Hagia Sophia Constantinople, a beautiful place in Istanbul, Turkey.
From 7 weeks I’ve learned Visual Cultures, I choose Hagia Sophia Constantinople from 1st week on Medieval/Late Gothic for this Mid-Term Assignment.
Why Hagia Sophia Constantinople?
Because when the first time I saw the photo of Hagia Sophia Constantinople, I am really amaze and I like it. I like Hagia Sophia Constantinople is because that place inspired me. Hagia Sophia is a combination of Mosque and Church. It shows a harmony between Moeslem (Islamic) people and Catholic people.
Hagia Sophia known as the “Great Church” or “Magna Ecclesia” in Latin, the first church was built at the same location where there had been a pagan temple before. It was Constantius II who inaugurated Hagia Sophia on 15 February 360. From the chronicles of Socrates of Constantinople, we know that the church was built by the orders of Constantine the Great. It contains two floors centered on a giant nave that has a great dome ceiling, along with smaller domes, towering above.
This first church was a wooden-roofed basilica with a nave flanked by two or four aisles, each carrying a gallery stores. It was preceded by an atrium. This church was largely burned down in 404 during riots since patriarch John Chrysostom was sent into exile by the Emperor Arcadius.
Hagia Sophia is renowned for her massive dome and the mystical quality of her interior light. The dome is carried on four triangular pendentives that spread the weight of the circular dome to the rectangular base of the church. Under these lie four massive piers, reinforced with buttresses during Ottoman times.
In 1935, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, transformed the building into a museum. Interior carpets were removed and the marble floor with its intricate mosaics was revealed for the first time in centuries.
For most of the 20th century, worship in Hagia Sophia was strictly prohibited. However, in 2006, the Turkish government began allowing a small room to be used for prayer by both Christians and Muslims.
Now, look at this picture.
It is the design inside the Hagia Sophia Constantinople. It was so beautiful. There are picture of Mother Mary for the Church and also calligraphy of Allah for the Mosque.
The architecture design are so beautiful and glamorous, but of course religious also.
The decorations within the Hagia Sophia at the time of construction were probably very simple, images of crosses for instances. Over time this changed to include a variety of ornate mosaics.
The style of the Hagia Sophia, in particular its dome, would go on to influence Ottoman architecture, most notably in the development of the Blue Mosque, built in Istanbul during the 17th century.
There are some facts about Hagia Sophia Constatinople:
| Names: | Aya Sofya; Ayasofya ; Church of Holy Wisdom; Hagia Sophia; Hagia Sophia, Istanbul; St. Sophia |
|---|---|
| City: | Istanbul |
| Country: | Turkey |
| Categories: | Cathedrals; Mosques |
| Faiths: | Christianity; Islam; Greek Orthodox |
| Feat: | Byzantine Mosaics |
| Styles: | Byzantine |
| Dates: | 532-37 |
| Status: | museum |
And the last fact, Hagia Sophia is universally acknowledged as one of the great buildings of the world and we can’t deny it because it’s so true.
References:
http://www.hagiasophia.com/listingview.php?listingID=4
http://www.constellationtravelexperience.com/istanbul-hagia-sophia/
http://www.livescience.com/27574-hagia-sophia.html
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/istanbul-hagia-sophia
Visual Cultures 
