Take a 360 degree tour around the Byzantine landmark that has been preserved for nearly 1500 years
Zeynep Ahunbay led me through the massive cathedral's cavernous nave and shadowy arcades, pointing out its fading splendors. Under the great dome, filtered amber light revealed vaulted arches, galleries and semi-domes, refracted from exquisite mosaics depicting the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus as well as long-vanished patriarchs, emperors and saints. Yet the overall impression was one of dingy neglect and piecemeal repair. I gazed up at patches of moisture and peeling paint; bricked-up windows; marble panels, their incised surfaces obscured under layers of grime; and walls covered in mustard-colored paint applied by restorers after golden mosaics had fallen away. The depressing effect was magnified by a tower of cast-iron scaffolding that cluttered the nave, testament to a lagging, intermittent campaign to stabilize the beleaguered monument.
"For months at a time, you don't see anybody working," said Ahunbay, a professor of architecture at Istanbul Technical University. She had directed a partial restoration of the building's exterior in the late 1990s and is regarded by conservators as its guardian angel. "One year there is a budget, the next year there is none," she said with a sigh. "We need a permanent restoration staff, conservators for the mosaics, frescoes and masonry, and we need to have them continuously at work."
Greeting her with a deferential salute, a workman beckoned us to accompany him through a massive wooden door, half hidden in shadow beneath an overhead gallery. Following the beam of his flashlight, we made our way across a pitch-dark antechamber and up a steep cobblestone ramp littered with fallen masonry and plaster. The incline may have been built to enable the sixth-century builders to cart construction materials to the second-story gallery. "There are problems here too," said Ahunbay, pointing to jagged cracks in the brick vaulting overhead.
Visible for miles across the Sea of Marmara, Istanbul's Hagia Sophia, with its giant buttresses and soaring minarets, symbolizes a cultural collision of epic proportions. (The name translates from the Greek as "Sacred Wisdom.") The structure stands not only as a magnificent architectural treasure but also as a complex accretion of myth, symbol and history. The landmark entwines the legacies of medieval Christianity, the Ottoman Empire, resurgent Islam and modern secular Turkey in a kind of Gordian knot, confounding preservationists who want to save it from decay and restore its former glory.
In addition to the obvious challenges—leaks, cracks and neglect—an invisible menace may pose an even greater danger. Istanbul sits squarely atop a geologic fault line. "There most definitely are seismic threats to Hagia Sophia, and they are great," says Stephen J. Kelley, a Chicago-based architect and engineer who consults on Byzantine churches in Turkey, the former Soviet Union and the Balkans. "One tremor and the whole thing could come falling down."
"Conservationists are very concerned about Hagia Sophia," says John Stubbs, a vice president of the New York-based World Monuments Fund, which contributed $500,000 and raised another half million in matching funds for urgent repairs during the last decade."It's an unbelievably complex structure. There's the roof, the stonework, marble, mosaics, paintings. We don't even know all that's in play in there. But we do know that it requires ongoing, vigilant attention. Hagia Sophia is an utterly unique building—a key monument in the history of architecture and a key symbol of the city of Constantinople right through to our time."
Constantinople, as Istanbul was known for centuries, owed its importance to the Emperor Constantine, who made it the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire in A.D. 330. Although an earlier basilica of the same name once stood on the site, today's Hagia Sophia was a creation of the Emperor Justinian, who rose from humble origins to become the greatest of the early rulers of the empire that historians would call Byzantium. During his 38-year reign, from 527 to 565, Justinian labored to bring harmony to the disputatious factions of the Eastern Orthodox Church; organized Roman law into a code that would influence European legal systems down to the present; and set his armies on the march, enlarging the empire until it reached from the Black Sea to Spain. He also erected hundreds of new churches, libraries and public edifices throughout the empire. Hagia Sophia, completed in 537, was his crowning architectural achievement. Until the 15th century, no building incorporated a floor space so vast under one roof. Four acres of golden glass cubes—millions of them—studded the interior to form a glittering canopy overhead, each one set at a subtly different angle to reflect the flicker of candles and oil lamps that illuminated nocturnal ceremonies. Forty thousand pounds of silver encrusted the sanctuary. Columns of purple porphyry and green marble were crowned by capitals so intricately carved that they seemed as fragile as lace. Blocks of marble, imported from as far away as Egypt and Italy, were cut into decorative panels that covered the walls, making the church's entire vast interior appear to swirl and dissolve before one's eyes. And then there is the astonishing dome, curving 110 feet from east to west, soaring 180 feet above the marble floor. The sixth-century historian Procopius marveled that it "does not appear to rest upon a solid foundation, but to cover the place beneath as though it were suspended from heaven by the fabled golden chain."
Magnificent as it was, Hagia Sophia contained none of its splendid figurative mosaics at first. Justinian may have acceded to the wishes of his wife, Theodora (who reputedly began her career as an entertainer and prostitute), and others who opposed the veneration of human images—later to become known as "iconoclasts." By the ninth century, those who worshiped such images, the "iconodules," gained ascendancy, commissioning artists to make up for lost time. Medieval pilgrims were awed by the mosaics, ranging from depictions of stylized angels to emperors and empresses, as well as a representation of an all-seeing Christ looming from the dome. Many of these images are lost; those few that remain are unique, says art historian Natalia Teteriatnikov, former curator at Dumbarton Oaks, in Washington, D.C., where a center for Byzantine studies is housed. "They cover almost the entire history of Byzantium, from 537 through the restoration of the icons and on up to imperial portraits from the late 14th century. No other Byzantine monument covers such a span of time."
For more than 900 years, Hagia Sophia was the most important building in the Eastern Christian world: the seat of the Orthodox patriarch, counterpart to Roman Catholicism's pope, as well as the central church of the Byzantine emperors, whose palace stood nearby. "Hagia Sophia summed up everything that was the Orthodox religion," says Roger Crowley, author of 1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West. "For Greeks, it symbolized the center of their world. Its very structure was a microcosm of heaven, a metaphor for the divine mysteries of Orthodox Christianity." Pilgrims came from across the Eastern Christian world to view its icons, believed to work miracles, and an unmatched collection of sacred relics. Within the cathedral's holdings were artifacts alleged to include pieces of the True Cross; the lance that pierced Christ's side; the ram's horns with which Joshua blew down the walls of Jericho; the olive branch carried by the dove to Noah's ark after the Flood; Christ's tunic; the crown of thorns; and Christ's own blood. "Hagia Sophia," says Crowley, "was the mother church—it symbolized the everlastingness of Constantinople and the Empire."
In the 11th century, the Byzantines suffered the first in a series of devastating defeats at the hands of Turkish armies, who surged westward across Anatolia, steadily whittling away at the empire. The realm was further weakened in 1204 when western European crusaders en route to the Holy Land, overtaken by greed, captured and looted Constantinople. The city never fully recovered.
By the mid-15th century, Constantinople was hemmed in by Ottoman-controlled territories. On May 29, 1453, after a seven-week siege, the Turks launched a final assault. Bursting through the city's defenses and overwhelming its outnumbered defenders, the invaders poured into the streets, sacking churches and palaces, and cutting down anyone who stood in their way. Terrified citizens flocked to Hagia Sophia, hoping that its sacred precincts would protect them, praying desperately that, as an ancient prophesied, an avenging angel would hurtle down to smite the invaders before they reached the great church.
This is a matter that should interest all who care about the human heritage. Is there one organization that one could support in an effort to help? UNESCO, perhaps?
Posted by Joan Campion on November 28,2008 | 09:44AM
This is a magnificent essay on the current state of this outstanding church. It is sad that this structure is referred to as a "basilica" since its construction is a domed building with four pendantives and does not have a hip roof and an apse at one end. That structure was characteristic of the emperor's building where he held court and many Christrian churches are constructed in that pattern and architecturally are designated as basilicas. However the popes had seen fit to apply that name to certain domed churches as an honorific one. The popes never had control of this church except when the warriors of the fourth crusade, through the wiles of the Venetians, overcame Constantinople and held it for 60 years. This has never been termed a basilica by the citizens of that city. It wss always referred to as "the Great Church of the Holy Wisdom of God." By the same token they and their empire were never identified as "Byzantines" or the "Byzantine Empire." These titles were introduced by a western scholar of the sixteenth century and were unknown in the 1000 year existence of that empire.
Posted by John P. Nasou, M.D. on November 28,2008 | 12:32PM
I enjoyed the article on HAGIA SOPHIA, but there is no mention of the BLUE MOSQUE with its six minarets (the only one with six in the world) and a change by Attaturk from religion to secular and its being restored. Am I missing something? It impressed me greatly when I visited. GP
Posted by George Pittman - COL.USAF, RET'D on November 29,2008 | 10:32AM
WOW!!! My wife and I just returned from a 5 weeks vacation in Turkey with the last 18 days in Istanbul. We spent an entire day wondering around the Hagia Sophia....the 360 degree tour blows my mind away!!!!! Dale
Posted by dalerudd on November 29,2008 | 06:23PM
I have visited the Agia Sophia. It is an architectural and cultural landmark of the highest order. I hope and pray that all of the responsible parties will come together to preserve it for future generations.
Posted by Rabbi Gilbert Kollin on November 30,2008 | 07:49PM
I am only 17 but I hve been a committed Byzantinist for several years now. I think the Byzantine Empire is the most fascinating and significant empire to western civilization and I am glad you actually di a story bringing them and their greatness back into the light again. The western world needs to gain an appreciation of this great culture that preserved civilization during the dark ages. I think it goes without saying that I think that the Hagia Sophia should be restored to a church once more.
Posted by Ethan Williamson on December 1,2008 | 03:09PM
My recent visit to the Hagia Sophia was the fulfillment of a lifetime dream! It breaks my heart to think of how glorious it was in its heyday and how much damage has been done by time, weather and the history of empires. I will never forget the awesome beauty of that ancient and Holy place. May G-d preserve it for all generations to come, and grant us all a measure of His Holy Wisdom...
Posted by Ann-Marie on December 2,2008 | 11:38AM
Thank you for a this article which introduces this masterpiece to your readers. I read your article carefully and I must say I sensed some Christian bias against the Turkey and Turks in it. As you know, Anatolia is a cradale of the civization whose history goes back for over ten thousand years. Turkey has so much to restore that, unless the entire World's restoration efforts are devoted to it, the Turkish Government's resources are not adquate. As for converting Saint Sophia to a Church. The morality in 1453, when Ottoman's took it, was very different than today's. Many Mosques taken by Christians, including the Mosques in Kordoba, Sevilla, and Granada were converted to and are still being used as churches. I have also traveled all around the Greek islands and cities, including the island of Crete and observed that all churches there were destroyed and not a single mention of the Ottomans is made in any of their museums. A similar situation exists in other old Ottoman lands such as the Bulgaria, Serbia, and Armenia. Turks did not destroy a single Church. They either converted it to a mosque or allowed these to be used as churches by their Christian population. Turks did the most humane thing to Saint Sophia by converting it to a museum. For 500 years it was used as a Mosque and converting it to a Church will hurt the sensibilities of many Turks who are 98% Moslem.
Posted by Demir Karsan on December 3,2008 | 02:27PM
Has Smithsonian organized any tour groups to visit Hagia Sophia?
Posted by Jen Martin on December 4,2008 | 06:25AM
Thanks for the exceptionally well done article and the wonderful and stunning 360 degree tour! One can only hope that reason and a respect for world heritage will prevail over human fanaticism of all stripes.
Posted by Gordon N. Fleming on December 4,2008 | 09:24AM
Thanks for such a great article. Very objective coverage. I have visited Aghia Sophia on 3 diffeent trips to Turkey. Each time I entered the building, I had to stop for about 20 minutes to fully absorb the meaning of what I had just walked into. It's awesome. Worldwide, there are certainly enough people that would give support to a rehabilitation of the structure. Too bad there is so much difficulty getting started.
Posted by Charles Antonacos on December 4,2008 | 06:01PM
The article on 'Ayasofya' leaves me befuddled. Is it an article exposing the needs of this museum, or is it directed at listing the history of the wars between Byzantium and the Ottomans? If it was the former, it was covered, with great mediocrity, in 4-6 paragraphs. If the latter, then it did succeed, flowered with push button words and a definite anti-Ottoman (should I say anti-Islamic) slant. Very disappointed. E. Esat Atikkan, Ph.D.
Posted by E. Esat Atikkan on December 7,2008 | 02:23PM
As usual nothing about the music in the H.S. - Neil Moran - see the article in Plainsong and Medieval Music (2002), 11:2:99-112 Cambridge University Press: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayIssue?jid=PMM&volumeId=11&issueId=02&iid=137178# Byzantine castrati by Neil Moran Abstract The employment of castrati in the Byzantine Church can be traced back to the choirmaster Brison in the fourth century. Brison was called upon by John Chrysostom to organize the antiphonal hymn-singing in the patriarchal church. Since eunuchs were generally considered to be remnants of a pagan past, castrati are seldom mentioned in early Byzantine sources, but beginning in the tenth century references to eunuchs or castrati became more and more frequent. By the twelfth century all the professional singers in the Hagia Sophia were castrati. The repertory of the castrati is discussed and the question is raised whether the introduction of castrati to the Sistine Chapel was influenced by the employment of castrati in Italo-Greek cloisters.
Posted by Neil Moran on December 8,2008 | 09:05AM
As a former student of the late Fr. John Meyendorff, Dean of St. Vladimir's Seminary and world-renowned expert on Byzantium, this article is a good introduction. I would recommend books by John Meyendorff to understand the Byzantine History and Theology of the Orthodox Church. The major unrepairable occurrence between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church took place with the Fourth Crusade when the Italian West invaded Constantinople destroying and looting the city. Dumbarton Oaks outside Washington, D.C. has devoted itself to the history and understanding of Byzantium.
Posted by Nick Kobbs on December 15,2008 | 07:04AM
Since many people still seem to want to worship at the Hagia Sophia, why not allow limited religious services to any interested denomination? Keep the interior as it is now, non-denominational, allow a Christian service on Sunday and maybe one Moslem service per day on the other days. This way the building would be fulfilling its originally intended function, in a way that serves the needs of Istanbul's current population. And a resolution of the religious issues, in a way that is seen as fair and impartial, would be a big step towards preservation.
Posted by Mark Brissenden on December 15,2008 | 11:00AM
I visited Hagia Sophia in 1999. I amazed for beatiful building. Turks were very friendly. I recommend everybody.
Posted by Kagan Keskin on December 17,2008 | 11:06PM
This is Ethan again, the young byzantinist, I was wondering if anyone knows of a good college that has Byzantine Studies around Kansas City, Missouri. If somebody could post it here I would be very appreciative, My search has been fruitless and I would rather not travel all the way to Dumbarton Oaks for college just yet.
Posted by Ethan Williamson on December 18,2008 | 01:42PM
Thank for the issue that highlighted the significance of Hagia Sophia, not only as a structure and architectural masterpiece but also, and more importantly, as a symbol of preserving cultural heritage in all over the world. I wish the same understanding could prevail much earlier in the Balkans, for example. Please allow me to point out that, there are thousands of such pieces inherited in Turkey from many historic civilizations, including Seljuk and Ottoman eras, which deserve and wait for upgrading, restoration and rehabilitation. Please keep in mind that if the Turks had not saved, upgraded, and preserved the structure, today you would not see a piece of Hagia Sophia. It is regretful and disappointing that the author keeps implying clash of "fundamentalists" and "secularists" in Turkey on a monumental architectural museum. (You might have noticed some Christian fundamentalist readers above desiring conversion of the museum back to a church!)It is merely a matter of budget and time to rehabilitate defects in the roof insulation and interior plaster and painting. I would be pleased if you could consider Hagia Sophia as the monument of the tolerance and peace dominated by the Turkish Ottoman civilization in our region for centuries. Thank you, and kind regards.
Posted by Vecihi Acun on December 31,2008 | 01:21AM
The restoration of the Hagia Sophia would serve us all. Would it be possible to organize and engage in a truly GRASSROOTS effort with volunteers from all over the civilized world contributing the labor? Such an effort would not only restore the building, but raise the awareness among all of us of our kinship. Perhaps it could be done through the colleges and universities, with all of the disciplines involved.
Posted by Megan McClard on December 31,2008 | 05:31AM
To the young Byzantinist: I don't know specifically whether there are any good places for Byzantine studies near you, but as an art historian, I can recommend some resources. The College Art Association has just published a guide to art history programs in the United States and will list the specialties of faculty members. You can probably get it through your local library. If there is the work of a scholar you particularly admire, you could contact him or her - email addresses are often findable on the web - to ask for advice. Best wishes.
Posted by Natasha S. on January 4,2009 | 06:26AM
To the Byzantinist: Please remember that Byzantine Empire is a term invented by the French Historian Montesqueu in 18th Century. The Ionian Megeran Byzas established the first settlement and the polis in 6th century BCE and Montesqueu adapted the name from that. The city was named Constantinopolis after the Roman Emperor Constantine made it the Roma Capital in 313CE and built the first Saint Sophia Church. The Emperors and the population of Constantinopolis identified themselves as Romans. There is no written or archeological record of them ever calling themselves as the Byzantine Empire, Byzantines, Hellen, or Greek. Quite the contary, being a multi deity culture, many Hellens strongly reacted to the Roman State imposed Christianity and there were several returns to Hellinic Gods (Such as the Emperor Julian the Apostate period when the Christian religion olmost perished).
Posted by Demir Karsan on January 8,2009 | 04:18PM