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Contents
Hagia Sophia's architecture: Grand Dome, intricate mosaics, & tall columns
Hagia SophiaArchitecture
Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia is an architectural marvel. Having survived through violent shifts of empires, disasters, and multiple renovation efforts, it lives today as a testament to history. Every part of the Hagia Sophia, from its walls and flooring to its dome and minarets narrates captivating stories. It has been influenced heavily by both Byzantine and Ottoman elements of design. If you’re planning a visit to Istanbul, witnessing Hagia Sophia’s architecture should be at the top of your list.
Architectural highlights of Hagia Sophia
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Architectural style of the Hagia Sophia
The Hagia Sophia is often described as an epitome of Byzantine architecture, but its design incorporates elements from Roman, Greek, and Islamic architectural traditions.
- Byzantine influence: The massive central dome of the Hagia Sophia creates a sense of grandeur and spaciousness within the interior space. The use of pendentives and squinches to support the dome is another hallmark of Byzantine architecture, allowing for the transition from a square base to a circular dome.
- Roman heritage: The architects of the Hagia Sophia, Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus, drew upon their knowledge of Roman engineering techniques to create a structure that was both monumental and functional. The inside of the Hagia Sophia is filled with arches, columns, and vaults.
- Greek aesthetics: The architects used marble and other precious stones and metals to decorate the church-turned-mosque, which is reminiscent of classical Greek architecture. Additionally, the proportions and symmetry of Hagia Sophia's design emphasize harmony and balance.
- Islamic influence: After the Ottoman conquest in 1453, minarets the mihrab (prayer niche), and the minbar (pulpit) were added to the mosque. These features highlight the Hagia Sophia's significance as a place of worship for Muslims.
Who designed the Hagia Sophia?
Anthemius of Tralles
Anthemius was born in Tralles, a city in Asia Minor, and played a key role in devising the innovative architectural solutions that enabled the construction of the Hagia Sophia's massive dome. His understanding of geometry and mechanics helped builders overcome technical challenges and create a series of arches and semi-domes to support the imposing dome.
Isidore of Miletus
Isidore, hailing from the city of Miletus, was a skilled architect and mathematician. He collaborated closely with Anthemius and conceptualized the overall architectural plan of the Hagia Sophia, including its distinctive dome and innovative structural features. Isidore's meticulous attention to detail and his understanding of architectural aesthetics helped to shape the Hagia Sophia into a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture.
Structure of Hagia Sophia
The Hagia Sophia exhibits a unique blend of architectural elements from various civilizations and periods, resulting in a structure that is both grand and harmonious.
- Dome and central space: At the heart of the Hagia Sophia lies its massive central dome, which dominates the interior space. With a diameter of 31 meters, the dome appears to float above the building and is supported by a series of pendentives and squinches.
- Columns and arches: The columns inside the mosque, many of which were salvaged from ancient Roman buildings, support the weight of the structure. The arches, both circular and pointed, also provide additional structural support and contribute to the overall aesthetic appeal of the building.
- Buttresses and piers: To support the immense weight of the central dome, a system of buttresses and piers was included in the building's design. These massive structures help to transfer the load of the dome downwards and prevent the walls from buckling under the strain.
- Exterior facade: The exterior facade is characterized by its simple yet elegant design, with rows of windows and arched openings punctuating the walls. After its conversion into a mosque in the 15th century, minarets were added to its structure.
- Decorative elements: There are intricate mosaics, marble panels, and carved reliefs throughout the interior of the mosque. The mosaics depict religious scenes and figures, adding to the spiritual atmosphere of the interior space.
Hagia Sophia through the ages
The Hagia Sophia has undergone many regime changes, constantly seeing new architectural elements and designs being added as it went from a church to a mosque, then a museum and now a mosque again. Here’s a look at the essential architecture through its different time periods.
Hagia Sophia Church
Over time, the Hagia Sophia has undergone many changes. A major renovation was carried out in the 10th Century by Emperor Basil II. He restored the collapsed dome of the church and installed four large murals of cherubim, a new representation of Christ on the vault, a burial cloth of Christ, and on the apse, a new representation of the Virgin Mary cradling Jesus, among the apostles, Peter and Paul.
Hagia Sophia Mosque
As a mosque under the Ottomans, a small minaret was added in the southwest corner of the Hagia Sophia Mosque. A widespread renovation of the Hagia Sophia Mosque was ordered by Sultan Abdulmejid I in 1847. Gaspare and Giuseppe Fossati, two Swiss-Italian architects, supervised the straightening of some columns, the securing of the vaults, the consolidation of the dome, and the redecoration of the mosque's exterior and interior. A new maqsurah was added to the northern aisle of the Mosque of Hagia Sophia in 1850.
Hagia Sophia Museum
Since the Hagia Sophia was built on a fault line, every earthquake in the region wreaked havoc on its foundation. Its condition continued to deteriorate and Hagia Sophia was listed on World Monuments Watch in 1996 and again in 1998 by the World Monuments Fund (WMF). The first stage of work, with the Turkish Ministry of Culture, was to stabilize the cracked roof. By 2006, the WMF project was complete, although many other parts of the Hagia Sophia still need substantial improvements.
What to see inside the Hagia Sophia?
If you’re planning a visit, here are the key Hagia Sophia architectural points to focus on.
Minarets
The minarets were an Ottoman addition and not part of the original Byzantine church. The southeast minaret was constructed with red brick and can be dated back to the reign of Mehmed or his successor Beyazıd II. The other three were constructed with white limestone and sandstone, of which Bayezid II erected the slender northeast column and Selim II erected the two identical larger minarets to the west.
Dome
The iconic Hagia Sophia dome can be instantly spotted from a distance. It has a diameter of around 31 meters. Four spherical triangular pendentives bear the dome. The pendentives are the corners of the dome's square base, curving upwards into the dome to support it, restricting the dome's lateral forces and allowing its weight to flow downwards. The dome was left somewhat elliptical due to repairs.
Mosaics
Hagia Sophia has mosaics on the inside of its dome, the imperial gate, the southwestern gate, as well as the northern tympanum. However, the most significant of them are the mosaics on the apse. Mary, the mother of Jesus carrying the Christ Child and sitting on a jeweled thokos backless throne, is shown in the mosaic in the semi-dome above the apse on the east end. It is not known when the mosaic was installed.
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Frequently asked questions about Hagia Sophia's architecture
What is Hagia Sophia's architectural style?
Hagia Sophia's architectural style is a blend of Byzantine, Roman, Greek, and Islamic influences. It features a large central dome supported by pendentives and buttresses, intricate mosaics, and marble columns. After it was converted to a mosque, the Ottomans added minarets and Islamic calligraphy on its walls.
Who designed the Hagia Sophia?
The Hagia Sophia was designed by two architects, Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus. Emperor Justinian I had commissioned them to create a cathedral that would surpass all others in grandeur and magnificence. After its completion in 537 AD, the Hagia Sophia was the tallest cathedral in Istanbul for many years to come.
When was Hagia Sophia built?
The construction of the Hagia Sophia began in 532 AD and was completed in 537 AD. It took approximately six years to build this architectural marvel. The Hagia Sophia was consecrated as a cathedral by Emperor Justinian I upon its completion.
What's inside Hagia Sophia?
The interior of the Hagia Sophia boasts intricate mosaics, marble columns, and decorative elements. Some of its most notable highlights include the massive central dome, beautiful Byzantine mosaics, the mihrab (prayer niche) and minbar (pulpit), and the intricate calligraphy from its Islamic period.
What's on the exterior of Hagia Sophia?
The exterior of the Hagia Sophia features a simple yet elegant design with rows of windows, arched openings, and minarets added during its time as a mosque. Originally clad in marble, the exterior walls have undergone various modifications over the centuries.
