Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia – A magnificent host to history
In A.D. 532, Justinian the Great of the Eastern Roman Empire (Emperor Justinian I) took a decision to build a church that would make all the other religious monuments look pale before it.
Hence, after a period of nearly five years in 537 A.D., Justinian the Great, at the inaugural ceremony of the Hagia Sophia, announced with pride, saying, “ Oh Solomon, I have surpassed you,” while referring to the Solomon Temple, considered to be the first ever temple of Judaism, built in the 10th century BCE by the Son of David.
The Hagia Sophia is located at the heart of Sultanahmet district in the city of Istanbul. It can be easily recognized even from a far off distance by its unique pink-terracotta color. Both the Hagia Sophia as well as its Muslim counterpart (Sultanahmet) are regarded to be the two greatest historical monuments of the Eminonu district. Sultanahmet is also home to several famous historical masterpiece of historical importance including the famous Topkapi Palace and the Basilica Cistern.
Meaning ‘God’s sacred wisdom,’ Hagia Sophia is part of the three churches made by Justinian the Great who was known as an “emperor who never sleeps.” The Aya Irene, meaning the sacred peace of God, and the Aya Dinamos, meaning the sacred strength of God, look pale when compared to the Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya in Turkish). Although, the Aya Irene can still be found within the complex of the Hagia Sophia, there are no remains to be found of the Aya Dinamos.
In an exclusive interview given to sultanahmet1.com, a professional tour guide since two decades and an architect, Adnan Ozerler, says, “The Ayasofya was actually built on top of an Athenian temple.” Also a member of the Istanbul Tour Guides Union (TUREB), Ozerler goes on to add saying,”Back in the fourth and fifth centuries there were two temples in what later became Constantinople. These were later destroyed by dissidents.”
Ozerler revealed that the Hagia Sophia happens to be the first ever basilica to have a dome and the largest structure of the archaic age. It is believed to be cost nearly 20,000 pounds of gold. Being made of blocks of stone along with the layers of bricks used in-between; the monument has withstood the test of time. According to Ozerler, the wall of the Hagia Sophia happens to be the hardest type of wall, and the same pattern was followed while constructing the walls around Constantinople (now Istanbul) by Constantine the Great. After the construction of the walls around the city of Constantinople, the construction of the Hagia Sophia was a simple task for the architects and laborers.
The rosy terracotta color of the building that we see today was not the original color. The gray bricks were not painted with any color and were left uncovered. Ozerler adds, “We believe that there was fresco and a chemical coat to protect it from damage caused by rain.” The Hagia Sophia which we see today happens to be almost the same after the changes done to it by Faith Sultan Mehmet in 1453.
Meanwhile, some of the major changes made to the Hagia Sophia are as follows---
- The dome originally had a painting of Mary and Jesus. However, as the paintings of people are not allowed in Islam, so, a chapter taken from the Quran has been placed over the paintings. The chapter contains a reference to Mary and Jesus, both of whom are regarded with great respect in Islam.
- A couple of panels providing support to the building- these are nearly 1465 years old and have held the building stable for so much time.
- The four minarets of the building having names of their own. The first minaret, called the Fatih minaret was made by Fatih Sultan using bricks. The second minaret was made by Bayezid II, while the two other were made in the 16th century by Mimar Sinan on the orders of Selim II.
- There were several additions to this church to transform it into a mosque. Hence, although, Eastern Orthodox churches face Jerusalem, the Hagia Sophia was structured with its face towards Mecca. Other additions included the muaddhin mahver, the mihrab and mimbar, all of which face Mecca.
- Another change included a madrasa built in the Hagia Sophia by Fatih Sultan Mehmet during his reign.
So, we can see that the Hagia Sophia went through a huge transformation. The famous architect Ozerler explained during his interview that he saw a big chip of painting falling from the ceiling just above the mimbar, revealing St. John’s (The Baptist) painting. “Such is the greatness of sultans such as Fatih Sultan Mehmet -- he chose to cover the original paintings instead of scraping them off completely,” stated Ozerler, as he recalled the destruction of numerous other structures by the emperors just to show off their supremacy many centuries ago.
Emperor Justinian the Great purchased marble from Aegean and the Thrace regions for building the church. He also left his mark on the top of each pillar within the building of the Hagia Sophia.
Hagia Sophia- an exquisite monument of motivation---
No doubt, the Hagia Sophia has undergone a huge transformation since the time during which it was built. However, the fact is that it was and will always remain a structure of grandeur for a long time to come. It was envied by Muslim sultans and architects who felt a feeling of awe and inspiration on seeing it.
To cite an example, once Sultan Mehmet I, who was a devoted Muslim, asked Sevekdar Mehmet Aga, an architect, to build a huge mosque that would surpass the Hagia Sophia. “Although the architect balked the criteria specified, saying that it would be a disproportionate and unaesthetic structure, he would eventually comply with the sultan’s request,” quotes Ozerler.
The Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque) happens to be nearly 40 percent smaller than the Hagia Sophia, however, Sedefkar Mehmet Aga created the illusion to make the mosque appear bigger in comparison to the Hagia Sophia.
In Serbia, there is a replica of the Hagia Sophia. Known as the Sava Von Serbien Church, the construction of this building was completed in Belgrade during 1980s.
The Hagia Sophia happens to be a magnificent structure adorning the Bosphorus that has stood the test of time and will continue to be a source of inspiration for numerous mosques in the times to come.
Gold in Topkapi Palace Istanbul
Gold in Topkapi Palace Istanbul
Gold held a great symbolic value in the lives of the sultans during the Ottoman period. One can see the treasuries made of gold belonging to the Ottoman Sultans preserved in the Topkapi Palace. Gold was the first mineral discovered by man and gained immense importance to become a hot passion among people since times immemorial.
While looking at the ancient history of the Turkish people makes it quite clear that from Central Asia, the passion for gold continued to the Seljuks, Mamluks and the Ottomans till the present times. In the Topkapi Palace Museum, one can find golden chandeliers, cup holders, rosewater flacons, candle scissors, water pipes, dessert sets and candlesticks.
Apart from the above named articles, the museum also has items such as fans, snuff boxes, pill boxes and seal pouches which were commonly used either on ceremonies like weddings, coronations etc. or on day to day basis. Also on display is the jewelry belonging to the Ottoman period. Some of the jewelry is studded with diamonds, pearls, emeralds and jade.
By going through the Chronicles of the House of Osman by Asikpasazade (a source of the history of Ottoman dynasty), it becomes quite clear that the Ottomans used gold as gifts on important ceremonial occasions in their lives. According to a report from the Chronicle, ten trays of gold and silver were presented as gift at Murad I’s son’s circumcision.
During the 15th century, a number of gold and silver mines were captured after the conquest of the Balkans. Hence, there was a mass production of jewelry in Istanbul, Diyarbakir, Erzurum, Trabzon and Prizren. Further, the production of jewelry increased manifold after Sultan Mehmed (1451-1481) conquered Istanbul. According to Jacopo de Promontario, a chief merchant of Sultan Mehmed, there were a large number of candlesticks, pitchers, basins and bowls made of gold and silver.
Several items of luxury were in great use in the reign of Bayezid II and their use increased manifold after Selim’s I trips to Egypt and Iran. Some of the gold artifacts gifted to Shah Tahmasp of Persia by Suleyman the Magnificent (1520-1566) include carafe, tray and belts of gold.
Among the other gold items belonging to the 16th century include a jade cup and a gold tray presented by Mustafa II to the Voyvoda of Poznan in 1699 on the occasion of signing of the Treaty of Carlowitz.
The fact that there was a vast wealth of jewelry during the Ottoman Empire also makes it quite clear about enormous resources of the sultans during the period. Moreover, the sultans gave whole-hearted support to encourage the artists dealing in such work. There were a number of learned and skilled artists dealing in hammering gold and weaving embroidered cloth using gold.
During the later periods, we can find Indian and Mughal inspiration in the Ottoman jewelry pieces. The vast Ottoman Treasuries were the result of the gifts and the taxes collected from the provinces. Meanwhile, during the economic straits, a large number of gold objects were melted to make coins. However, the highly valued gold pieces of ancestral value were largely spared.
The Ottoman Treasury was protected by the Superintendent of the Treasury with a seal of Sultan Selim I till 1924 when the Topkapi Palace was converted to be used as a museum at the behest of Ataturk.
