Hagia Sophia: Touring the First Floor

Note: As of 2020, Hagia Sophia's status was changed to a mosque, and the first floor is reserved for Islamic prayers and closed to non-Muslims.

Hagia Sophia, its name meaning High Wisdom-dedicated to Jesus Christ, was built as a Christian church in 537 by the Roman emperor Justinianus. This is the third church, built on the same spot. The second church, named also Hagia Sophia, was torn and burnt down by the 30,000 rebels who ravaged the capital in the year 532. Having put down the rebellion by killing all the rebels, Justinianus ordered the new Hagia Sophia.

How much time do you think it took for them to build this building?

This new church was built on the remains of the second Hagia Sophia in just 5 years and 10 months. Even with today’s technology, I doubt if it is possible to build it in such a short time. This was all thanks to Justinian’s passion and determination. Ten thousand workers were employed in the construction under the supervision of 100 masters. Justinian lived next to the construction site and visited it daily, overseeing the work and making key architectural decisions. No wonder he was known as 'the emperor who never slept.'

This building was the biggest building on earth when it was built, and it stayed so until the 16th century when the Cathedral of Seville was built. It is as high as a 20-storey building, it can hold the Statue of Liberty and a Boeing 737 plane inside without them touching the walls. What made this building unique is its architectural design. This was the second-biggest dome in the Roman Empire, after the Parthenon in Rome. However, building Hagia Sophia’s dome posed more challenges, as placing a circular dome on top of a square building had never been tried before that time. The dome of the Parthenon in Rome, however, was supported by circular walls, making the construction comparatively less technically demanding.

Height of Hagia Sophia, compared to the Statue of Liberty

Hagia Sophia stayed as a Christian church from 537 to 1453, and it was converted into a mosque when the Ottoman Turks conquered the city in that year. It served as the most important mosque in the Ottoman Empire from the year 1453 to 1936, and it was converted into a museum that year. In 2020, it was converted into a mosque again, and now it is officially a mosque. Now, let us proceed to the entrance.

Hagia Sophia seen from the Golden Horn

In its original form, the building was fully covered in white marble, a few panels of which can be seen on the walls above the entrance; and it would shine like a star under the sun. It was the most visible building in the city’s silhouette, and it was seen miles across the city. It was the first sight that was seen when approaching the city from the sea, and it still is the most spectacular and dominant figure in the Old City’s skyline. The building has seen many reparations and renovations through the centuries, and above the entrance, you can see the four buttresses that were added in the 12th century in order to support the walls.

Buttresses that were added in the 12th Century to support the dome (Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke)

When the Ottomans Conquered the city in 1453, they found Hagia Sophia in a very bad shape. The building was crumbling and about to collapse. They started a huge renovation and restoration process and added many more walls and those four minarets on four corners of the building in the following centuries. They were all added at different times, so they have different shapes.

The walls are carrying a dome that is as heavy as eight Eiffel towers!

Those minarets actually helped support the walls, which were in danger of collapsing with the pressure of the dome. The Ottomans adapted the building into their own religion and made it their most important mosque. So, we say that the conquest of Istanbul was not an end, but a new beginning for Hagia Sophia.

Entrance

Remains of the First Hagia Sophia (Mega Ekklesia)

Although it often goes unnoticed, the yard in front of the main entrance to the Hagia Sophia showcases various relics unearthed from the city's numerous archaeological sites. There is an interesting column, dating back to the previous church that used to be found here. If you look closely, you may make out the word EVDOKSIA on this column. This is the name of an empress, who almost co-ruled the empire with her husband, who was the emperor. She was such a dominant figure. Her silver statue once stood atop a porphyry column, which was set on this column base in the garden of the first Hagia Sophia. This was one of the steps that led to the first rebellion which caused the destruction of the first Hagia Sophia.

Column of Aelia Eudoksia

Now, we are in the front yard of the Hagia Sophia. Over there, above the entrance, you may see two marble panels left on the walls. All the other marble panels fell through centuries. Just above the main entrance, you may see four buttresses. These are these huge supporting elements that were built, either in the 10th or 12th century, in order to support the walls. You see, the walls are under the pressure from the heavy dome. The dome is as heavy as eight Eiffel Towers. For this reason, the walls had to be supported and more than 40 buttresses were built by the Romans and the Ottomans. Now, let us go to the pit over there, and we will see a few remnants of the second Hagia Sophia. 

Remains of the Second Hagia Sophia

This area was excavated in 1936, and they found the two pieces from the second Hagia Sophia church. These were the ornamental pieces, covering the section above the main entrances. The sheep on them represent the twelve apostles. By looking at the size of these two pieces, it is estimated that the previous church was as big as this one. Now, we are ready to enter the building.

In the church, there are two dimensions. The first dimension is the depth. Right now, we are in the earthly world. Where the humans live. As we enter the church, step by step, we will get closer to the house of god, which is the end of the church. When it was used as a church, that section was covered by a panel and only the clergy were allowed beyond that wall. The wall was called iconostasis, and it was full of icons. Now, let us go one level deeper into the house of god.

Exonarthex

Now, we are in the exonarthex. Please notice that this section is not ornamented. This was intentional. Because, this is the transitional place. It was the only place where non-baptized, non-christians were allowed. If you were a non-baptized person, you would not be allowed further than this. On the right, we have the sarcophagus of Empress Eirene. She was a Hungarian princess. She married the Byzantine prince and became the Byzantine Empress. Behind the sarcophagus, we have the synod decisions which were attributed to the schism or falling apart between the Catholic and Orthodox Christianity. Now, let us pass onto the next section, Innernarthex. We use the main gate.  

Mosaic of John Komnenos and Princess Eirene

Innernarthex

Now, we are in the inner narthex. This was where the lower strata joined the prayer. But, this is also a marble museum. If we look at the walls, we find the most valuable and precious marble from all around the Roman Empire.

Some of the marbles used here are:

Verde Antico: This is from modern-day Greece. 

Afyon Menekşe (pavanozetto): From Afyonkarahisar (modern Turkey).

Cippolino Rosso: Meaning red onion, was extracted from Western Turkey. 

Pyrene Marble: This was taken from Pyrenes Mountains in France. 

Giallo Antico: This was taken from Tunis, where Carthage was situated. 

Marmara Marble: This is the most common marble in the region.

Porphyry: This is the marble of the Emperors. It was extracted from Hurghada, Egypt and only the Emperors could use it in their buildings. 

Emperors would come through the entrance, called Vestibule of Warriors and he would enter the church through the Emperor’s Gate in the middle. The gate was reserved only for the emperor, and nobody else could use it. Above us, we have the Empress’ Lodge, which is situated right above the Emperor’s Gate. When it was a church, the women were not allowed inside the church, but they were allowed to the second galleries. So, the Empress would stand there and watch the prayer from above. 

Vestibule of Warriors, with the mosaic of emperors Justinianus and Constantine

Leo VI Mosaic

In this mosaic, we can see the emperor Leo VI kneeling. He is asking for forgiveness from Jesus Christ. Leo the Sixth didn’t have a male son in his first three marriages. He wanted to marry for the fourth time, but in Christianity, you are allowed to marry a maximum of three times. He still went on and married his fourth wife, and now he had a son. But, he was excommunicated by the Patriarchate, and he wasn’t allowed into the church. He then donated a big sum of money to the church, and everything was okay. Then, he paid for this mosaic to be put there. Now, let us enter through that door (women’s entrance to the mosque-left door). 

Mosaic of Emperor Leo VI with Jesus Christ

Crying Column

Let us put our shoes in those cabinets and we will start in the main section. On the wall of the passage between the main entrance and the gate to its left, you can see a cavity that once held a cross, placed here several centuries ago. When Hagia Sophia was a church, it was full of these crosses. After it was converted into a mosque, the crosses were removed, and they were filled with plaster. In time, the plaster fell off, and now we have the marks of the crosses. We know that the northern entrance (now the women’s section for praying) used to be the pilgrims’ entrance. In the past, Constantinople with many of its churches, primarily Hagia Sophia, used to be the pilgrimage center. Many of the holy relics pieces were kept and exhibited in the city’s churches. So, these crosses were there for the pilgrims to kiss before entering. You can still see the hooks that were used to hang the icons. Also, on the wall, you can see an example of Skutnossis. The Romans, used this style in their building, and it can be found in many churches they built especially in Constantinople. They would take a marble panel, cut it into halves, and when they opened it like a book, it would create this matching patterns.

Examples of Skutnossis from Hagia Sophia

Nave

Now let us turn to the entrance door. Above the emperor’s gate, we see one of the earliest 3D art in history. This is from the 6th century, and on it, you can see the cross is revealed through open curtains and it has depth. Below the porphyry (purple) circles, four dolphins are chasing white octopuses, both above and below them. Between the dolphins, there are the tridents of Poseidon. Poseidon is actually a pre-Christian, or a Pagan, god. But, what is it doing here? We will try to find the answer inside. Now, let us turn to the nave. 

Dolphins of Hagia Sophia

In the nave, the full strength of the building’s architecture becomes visible. The dome is a circle, but the building is a square. How would you place a circular structure on top of a square? The Romans had to invent a new technique, called pendentives. They are those triangles with four angels on them. On top, we have the dome, supported by two semi-domes on two sides. So, the space is made rectangular. We have a cathedral-shaped building with a huge space, and then we have a dome on top, which makes the space feel heavenly. In the original building, there was a huge Jesus Christ mosaic on the dome.

We talked about the depth of the church, we were getting closer to the House of God as we enter the church, level by level. The second dimension of the Church is vertical. As we go down from the dome to the floor, we have a ranking order: Jesus is on the dome, on the four pendentives are the evangelists, who are bringing down the message of Jesus Christ to people. On the semi-dome, we have Virgin Mary. On her right is the angel Gabriel. Right on the Northern tympanum, below the windows, we have the early Church fathers and patriarchs. Then, we have the emperors and empresses. Down below, we have us, the people. If you look closely at the belt, connecting the Eastern semi-dome to the nave, you will see the remnants of two figures. On the left, we have Virgin Mary, and on the right John the Baptist. Of course, it is very difficult to see the figures, but the silhouettes are there. The emperors’ and empresses’ mosaics are there on the second floor (Eastern wall), and the Deesis mosaic is up there on the southern flank-second floor. 

Omphalion

Down on the floor, we have the Omphalion. It was the place where the emperors were crowned. It also resembles the solar system in a way, with many circles as satellites and the sun in the middle (needless to say, it is where the Emperor stood). On the other hand, it is a small showcase of marble types.

Islamic Panels/Calligraphy

In traditional Ottoman mosques, eight large calligraphic medallions are typically placed at the corners of an imagined, orderly octagon. This arrangement is symbolic of harmony and order. According to Arabic writing direction (right to left), the sequence usually goes: front right, front left, second row right, second row left, third row right, third row left, rear right, and rear left.

These inscriptions usually bear the names: Allah, Muhammad, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Hasan, and Husayn. The first two—God and the Prophet—are followed by the names of the four rightly guided caliphs accepted in Sunni Islam. The final two names, Hasan and Husayn, were the grandsons of the Prophet. While they are particularly important in Shia and Alevi traditions, many Sunni Muslims also honor them, believing they should have succeeded as leaders instead of members of the Umayyad dynasty, such as Muawiyah and Yazid.

This tradition is specific to Ottoman mosques. Some Ottoman-style mosques in Arab countries, and even certain large modern mosques in Turkey—such as the massive Abdülhamid Mosque in Kahramanmaraş—do not include the names of Hasan and Husayn.

In many mosques around the world today, only the names of Allah and the Prophet are displayed. This reflects a growing trend, especially among purists, who argue that placing the names of men alongside the name of the Almighty could evoke associations with polytheism. As a result, more recent mosques often feature only the name of God.

These panels we have in Hagia Sophia are 7,5 meters in diameter and were written by Kazasker Mustafa İzzet Efendi between 1847-1849. When Hagia Sophia was converted into a museum in 1935, they tried to take the panels out, but they were too big to fit through the doors. So, they decided to keep them in their place. They surely create an interesting fusion with the mosaics.

The names of Allah and Mohammad with Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ in the background.

Pergamon Jars

Inside the building, in the side aisles, there are two large urns carved from single blocks of marble. These urns date back to the Hellenistic period (330–30 BCE) and were brought from the ancient city of Pergamon. They were installed in Hagia Sophia during the reign of Sultan Murad III (1574–1595).

Each urn can hold approximately 1,250 liters of liquid. During the mosque period, sherbet (a sweet drink) was distributed from them on special occasions such as lamp-lighting ceremonies and Eid prayers. On regular days, the urns were filled with water, and faucets were installed at their bases for this purpose.