Unknown Hagia Sophia Museum of Sultanahmet Istanbul
Istanbul is home to several churches belonging to the Byzantine architecture and Hagia Sophia happens to be the most significant Byzantine churches. Hagia Sophia in Greek (Ayasofya in Turkish) happens as the universally acknowledged and the most visited museums in the world.
In 537 during the Eastern Roman Empire, Emperor Justinian the Great commissioned two architects of Anatolia for construction of Hagia Sophia over the ruins of an earlier building. The materials used in construction of this magnificent building were brought from places including Rome, Ephesus, Athens and Delphi. After the completion of the church, Justinian the Great exclaimed with joy saying- ‘Solomon, I have outdone thee!’.
The fact that architects from the world over envy this exquisite monument and have made vain attempts to imitate it very well explain its importance. It is, undoubtedly, stupendous and surviving example of Byzantine architectural excellence and hence, has invited curious visitors from the world over. Let’s together discover several aspects of Hagia Sophia that have remained undiscovered hitherto.
The Hagia Sophia church happens to be the third church built on the site where the first two churches were built earlier. Earlier, it was known not by the its present name of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) but as the Great Church (Mega Ekklesia) for quite a long period.
The Hagia Sophia was an Eastern Roman Patriarchate church, the foundations of which can still be seen today by any of the visitors. The Holy Synod convened in the chambers of the church. The Hagia Sophia also has two other buildings apart from the main building. One of these buildings is considered to be a baptismal. While the building on the northeast was used as a treasury building, the other on the southwest is believed to be a baptismal.
Several great works of art in the Hagia Sophia belong to different periods and ancient civilizations including the pagan period of civilization in Anatolia, the Eastern Roman period and several other civilizations from the Middle East (specifically the 2nd century B.C.). Some of these beautiful artifacts include water vessels, columns and marbles belonging to the Hellenistic period.
As the city of Byzantium had a strong Roman influence during the construction of the church of Hagia Sophia, the monument is an amalgamation of the magnificent Roman architecture and the standard church architecture of the Byzantine period.
Hagia Sophia was a lodging place for nuns, priests, monks and officials of the Patriarchate. The garden in the Hagia Sophia has a small mausoleum and three big mausoleums where five sultans belonging to the Ottoman period rest, two in the baptismal building and three in the main building of the church. The reason why individual mausoleums were not made for sultans is because all of them had been deposed.
The Hagia Sophia also has two public fountains, a huge central pool, a big fountain in triangular shape, an observatory, a primary school, a religious college (a medrese), two sun dials, a soup kitchen and a small wall fountain.
A number of items from the Hagia Sophia were stolen and smuggled outside Turkey in different periods. These can be seen at the museums in European countries.
To provide added strength and greater stability to the Hagia Sophia and to prevent it from collapsing, Mimar Sinan, the famous skilled architect of the Ottoman period, erected big buttresses around the church.
It happens to be the most ancient, biggest and most significant mosques belonging to the Ottoman period where several state functions and important imperial ceremonies were held. It was the seat of Patriarch of Constantinople for nearly 900 years. It was here that the crowning ceremonies of various Byzantine emperors were organized. The Patriarch received the king and placed the crown at the special spot earmarked for the event.
The courtyard has a pool-cum-fountain (sadirvan) which is the largest in the Ottoman architecture. One can see intricately crafted doorknockers made from cast iron and inscribed with the words ‘Ya Fettah’ (‘Opener of All Ways’) in this church. It was in Hagia Sophia that an angel’s mosaic face was uncovered and presented to visitors in July 2009. It is here that the huge water vessels with antique marble carvings brought by Sultan Murat III from Pergamum.
The dome of the church was damaged and collapsed following an earthquake in 558 while its replacement also subsequently collapsed in 563. The dome also suffered some partial collapses in 989 and again in 1346. The apex of the dome of Hagia Sophia has an inscription from a Koranic verse which means –‘Allah is the light of the earth and the sky’ and is considered to be the highest mosque inscriptions of all times.
It was here that a library was built in the main building and a sultan offered thousands of bound volumes to help common masses attain religious education and assist researchers in their efforts.
The mosque was the place for providing mass education to the people in separate rooms during the Ottoman period. Nearly ten classes were held in separate rooms where elective courses were taught for the first time in the history thus paving the way for providing ‘open education’ to the masses.
Şunu daha büyük bir haritada görüntüle: Hagia Sophia
Finding historic water supply of Istanbul
The ancient villages that peep out from the antique walls in and around the old Istanbul seem to be quite self-contained. These small farm villages are really picturesque which can be still be found by anyone taking a stroll through the old city of Istanbul.
While continuing our talk about many of these exotic ancient villages in Istanbul that are reminiscent of the times gone by, how can we forget to make a mention about the Cistern of Aspar? This ancient cistern is located just in front of Sultan Selim I’s mosque if you follow the route from Carsamba and Fatih. Let us know some really interesting facts about this cistern and its role in the life of the old city of Istanbul.
In the year 1978, a Turkish friend of mine took me to visit and discover the Underground Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici) that is quite close to the famous Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya) in Sultanahmet. Although, at that time, the entry to this cistern was not open to general public, hence, we had no choice but to stand on the edge of a dark place to watch the dim shapes of nearly 336 sky-climbing pillars. As we stood in awe and completely amazed by the spectacular view, we felt pleased to hear a steady dripping sound. It was a cistern belonging to the sixth century, I was told.
Although, it did not seem to be of any importance to me, at least at that point of time of the visit, there is no denying the fact that today, the Yerebatan Sarnici happens to be one of the historic attractions of Istanbul. And it actually deserves to be known so for its magnificent walkways, haunting sound of the reed flute and its stupendous lighting, indeed, makes it a special attraction for visitors from far and wide. The tourists watch in awe the spectacular views provided at this place where several fishes can be seen swimming beneath the water.
As one goes a step further trekking besides the beautiful walkways, one feels excited and baffled by the beauty of the Gorgon Medusa (famous for its upside-down head) that adorns the base of one of the columns in the front. However, a noticeable fact that many forget to appreciate the role played by the cistern in providing water supply to not just the old Byzantium but even Constantinople and the city of Istanbul.
The water thus supplied to the city was collected from either of the two sources, that is, from the dense wooded areas of Trakya (Thrace) beyond the walls of the city or from the Belgrade Forest. Yerebatan Sarnici is the best among various water reservoirs, water towers, cisterns and aqueducts that helped it keep flowing. This has been authenticated by the survey conducted between the year 2000 and 2005. According to this survey done by the British Leverhulme Trust, Yerebatan was “one of the greatest achievements of hydraulic engineering known from antiquity.” The report of the survey further mentioned the fact that a large portion of this water source is still untapped because they are unmapped somewhere in the Trakya wooded areas.
The Aqueduct of Valens that is located in the busy Ataturk Bulvari and runs from the famous Golden Horn to the Fatih is one of the most conspicuous historical monuments. It dates back to 375 and runs nearly a kilometer or so. Originally, it might had been attached to a huge network of several pipes that took the water from beyond the Edirnekapi just along the various ridges of Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Hills before reaching Beyazit Meydani. It is believed that this Aqueduct remained in use until the period of 19th century, which proves that it had been preserved well.
The Aqueduct of Valens happens to be the one and only structure that seems to have survived within the walled city. However, if you venture outside towards the Belgrade Forest, you will be greeted by several more such structures. Some of the famous among these include the Uzunkemer (Long Aqueduct) and the Egrikemer (Crooked Aqueduct). Both of these were the designer creations of Mimar Sinan, who had carved a special niche and name for his exquisitely made mosques during the power of Sultan Suleyman (the Magnificent). Apart from the above named structures made by Sinan, another famous structure from this architect includes Maglova Kemeri (Maglova Aqueduct). This structure dates back to the period of Emperor Justinian. However, there are several other beautiful historic reservoirs of water that are buried in the Belgrade Forest. These reservoirs still have water for Istanbul.
All the aqueducts left a noticeable mark on the city’s horizon, just as the stupendous ‘su terazı’ stone towers that were instrumental in dragging water from the gradients. One of them can be still be found in Sultanahmet just near the Milyon monument and at the entry point of the Yerebatan Sarnici. Also, there happen to be several other situated around the city of Istanbul including the famous three – one in Kilyos and the second one besides the Haydarpasa’s Karacaahmet Cemetery.
Additionally, there were a few other buildings that were involved in providing water in their neighborhoods. The famous among these include the ‘taksim’ (water distribution point). It was recently opened for general public and comprised of quite long building made of stones. This building closes the Taksim Square, the area which was once used for storage of water, and also the octagonal building situated just nearby which distributed the water around the nearby area. But there is no denying the fact that ubiquitous cesmes or fountains that still exist in various neighborhoods of the ancient city are indeed the final pieces of this network. Many of them still have attached brick storage tanks.
Several fountains were exquisite structures including the Hekimoglu Ali Pasa fountain, the Tophane Fountain at Kabatas, the Sultan Ahmet III Fountain that is situated just in front of the famous Topkapi Palace, and the Saliha Valide Hatun fountain in Azapkapi. Efforts are being made to restore many of these fountains back to their original glory and splendor by the technically advanced water-selling companies. The sebils, which were paired with the cesmes, were small kiosks that were enclosed by grills. These grills were usually attached to the outer wall of the mosque. It was used to provide water to the thirsty people passing by.
The huge network of cisterns that was involved in storing water always kept quite low profile, as compared to the fountains, towers and the aqueducts. In fact, the cisterns seemed to have been forgotten by the city even as the population reduced resulting in less water requirement. Although, it may seem a bit hard to believe, but the truth is that the famous Yerebatan Sarnici also remained forgotten and neglected for almost centuries together. It was only discovered by Western visitor, Petrus Gyllius, a Frenchman of 16th century.
The popularity of Yerebatan among the tourists led to an increased interest in several other cisterns that dot the landscape of the city. For example, a cistern located just near Divan Yolu and known as the Binbirdirek Sarnici has become an entertainment center. Another cistern, the Theodosius Sarnici, which is just behind the Eminonu Belediyesi, is likely to be opened to the general public. Another ancient cistern now houses a restaurant named the Sarnic Restaurant while another functions as the Sultan Sarnic restaurant in Carsamba.
It is yet to be ascertained about the exact role of the open-air cisterns in providing water to different parts of the city. It is because some people argue that the water stored in these cisterns was left bare in the air so as to be purified. However, the fact remains that they were large storage houses of water used for irrigating fields nearby.
The ancient villages that peep out from the antique walls in and around the old Istanbul seem to be quite self-contained. These small farm villages are really picturesque which can be still be found by anyone taking a stroll through the old city of Istanbul.
While continuing our talk about many of these exotic ancient villages in Istanbul that are reminiscent of the times gone by, how can we forget to make a mention about the Cistern of Aspar? This ancient cistern is located just in front of Sultan Selim I’s mosque if you follow the route from Carsamba and Fatih. Let us know some really interesting facts about this cistern and its role in the life of the old city of Istanbul.
In the year 1978, a Turkish friend of mine took me to visit and discover the Underground Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici) that is quite close to the famous Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya) in Sultanahmet. Although, at that time, the entry to this cistern was not open to general public, hence, we had no choice but to stand on the edge of a dark place to watch the dim shapes of nearly 336 sky-climbing pillars. As we stood in awe and completely amazed by the spectacular view, we felt pleased to hear a steady dripping sound. It was a cistern belonging to the sixth century, I was told.
Although, it did not seem to be of any importance to me, at least at that point of time of the visit, there is no denying the fact that today, the Yerebatan Sarnici happens to be one of the historic attractions of Istanbul. And it actually deserves to be known so for its magnificent walkways, haunting sound of the reed flute and its stupendous lighting, indeed, makes it a special attraction for visitors from far and wide. The tourists watch in awe the spectacular views provided at this place where several fishes can be seen swimming beneath the water.
As one goes a step further trekking besides the beautiful walkways, one feels excited and baffled by the beauty of the Gorgon Medusa (famous for its upside-down head) that adorns the base of one of the columns in the front. However, a noticeable fact that many forget to appreciate the role played by the cistern in providing water supply to not just the old Byzantium but even Constantinople and the city of Istanbul.
The water thus supplied to the city was collected from either of the two sources, that is, from the dense wooded areas of Trakya (Thrace) beyond the walls of the city or from the Belgrade Forest. Yerebatan Sarnici is the best among various water reservoirs, water towers, cisterns and aqueducts that helped it keep flowing. This has been authenticated by the survey conducted between the year 2000 and 2005. According to this survey done by the British Leverhulme Trust, Yerebatan was “one of the greatest achievements of hydraulic engineering known from antiquity.” The report of the survey further mentioned the fact that a large portion of this water source is still untapped because they are unmapped somewhere in the Trakya wooded areas.
The Aqueduct of Valens that is located in the busy Ataturk Bulvari and runs from the famous Golden Horn to the Fatih is one of the most conspicuous historical monuments. It dates back to 375 and runs nearly a kilometer or so. Originally, it might had been attached to a huge network of several pipes that took the water from beyond the Edirnekapi just along the various ridges of Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Hills before reaching Beyazit Meydani. It is believed that this Aqueduct remained in use until the period of 19th century, which proves that it had been preserved well.
The Aqueduct of Valens happens to be the one and only structure that seems to have survived within the walled city. However, if you venture outside towards the Belgrade Forest, you will be greeted by several more such structures. Some of the famous among these include the Uzunkemer (Long Aqueduct) and the Egrikemer (Crooked Aqueduct). Both of these were the designer creations of Mimar Sinan, who had carved a special niche and name for his exquisitely made mosques during the power of Sultan Suleyman (the Magnificent). Apart from the above named structures made by Sinan, another famous structure from this architect includes Maglova Kemeri (Maglova Aqueduct). This structure dates back to the period of Emperor Justinian. However, there are several other beautiful historic reservoirs of water that are buried in the Belgrade Forest. These reservoirs still have water for Istanbul.
All the aqueducts left a noticeable mark on the city’s horizon, just as the stupendous ‘su terazı’ stone towers that were instrumental in dragging water from the gradients. One of them can be still be found in Sultanahmet just near the Milyon monument and at the entry point of the Yerebatan Sarnici. Also, there happen to be several other situated around the city of Istanbul including the famous three – one in Kilyos and the second one besides the Haydarpasa’s Karacaahmet Cemetery.
Additionally, there were a few other buildings that were involved in providing water in their neighborhoods. The famous among these include the ‘taksim’ (water distribution point). It was recently opened for general public and comprised of quite long building made of stones. This building closes the Taksim Square, the area which was once used for storage of water, and also the octagonal building situated just nearby which distributed the water around the nearby area. But there is no denying the fact that ubiquitous cesmes or fountains that still exist in various neighborhoods of the ancient city are indeed the final pieces of this network. Many of them still have attached brick storage tanks.
Several fountains were exquisite structures including the Hekimoglu Ali Pasa fountain, the Tophane Fountain at Kabatas, the Sultan Ahmet III Fountain that is situated just in front of the famous Topkapi Palace, and the Saliha Valide Hatun fountain in Azapkapi. Efforts are being made to restore many of these fountains back to their original glory and splendor by the technically advanced water-selling companies. The sebils, which were paired with the cesmes, were small kiosks that were enclosed by grills. These grills were usually attached to the outer wall of the mosque. It was used to provide water to the thirsty people passing by.
The huge network of cisterns that was involved in storing water always kept quite low profile, as compared to the fountains, towers and the aqueducts. In fact, the cisterns seemed to have been forgotten by the city even as the population reduced resulting in less water requirement. Although, it may seem a bit hard to believe, but the truth is that the famous Yerebatan Sarnici also remained forgotten and neglected for almost centuries together. It was only discovered by Western visitor, Petrus Gyllius, a Frenchman of 16th century.
The popularity of Yerebatan among the tourists led to an increased interest in several other cisterns that dot the landscape of the city. For example, a cistern located just near Divan Yolu and known as the Binbirdirek Sarnici has become an entertainment center. Another cistern, the Theodosius Sarnici, which is just behind the Eminonu Belediyesi, is likely to be opened to the general public. Another ancient cistern now houses a restaurant named the Sarnic Restaurant while another functions as the Sultan Sarnic restaurant in Carsamba.
It is yet to be ascertained about the exact role of the open-air cisterns in providing water to different parts of the city. It is because some people argue that the water stored in these cisterns was left bare in the air so as to be purified. However, the fact remains that they were large storage houses of water used for irrigating fields nearby.
The Hippodrome of Constantinople | Sultanahmet Square of Istanbul
Blue Mosque and Obelisk in Sultanahmet Istanbul Old City
Seeing people enjoying their Sunday afternoons on the calm lush green lawns of Hippodrome, it is quite difficult to believe that this is the same place where numerous royal celebrations, chariot races and deadly massacres took place many centuries ago.
And when the park is adorned with white lights during the month of Ramadan along with elephant rides arranged for kids, all the signs of its complex past are completely wiped away. It has been aptly named as ‘At Meydani’ or ‘Sultanahmet Meydani’ (Horse Square or Horse Grounds in Turkish) due to its function in the Ottoman period.
The word hippodrome owes its name to the two Greek words namely ‘hippos’ meaning horse and ‘dromos’ meaning racing path or track. The face that the favorite pastimes of the people in the ancient times were chariot racing and horse racing made hippodromes a peculiar and prominent feature of almost all the Greek cities in the Byzantine, Roman and even the Hellenistic periods.
The first Hippodrome was built in the Greek times when the city was called Byzantium. The Hippodrome was the heart and soul of not just the political life but also the sporting life of Constantinople (the city of Constantine the Great). It was a Greek stadium that was a venue for several horse races as well as polo games on the track built by Septimus Severus between 203 A.D. and 324 A.D.
Constantine the Great enlarged and renovated the Hippodrome that was modeled on Rome’s the Circus Maximus. He used several stone walls and vaults for providing support. The Hippodrome continued to be a scene of riots and games in the 500 years of the history of Ottoman Empire.
The only difference between the two hippodromes was that just four chariot races could be organized at a time in the Roman Circus while the Greek hippodrome had the capacity to hold more than ten races at a time as the size of the latter was larger than the former, measuring nearly 400 feet.
The Hippodrome was nearly 427 feet wide and 1476 feet long. It had 40 rows of seats and a capacity of accommodating nearly 100,000 supporters. Due to political rivalries between the various merchant guilds including Greens, Blues, Reds and Whites. The result was the Nika Revolt in 532 A.D. which eventually caused extensive damage to the Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) Church and the imperial palace.
More than 30,000 people were massacred as a punishment on the orders of Justinian the Great after he regained power. Later on during the Fourth Crusade, the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453. These Turks had simply no interest in horse racing and did not bother to do any restoration efforts for the Hippodrome. Instead, they started using the Hippodrome as a marble quarry and the Hippodrome was forgotten slowly and gradually.
During its peak glory, the Hippodrome was adorned with a huge collection of historical monuments and trophies that were either made by skilled artisans of the city or brought from different corners of the Ottoman Empire.
The Column of Constantine or the Walled Obelisk (Magnetic Column/the Colossus) is located at the southern corner of the park. It was built on the instructions of Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus in the 10th century and was decorated with brass plates and bronze plaques. However, these embellishments were melted to mint coins in 1204 by the Crusaders.
Situated at a short distance away is the Serpentine Column originally erected in front of Delphi’s Temple of Apollo by Greek city-states to celebrate their win over the Persians. However, the column is only 25 percent of its original size of 8 m. the column is made of bronze and has three intertwined serpents. Earlier, it had a gold bowl that was provided support by heads of three gold serpents. However, the heads were believed to have been lost until one head was rediscovered during the restoration work of the famous Ayasofya.
Another outstanding monument of architecture in the city happens to be the Obelisk of Tutmosis III. The obelisk weighing 60 tons was brought by Emperor Theodosius I. it is made of granite with hieroglyphics depicting the glory of the god Horus and the pharaoh. It was brought to the square in 390 A.D. nearly two millennia after the time of its carving. Almost two-third of the obelisk was damaged or lost during transportation. At present, the obelisk is nearly 65 feet high.
In the north corner of the Hippodrome lays the Fountain of Willhelm II, also known as Alman Cesmesi. It was built originally in Germany and later on assembled in the city of Istanbul to mark the emperor’s city visit in 1895. One can find the signatures of Sultan Abdulhamid and the German monarch in golden mosaics inside the dome of the fountain.
The statue of four bronze horses happened to be the crowning glory of the Hippodrome. However, it was looted and taken away to the Basilica of St. Marco in Venice during the lootings in the city in the Fourth Crusade in 1204.
Another exquisite monument of historical architecture located in the northern corner of the Hippodrome is the Million Stone. Modeled on the Millaiarium Aureum, it was erected by Julius Caesar in Rome.
The Hippodrome was a favorite venue for numerous important and lavish occasions including circumcision ceremony of Sultan Ahmed III’s sons which spanned for days together.