting Christian saints juxtapose with suras from the Koran inscribed on large black circles, and minarets surround the building, built in a style typical of Byzantine churches.

Architecture and interior decoration

Not a single photo can convey the grandeur and austere beauty of Hagia Sophia. But the current building differs from the original building: the dome was rebuilt more than once, and during the Muslim period several buildings and four minarets were added to the main building.

The original appearance of the temple fully corresponded to the canons of the Byzantine style. The inside of the temple is larger than the outside. The massive dome system consists of a large dome, reaching more than 55 meters in height, and several hemispherical ceilings. The side naves are separated from the central one by malachite and porphyry columns taken from pagan temples of ancient cities.

From Byzantine decoration, several frescoes and amazing mosaics have survived to this day. In the years when the mosque was located here, the walls were covered with plaster, and its thick layer has preserved these masterpieces to this day. Looking at them, one can imagine how splendid the decoration was in the best of times. Changes from the Ottoman period, apart from the minarets, include a mihrab, a marble minbar and a richly decorated sultan's box.

• Contrary to popular belief, the temple is not named after Hagia Sophia, but is dedicated to the Wisdom of God (“sophia” means “wisdom” in Greek).
• On the territory of Hagia Sophia there are several mausoleums of the sultans and their wives. Among those buried in the tombs, there are many children who became victims of the brutal struggle for succession to the throne, common in those times.
• It is believed that the Shroud of Turin was kept in the St. Sophia Cathedral until the looting of the temple in the 13th century.

Useful information: how to get to the museum

Hagia Sophia is located in the oldest district of Istanbul, where there are many historical places - the Blue Mosque, the Cistern, Topkapi. This is the most significant building in the city, and not only native Istanbul residents, but also any tourist will tell you how to get to the museum. You can get there by public transport on the T1 tram line (Sultanahmet stop).

The museum is open from 9:00 to 19:00, and from October 25 to April 14 – until 17:00. Monday is a day off. There is always a long line at the box office, so you need to arrive early, especially in the evening: ticket sales stop an hour before closing. You can buy an electronic ticket on the official website of Hagia Sophia. Entrance costs 40 liras.

It is one of the recognizable symbols of the city and attracts thousands of tourists every year.

The cathedral has an interesting and long history: for one and a half thousand years it was a Christian temple and mosque, and currently it is a museum with unique exhibits and is an architectural monument.

Visit to Hagia Sophia in Istanbul

Address where the Cathedral is located: Hagia Sophia Square, Sultanahmet quarter, Fatih district, Istanbul, (Ayasofya Square, Sultanahmet Fatih/İSTANBUL). You can get to it by tram running along the Eminonu-Zeytinburnu route, as well as by any bus that goes from the Beyazit or Eminonu areas towards Sultanahmet.

Currently, the facility operates as a museum during winter (April 1–15) and summer (April 15–October 1) times.

In the first case opening hours– 09:00–17:00, in the second 09:00–19:00. Every Monday, as well as during the first days of Ramadan, the museum is closed on the day of Eid al-Fitr, Hagia Sophia is open from 13:00.

History of creation

The history of this church begins around 320-330 AD, during the reign of Emperor Constantine. At that time it was a Christian temple, which was rebuilt several times over the next two centuries, although the remains of the very first complex are partially preserved today.

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Construction of the first temple

Founded at the beginning of the 4th century, the temple received the name Martyr Saint Sophia, and a little less than a century later (in 404 and 415) it was almost completely burned out in fires twice, but was restored each time. The Christian basilica erected on this site after the second fire also stood for about a century, and in 532 it was also destroyed by fire.

After this, at the behest of Emperor Justinian I, a grandiose construction project began. new cathedral. More than 10,000 workers took part in the work, and the materials used were marble, ivory, gold, silver and other most expensive materials that could be found in the empire.

The temple remained the Christian Cathedral of Hagia Sophia until the 14th century, when Constantinople was conquered by the Ottomans.

Construction of a mosque

On May 29, 1453, the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II officially proclaimed the temple Hagia Sophia Mosque. In the same year, the construction of four minarets around the cathedral began; additional redevelopment was carried out: initially the altar of the cathedral was facing east, but now it was necessary to remove it and move the mihrab to the south-eastern corner of the temple.

I wonder what frescoes depicting Christian subjects were not destroyed by Muslims and even remained in the temple, although they were plastered over.

It is thanks to plaster that these frescoes have been well preserved to this day.

The emergence of the museum

The mosque performed its functions until 1935, then, due to the separation of religion and state in Turkey, the temple was abolished, giving its building to a museum. At the same time it was carried out interior restoration, including - the plaster was removed from the frescoes, and all decorative elements (both Muslim and those remaining from the times of the Byzantine Empire) were also restored.

Despite the fact that today the St. Sophia Cathedral is one of the main and most visited in the country and the capital, bringing good money into the city treasury, since the beginning of the 21st century there has been an active advocacy by Istanbul public figures and even some politicians in favor of the museum being closed and the cathedral again became a temple.

Interior of Hagia Sophia - photo

The cathedral is considered the largest temple built in the last few thousand years (not counting several Greek temples, of which only ruins remain today). But Hagia Sophia attracts tourists not because of this scale, but unique design and rich decoration both outside and inside.

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Exterior design

Cathedral parameters can be described as follows:

• length- 100 meters;
• width– 69.5 meters;
• dome height– 55.6 meters from ground level;
• dome radius– 31 meters.

In addition to marble, which was the main building material, the builders of the cathedral also used special bricks made from clay and sand, brought from the island of Rhodes. Despite their lightness, these bricks are highly durable, so for seventeen centuries the church has not shrunk. From an architectural point of view, the cathedral is rectangular basilica classic type.

Under the main, above-ground part of the structure, there is underground part, which is mostly flooded with groundwater. Despite this, during the restoration it was possible to carry out a partial study of the underground premises. In some of them, jewelry and human remains were found, which presumably belonged to Muslim noble residents of Istanbul.

An underground passage was also discovered, which leads to the underground part of another local attraction - Topkapi Palace.

But there are still vast unexplored areas - work can only continue after pumping out the water.

Private sponsors back in 2010 agreed to finance the work of pumping out water, but despite the official consent of the authorities, this project has not yet been implemented.

Interior decoration

There is not a single wall in the interior of the cathedral that is not decorated glass mosaic, terracotta, silver or gold. Also here you can see many frescoes, some of which are only partially preserved, but most have survived thanks to the Ottoman plaster with which they were once covered.

On the right side of the entrance there is a section of the floor covered with multi-colored stone ornaments. This is where the ritual was once held coronation of the emperors of Rome. Inside the cathedral, along the perimeter of the lower gallery there are 104 columns, in the upper gallery there are 64 - these columns were made of marble and transported to Istanbul by sea.

Mihrabs(special elevations that perform the same functions in mosques as altars in churches) were installed here in the 16th century, but at the same time they fit organically into the overall picture and look as ancient as the other elements. This also applies to the forty lamps that are located in special niches of the dome - they appeared here in the first half of the 16th century. Until that moment, the room was lit with ordinary candles.

Mosaics

Mosaics are the most valuable objects in the cathedral.

Valuable attractions of the temple

In one of the columns of the lower gallery there is niche, in which, according to legend, one of the priests who conducted the last Christian liturgy in 1453 hid from the Ottomans.

There is a hole in this niche, and according to legend, if you insert your thumb into it and, without removing it, rotate your palm 360 degrees, any wish will come true (obviously, this action is impossible).

In one of the apses (altar recess) there is a mihrab, which was placed here in the 16th century. It's right here minbar(tribune, pulpit in mosques), which appeared in Hagia Sophia at the same time.

Going out into the courtyard of the temple, you can see an exhibition of artifacts, elements of ancient decor and other items that were discovered by researchers during restoration and examination of the underground part of the cathedral.

Other temples of the Turkish capital

There are two more temples that are inferior to Hagia Sophia in terms of the luxury of the interior and the scale of construction, but tourists should visit these attractions, as they have no less cultural significance.

Orthodox Church of St. Irene

This church forms part of the architectural ensemble of Topkapi Palace. The Church of St. Irene was originally only small basilica, which was built in the 4th century a little earlier than the construction of St. Sophia Cathedral.

The Temple of Hagia Irene is notorious for the fact that in 346 there collided in a fight representatives of different religious denominations, as a result of which about 3,000 religious ministers and ordinary people were killed.

Currently the temple operates as museum, and from time to time exhibitions and concerts are held within its walls.

Church of St. George

The church is named after St. George the Victorious and was erected in 1601. At that time, the Fener district, where the church was built, was the only Orthodox district of Constantinople, which fell in 1453.

In 1614, the temple was partially reconstructed and expanded. In the first half of the eighteenth century strong fire significantly damaged the building, but under the patronage of Patriarch Jeremiah III, reconstruction work was carried out in 1720.

In 1738 there was a new fire, after which the church stood abandoned until 1797, until another restoration.

These restoration works were the last, and since then the architecture of the church has remained unchanged.

Watch exciting video about Hagia Sophia:

But among them the main place is occupied by the magnificent Hagia Sophia, which is also known as the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul or as the Hagia Sophia Mosque. Here is a sacred and prayerful place not only for Christians, but equally for Muslims. It is one of the most visited and famous historical monuments in the world. It is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The building of the great temple, built in a seismic zone, near a tectonic fault, withstood several strong earthquakes. It suffered several devastating fires and was subjected to the disasters of war. Many books have been written about the Hagia Sophia itself in Istanbul, about its architecture, decoration, the impression it makes on visitors, and about its centuries-old history. Any advertising publication of Istanbul, as a rule, is accompanied by an image of Aya Sofia. What's so special about it?

Who was Saint Sophia?

Many people think that the temple is named after a woman - after all, among the Christian saints there are several named Sophia, perhaps named after one of them? No, this is a wrong assumption! The name comes from the Greek word “sophia”, meaning knowledge, wisdom, and not from any specific holy name Sophia. The full Greek name is Temple of the Wisdom of God.

During its long, long life, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul had several different names - Hagia Sophia, Great Church, Hagia Sophia.

Tiptoeing into the space of Hagia Sophia

We walk with reverence through the tourist entrance into the narthex of the church. Here, where penitents once crowded, now reference information hangs, there are marble archaeological antiquities, and there are traces of golden mosaics on the ceiling. But under the impatient beating of our hearts we move on. From here there are 9 doors leading to the main part of the temple, the central one being the Imperial Gate. They are believed to be made from the remains of Noah's Ark.

We freeze to feel: in the Byzantine era, only the emperor himself could pass through them, but now anyone who paid 25 lire can safely pass through... But, if you don’t rush and stand in this place for a while, you can see dark depressions on the marble slabs of the floor - these are trampled over the centuries, traces of the feet of the guards who guarded the emperor during his prayer. How many people stood here for this visible mark of time to appear...

We pass into the nave under a mosaic depicting the emperor, who prostrated himself before Christ. On each side of Christ stand the Mother of God and the Archangel Gabriel. In the hands of Jesus is the Gospel with the words “Peace be with you. I am the light of the world."

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is stunning. The huge dome floats weightlessly over the arcade of windows. It is like a real golden sky... After some time, you realize the size of the temple and its grandeur... And a feeling of peace and tranquility surrounds and absorbs you. Thin rays of light from the windows of the high arches fall on the majestic columns, the unearthly eyes of angels and saints look attentively and sadly.

There are crowds of people around: women and men, old people and children... What brought each of them here?

Near the entrance there is a quadrangular Weeping Column lined with ancient copper sheets, which is considered miraculous. There is a hole made in it, inside of which moisture is felt. The surface of the copper around the eye has been polished with millions of touches. If you make a wish and stick your thumb into the hole, and then manage to rotate it 360 degrees, then, they say, your wish will definitely come true. I also made a wish and turned it... No, my wish did not come true...

Next to us in line for the miracle were children from a school excursion. They were funny and curious, spinning around and looking at us with interest. Or maybe Katya?

Let's look into history

The exquisite combination of peach-colored domes and minarets of Hagia Sophia against the blue sky is a symbol of Istanbul. It is the only building in the world that served the needs of three different religions: it was a Catholic cathedral, a Greek Orthodox temple and a Sunni Islamic mosque.

• In the 4th century, a cathedral was built on this site. But it was either destroyed or burned, so in 532-537 Emperor Justinian I rebuilt it. He created a true masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. The cathedral served as a Byzantine church for the next 900 years, and was the seat of the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople, the site of imperial ceremonies and church councils. It is believed that Russia became Orthodox, rather than Catholic, under the impression of the greatness of this building.
• On April 13, 1204, the crusaders subjected Constantinople to merciless devastation. The knights mercilessly robbed the Cathedral, stripped off all the gold and silver coverings, and stole everything that was of any value. After this, the building was transferred to the hands of Catholic priests. The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul functioned as a Roman Catholic cathedral until Emperor Michael retook Constantinople with a strengthened Byzantine army in 1261. But priceless relics, such as the Shroud of Turin, the spear with which a Roman legionary pierced the side of Jesus, fragments of the Cross and many others, never returned.
• In 1453, on May 29, the capital of the Byzantine Empire fell. The victorious Turks enter Constantinople, triumphant. The ruler, the famous Sultan Mehmet, nicknamed the Conqueror, sees in the defeated city an incomparable miracle - the Hagia Sophia and immediately turns it into his imperial Hagia Sophia. In this capacity she has served Muslims for a very long time. The Turks carry out some transformations in it to remove Christian signs, erect a beautiful marble mihrab and a minbar inside, from which sermons are held, and build amazing minarets, as if floating in the azure air of Istanbul.
• Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic that arose after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, converted Hagia Sophia into a museum in 1934. He says the ancient building “should become a monument to an entire civilization.” The prayer rugs are removed to reveal the beautiful marble floor. A number of calligraphy panels were moved to other mosques, however, eight of them remain in place to this day. The mosaics are cleared of the layers of plaster that covered them.

What to look for

In order to see, you need to know what to look at. Otherwise, you either won’t pay attention to a lot of things or you won’t really understand them. And in order not to be excruciatingly painful later, you need to prepare, read and watch. Well, what am I, they are not small themselves. And in short, that's it.

Looking at the architecture

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is a domed basilica of 3 naves, the central one is wide and the other two are narrower. The most important thing is the grandiose dome with a height of 56 m and a diameter of 31 m, which rests on 4 arches from 4 pillars. This most difficult design problem was brilliantly solved by brilliant architects using many innovations. As a result, the square central space of the temple is crowned with a magnificent dome. Beneath it are forty arched windows. The dome is adjoined from the west and east by two smaller semi-domes, and to each of them there are three more smaller semi-domes.

The dimensions of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul are as follows:

• its length is 76 m,
• width - 69 m,
• and height - 56 m

The Church of Hagia Sophia has two levels: above the lower floor there is a gallery. The first floor was intended for believers, with the clergy and the emperor located in the center.

On the second floor there were galleries or choirs; they were intended for women during services. In the center of the choir, on the axis of the temple, there was a place where the empress sat during the service. From here the temple is clearly visible.

Interior

The interior decoration of the Church of Hagia Sophia has always been distinguished by rare beauty. During its construction, for decoration, marble white as snow was brought from Prokonez, malachite green marble was brought from Karitos, elegant red marble was brought from Iasos, pink marble was brought from Phrygia. The lower parts of the walls were covered with blue-green and pink marble, and the floor was decorated with marble patterns of different colors. The surface of the altar, according to contemporaries, shimmered with 72 different colors and shades. The capitals of the columns were decorated with elegant carvings. The upper gallery was painted with frescoes and covered with mosaics with sacred images. And the dome was decorated with gilding and a mosaic with the face of Christ Pantocrator.

Along the perimeter of the temple there were rows of icons, shrines, and shrines with relics. But that's all in the past. Now it's empty and bare. But the interior cladding of the building with polychrome marble, green, white, and porphyry, has survived to this day.

1. Byzantine mosaics

The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is still famous for its exquisite mosaics. The most ancient mosaics are modest geometric and floral patterns; they date from the reign of Justinian. Later ones - with images of Christ, saints, emperors and their families.

And above the altar is an image of the Virgin Mary holding the infant Christ on her knees... At the entrance to the nave of the cathedral, my eyes stopped on a wonderful image, and then, when wandering between the columns, I noticed that my gaze was drawn to her more than once, or twice.

And the most famous of the mosaics are on the top floor, in the galleries. In the southern gallery there is the very best of them - the Deesis mosaic. This word denotes in icon painting a composition of three characters: in the middle is Christ, next to him is the Mother of God and John the Baptist in prayerful poses. Here is another famous mosaic - an image of Christ Pantocrator in dark blue robes, his right hand raised for blessing, and his left holding the Gospel.

Directly under the main dome of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, there are fresco cherubs on the triangular pandative sails. The Turks, unlike mosaics, did not cover them with plaster, but simply covered their faces with overlays.

1. Calligraphy at Hagia Sophia Istanbul

In the museum, high above, hang 8 huge round shields, made of either camel or donkey skin. There are amazingly beautiful Arabic inscriptions on them. The names of Allah, his prophet, and sayings from the Koran are written. The shields form an incredibly interesting contrast with the Christian mosaics.

1. Lighting fixtures and wrought iron chandeliers.

From above, chandeliers are lowered down on cables, almost as tall as a person. This is one of the brightest elements of the temple’s decoration: like droplets of shining dew on a spider’s web spread above. Incredibly beautiful.

1. Mihrab

Let me remind you that this is a round niche in the wall that marks the direction of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest place in Islam. Do you see how in Aya Sofia it is a little off-center? The fact is that the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul was built as a Christian temple, which is oriented to the east. And all mosques should be directed towards the Kaaba in Mecca, that is, to the southeast of Istanbul, which is why in Hagia Sophia there was such a discrepancy between the central part of the church building and the axial point of the mihrab. To the left of the mihrab is the Sultan's Lodge, to the right is the minbar, a place for sermons.

1. Coronation Grounds

It is believed that the square on the floor, made of colored marble, is the place where Byzantine emperors were crowned.

Secrets of Hagia Sophia

If it continued to remain a mosque, then there would be no question of exploring anything in it, much less digging it up. But, fortunately, the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul has been converted into a museum. This means that scientists can explore it freely. Although not all rooms in it are open to visits by ordinary people, scientists have certainly studied each one, and meticulously, down to the millimeter.

True, we must make a reservation - we are talking only about the above-ground part of the structure.

And, I must say, there are amazing stories about what is under the building. The testimony of the Spanish ambassador from 1403 has been preserved that there is a giant cistern below, under the Hagia Sophia. And this is not the only evidence. This was repeated by various European travelers in later times. Scanning of the temple confirmed the presence of large voids underneath. But it has not yet been possible to find an underground storage facility, the size of which should exceed.

The main thing

The world famous Hagia Sophia in Istanbul has three main and unique features:

• Firstly, he is very old. Hagia Sophia in Istanbul has existed for one and a half thousand years. Of this time, for 916 years it was used by Christians, for 481 years it served as the Hagia Sophia Mosque, and now it is the most famous museum in Istanbul.
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