Byzantine Remains

Mary offered Hagia Sophia by
Justinian; the City by Constantine

Standing here, looking up, it feels like the largest room I have ever entered, more so because the huge dome has no visible support. For almost 1,000 years, the Hagia Sophia (sacred wisdom) was the largest cathedral in the world. Built by the Emperor Justinian in the 6^th century its outer walls still glow a warm red. Sacked by Mehmed the Conqueror in the 15^th century, putting an end to the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, it was immediately converted it to a mosque. 

Hagia Sophia interior
Mihrab at centre right

Now, a museum, secularized by Kemal Ataturk in 1931, over the centuries it has undergone a number of renovations to prevent its collapse; additional buttresses, rising damp, leaky roofs, peeling back the layers of history. As with many of the churches converted to mosques under the Ottoman Empire, the Christian artefacts were plastered over and still remain. The gleaming gold of its mosaics look as fresh as when they were created. And where else can you go to see graffiti, carved into the marble, by Viking soldiers.

As a cathedral it wasn’t constructed to align with Mecca, clear to see by the off-centre installation of the Mihrab (pulpit), guiding Muslims to Qibla (direction of Mecca) during prayer. Many of the modifications are grand - the Loge where the Sultan could go to pray unseen.

 

We walked out into the square outside, one of the most popular places in Istanbul – we saw a photo-shoot where a fashion model had picked her way through the cobbles. 

Then, three local teenaged girls approached us and asked if we spoke English. Now, I know we look like a harmless old couple!

Doing our homework!

 ‘Could we be their school homework?’ We agreed. ‘And, is it OK if we video you?’

In tentative English, they asked us where we were from, what we did, if we had any children, and whether we liked Istanbul… …of course we did. They said we were cute and we said they were sweet – that made it selfie time!

The Basilica Cistern, lies just beyond the square. Made famous in the movie From Russia with Love, this huge underground reservoir again built by Justinian to provide the city’s water, even under siege; more than 300 30-foot columns hold up its roof. It’s not used any more, although it has a few feet of water remaining – filled with large carp I realize when I shoot with flash.

Inverted Medusa

We find our way to the far end where the two most famous occupants rest – the mysterious heads of Medusa on the base of two columns, one upside down the other on its side – no-one’s sure why. We didn’t stay long – the further you get from the entrance the more pungent it smells.

The Green Man

Our final piece of Byzantium was across the square in the Great Palace Mosaic Museum – filled with the only local secular mosaics from the Justinian period, mostly hunting scenes. My favourite though was the Green Man.

Few places in the world have history this well preserved – the Hagia Sophia has been in continuous use for more than 1500 years and seen the crowning of Emperors, the schism of the Christian church, sacking by the Fourth Crusade, and pillaging during the Ottoman  conquest.

Hagia Sophia - Sultan’s Loge

Despite being a museum and flooded with tourists each day, it still courts controversy, with many calling for it to be restored as a cathedral and still more calling for it to be returned to a mosque. Although, there’s an obvious conflict with the images here preventing this dual use, it does seem a pity that such a beautiful building does not have a more vibrant and appropriate use.

Hagia Sophia - glowing pink in the afternoon sun