Hagia Sophia
Our first stop on the second full day in in Istanbul was the famous Hagia Sophia (church of holy wisdom), once upon a time this was the church where Byzantine emperors worshipped and for almost 1,000 years it was the largest cathedral in the world. The current building dates to the 5th century, after the destruction of her two predecessor churches. After the ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453 the church was converted into the most important mosque in the ottoman empire. At that time the foour minarets were added and the interior changed in accordance with muslim practice. The precious frescos and mosaics that had been the church's pride, were covered with whitewash. In the early ottoman empire the Hagia Sophia became the model for the constructions of all mosques, including the blue mosque. After the creation of the secular Republic of Turkey, Atatürk decreed that the Hagia Sophia 1934 was transformed into a museum. Since that time many of the frescos and mosaics have been uncovered and restored at great cost. The building itself had to undergo major renovation and reconstruction, especially the vaulted ceiling. |
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The three pictures below show the vaulted ceiling which is "supported" by four archangels. During the time Hagia Sophia was used as a mosque their faces were covered, leaving only the images of the abstract "wings", as can be seen (faintly) in the left and middle pictures. Recently one of the faces has been uncovered (see picture on the right below). In the picture on the left one can also see two of the very large tablets that are affixed to the buildings pillars. These tablets are considered to be among the finest examples of islamic art. |
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On the pictures above it is also possible to see the amount of damage that still (or already again) exists despite the extensive restauration that has occurred over the last 90 years. |
Emperor John II (1118–1143) the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus; Empress Irene |
the loge of the empress on the second floor. To facilitate carrying the imperial chaise, a ramp (marble, of course!) was constructed to the upper floor instead of stairs. Although we were walking, we still appreciated it |
Apse mosaic of the Theotokos (Virgin Mother and Child) |
Chora Church
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