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Acclaimed for its beauty and splendid architecture, Hagia Sophia, a Byzantine monument now preserved as a museum, has survived centuries of attack, religious riot destructions, and multiple transformations.  <!--more-->Hagia Sophia was built in Constantinople, now Istanbul, by the emperor Justinian in 532 originally as a Christian church.  However, because of the appealing location and trade that drove the city to success, Constantinople was constantly attacked and ultimately claimed by the Turks in the fifteenth century (Istanbul).  Thus, Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque used for almost 500 years until it was finally transformed into a museum in 1935.  Despite these strenuous events on the “Great Church” throughout the years, it continues to stand just as strong and as elegant as it was viewed in its prime.  It has been an inspiration for modern architectural style used for grand buildings as well as marking the gradual rise to Christianity throughout the world. Hagia Sophia should therefore be acknowledged and saved for future generations for its importance in the development of society through architectural style and religious beliefs.

Hagia Sophia became the jewel of early Christianity.  “It was by far the largest and most splendid religious edifice in all of Christendom” (Eastern).  Originally named Megale Ekklesia (the Great Church), Hagia Sophia also took on the name “Holy Wisdom”.  Emperor Justinian made sure that his creation would be the most unique and magnificent church of all the early Christian churches.  He succeeded as “the finest and rarest materials from the four corners of the empire were brought to Constantinople to be used in the construction of Hagia Sophia” (Altan).  Altan further describes the splendor with a revolutionary architectural style—the dome.  The dome was a representation of “the vault of heavens” and thus introduced a quasi-liturgical feature to the architecture.  The dome was placed atop the building, 210 feet above the floor with a diameter of 110 feet, which was thus supported by four strong piers.  Light is admitted into the interior through forty windows on the dome.  This 260 x 270 foot grand structure unfortunately had to constantly be repaired because of natural disasters such as earthquakes (Altan).  However, the invasion of the Ottoman Turks concluded the Christian hold on the Hagia Sophia and further reconstruction and transformation was done to convert it into a mosque.  Despite the transformation, Hagia Sophia continues to influence many Christian and Islamic architectural buildings today.

As Christianity continued to spread throughout Europe, much of the spiritual and political excitement was centered on the city of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires.  After officially declaring Christianity as the state religion, the emperor Constantine helped spark the beginning of holy Christian buildings across the empire (Churches 125).  Because Christians were very precise on building large, enclosed spaces for worship, the basilica, previously used in Rome, was thus reintroduced to architecture during this period.  “Basilicas were large, rectangular structures with high, vaulted roofs of timber beams supported by columns” (125).  Later, Roman influences in architecture reappeared in churches.  The famous Hagia Sophia, started using the domed structure.  Also, because Christianity was rapidly growing and the desire to be acknowledged separately from paganism increased, Christians intricately designed the interiors of the churches built with colored marble, detailed mosaics, and grand paintings. With the thought of honoring God with the richness of the decorations, they “also reflected the growing wealth and power of Christianity” (126).

When Hagia Sophia was built in the sixth century, the role of Christianity was changing and shaping moral and cultural values of society.  Hagia Sophia was typical of its era because of the architectural style it was built upon.  Christians wanted to separate from the pagan temples that were either non-Christian or polytheistic (Churches 125).  Therefore, they adapted Roman architectural techniques which can be observed today.  Constructing structures and elements of Roman architecture was the general idea of building Christian buildings, and because the dome was first introduced in Rome, Hagia Sophia had fit into the cultural context of religious architecture.

Despite conforming to the trend of Roman architecture, Hagia Sophia was unique in succeeding as the largest cathedral for over one thousand years until St. Peter’s Basilica was built in Rome (Altan).  Also, because of such a large building and the design for a huge dome, new ideas were implemented to secure its stability.  This marks more innovative architectural style for this century as Hagia Sophia was the first structure to be designed with unfamiliar techniques despite Roman influence.  Hagia Sophia continues to awe countless tourists and locals today of its unique beauty and grandeur.

During this time, Hagia Sophia was very appealing to other states and empires and was attacked multiple times.  It was not until the Ottoman Turks was the reign of Christianity diminished and the cathedral was turned into a mosque.  The Hagia Sophia was considered to be the center of religious life in the Eastern Orthodox world and was respected for its intricate design and interior richness (Eastern).  Hagia Sophia was praised for the brilliant architecture and beauty of such a religious place of worship whether it was for the Byzantines or the Turks.  We continue to see this praise throughout the centuries as it still stands proudly in Istanbul.

With such a monumental and historic element of early Christianity and architecture still existent in the twenty-first century, it is practically impossible for people to miss and not love what their eyes show them.  Today, Hagia Sophia is now preserved as a museum where the ruins and remains that bear characteristics of the fifth and sixth century can be viewed by the public (Altan).  People all over the world visit this museum to view the detail and the artistry of the architectural building.  It has risen in popularity throughout the years in Turkey.  Also, because of its design, architects today still study Hagia Sophia for inspiration and further influences in Christian and non-Christian religions all over the world.  Altan praises, “[Hagia Sophia] should be one of the first things to see on your trip to Istanbul.”  He further suggests, “Make sure you visit the second mezzanine level to see the splendid Byzantine mosaics, and get a birds eye view of the insides of the church.”  We can see that although it has been 1500 years since the construction of Hagia Sophia, it is still widely admired for its architectural and historical influence.

After viewing many pictures of both the interior and exterior of the museum, I now have a desire to visit Istanbul for this spectacular, historical monument.  I believe it really portrays its elegance and power of religion as it has survived for so many years despite multiple repairs and transformations.  I was amazed that mankind has been able to maintain Hagia Sophia as it is the oldest surviving church.  I believe it should still be preserved for the future generations to also be given the opportunity to see such a magnificent spectacle that has been so influential and significant to our history.

Christian buildings continued to be built all around the world with similar ideas in mind to that of Hagia Sophia.  Among these famous buildings is the massive St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome that was initially built by Constantine during the fourth century and rebuilt during the Renaissance (St. Peter’s).  Hagia Sophia was also initially founded by Constantine around the same time period as he was rebuilding his Byzantine empire.  Secondly, Hagia Sophia was rebuilt to its structure that stands today, like St. Peter’s Basilica.  Because of the influence of Roman architecture during Justinian’s reign, both buildings constructed domes supported by four piers (St. Peter’s).  We can understand by these similarities that Christians wanted to create the “heavens” for those who came to worship.  The dome has been influential to many religious edifices throughout the years and these two have continued to earn praise world-wide.  Lastly, the immense size of both Hagia Sophia and St. Peter’s Basilica makes it easy to gain fame.  Both have acquired the title of the largest church in the world.  People all over the world gather at the architectural design and richness inside and out, with the enormous size of a historical monument drawing their attention in.  Hagia Sophia and St. Peter’s Basilica have both been acknowledged for their beauty and religious history as they are major relics of early Christianity that still stand today.

Despite their similarities, both still hold true to their unique characteristics.  Unlike St. Peter’s Basilica continuing to stand as a church, Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque and later into a museum.  Hagia Sophia was also not built over a saint’s tomb.  “St. Peter's Basilica stands on the traditional site where Peter - the apostle who is considered the first pope - was crucified and buried” (St. Peter’s).  This early Christian church was strictly used for Christianity with 140 statues of saints surrounding the St. Peter’s Square (St. Peter’s).  Hagia Sophia was limited in statues in the exterior and mainly focused on the dome.  Although both structures used the dome, Michelangelo uniquely designed the dome to be a parabola rather than a hemisphere.  Architectural styles throughout the centuries have illustrated the architects’ dreams to portray to the public.  Hagia Sophia and St. Peter’s Basilica both have their own unique tastes that have given them their name.

Hagia Sophia is the oldest church that has historically been a part of early Christianity and non-Christianity.  It has provided a place for people to worship and a place for architects to be influenced by.  The influences of religious buildings today are evidences of the impact that Hagia Sophia has made to civilization.  It should be maintained for future generations to view the intricate detail and love for such a spectacle in history despite the multiple transformations.  It’s strength of still standing today has proven it’s capacity to live on and continue its influences to society.

<!--more-->Works Cited

Altan, Al.  “Hagia Sophia.”  <em>Hagia Sophia</em>.  Focus <a title="Mediterranean" href="http://www.focusmm.com/">Mediterranean</a> Magazine.  2007.  Web.  28 February 2011.              <a href="http://www.focusmm.com/civilization/hagia/sofia.htm">http://www.focusmm.com/civilization/hagia/sofia.htm</a>.
I used this website to help me describe Hagia Sophia.

"Churches and Basilicas." <em>Ancient Greece and Rome</em>: <em>An Encyclopedia for Students</em>. Ed. Carroll Moulton. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998. 124-126. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 21 Mar. 2011.

<a href="http://go.galegroup.com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/ps/i.do?&amp;id=GALE%7CCX2897200092&amp;v=2.1&amp;u=txshracd2487&amp;it=r&amp;p=GVRL&amp;sw=w">http://go.galegroup.com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/ps/i.do?&amp;id=GALE%7CCX2897200092&amp;v=2.1&amp;u=txshracd2487&amp;it=r&amp;p=GVRL&amp;sw=w</a>

I used this reference to help me with the historical context and its influences.

"Eastern Orthodoxy." <em>Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online</em>. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Web. 18 Mar. 2011. <a href="http://www.britannica.com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/EBchecked/topic/177174/Eastern-Orthodoxy">http://www.britannica.com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/EBchecked/topic/177174/Eastern-Orthodoxy</a>.

I used this reference to explain how society had received Hagia Sophia and to further convince its significance.

"Istanbul—World Heritage Site." <em>Encyclopedia of Modern Asia</em>. Ed. Karen  Christensen  and David Levinson. Vol. 3. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2002. 187. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 21 Mar. 2011.

<a href="http://go.galegroup.com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/ps/i.do?&amp;id=GALE%7CCX3403701394&amp;v=2.1&amp;u=txshracd2487&amp;it=r&amp;p=GVRL&amp;sw=w">http://go.galegroup.com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/ps/i.do?&amp;id=GALE%7CCX3403701394&amp;v=2.1&amp;u=txshracd2487&amp;it=r&amp;p=GVRL&amp;sw=w</a>.

I used this to help me describe the setting and some historical context occurring during the time period.

Karabell, Zachary. "Aya Sofya." <em>Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa</em>. Ed. Philip Mattar. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. 342-343. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 9 Mar. 2011.

<a href="http://go.galegroup.com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/ps/i.do?&amp;id=GALE%7CCX34%0924600375&amp;v=2.1&amp;u=txshracd2487&amp;it=r&amp;p=GVRL&amp;sw=w">http://go.galegroup.com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/ps/i.do?&amp;id=GALE%7CCX34            24600375&amp;v=2.1&amp;u=txshracd2487&amp;it=r&amp;p=GVRL&amp;sw=w</a>.

I used this referenced to help me convince its significance for the future.

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“St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome.”  <em>Sacred Destinations. </em>Sacred Destinations.  2005.    Web.  9 March 2011.

<a href="http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/rome-st-peters-basilica">http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/rome-st-peters-basilica</a>.

I used this website to help me compare St. Peter’s Basilica to Hagia Sophia.

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