hagia sophia in istanbul history. Hagia sophia in istanbul

Despite the fact that I have been in Istanbul more than once and for quite a long time, despite my skepticism towards piety and places of worship, Hagia Sophia for me is the focus of Istanbul-Constantinople.

When you get into its territory (it’s more correct to say “in its possession”

), an amazing feeling arises - this is not just interest, surprise, admiration, it looks like a state of inner calm, even fading, when suddenly one and a half thousand years are “unarchived” right before your eyes.

Then pretentious words like “eternity”, “greatness”, “wisdom” come to mind, and you start to think about this phenomenon: architectural, historical, cultural, religious.

After all, a fairly large number of Orthodox churches have been preserved in Istanbul, impressive in their history and architecture, for example, the Church of Pantokrator, the Pammakarista Church, the Church of the Savior in Chora, the Cathedral of St. Irene, the Church of the Holy Great Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus. And this is only a small part. Some of them are under restoration, others have been completely or partially converted into mosques, and some have been turned into museums.

However, Hagia Sophia remains the first and only one on this list.

Beauty Hagia Sophia. History milestones

Each work of art, just like a person, has its own history, its own “book of life”. At the Hagia Sophia, this book is one of the "thickest" in the world.

The history of the life of the Cathedral dates back to the 4th century and has been around for almost one and a half thousand years. One can imagine how many events he had to witness. In order to get a little familiar with the main milestones of cathedral life, the seventeenth century period can be divided into three main parts - Byzantine, Ottoman, modern.

Byzantine Hagia Sophia - Cathedral of the Wisdom of God

The progenitor of this historical and architectural miracle, a masterpiece that we have the opportunity to marvel at today, was a small basilica built by Emperor Constantine II in 324-327.

Within a rather short period of time it became too small for the population of the city, and Constantine's successor, his son Constantius, ordered it to be enlarged.

In 360, the basilica was expanded and received the name Megale Ekklesia (Greek Μεγάλη Εκκλησία - a large church), and a little later, at the beginning of the fifth century, it became known as the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia - the Wisdom of God. The church was the largest in the Eastern Roman Empire and had a high status - rulers were crowned here.

In 404, during the reign of Arkady (Arkadios), as a result of disagreements between his wife Eudokia (Eudoksia) and Patriarch John (Ioannes Chrysostomos), a popular riot occurred, the church burned down. After 11 years, in 415, the new ruler Theodosius - the Younger - (Theodosios II) rebuilt it. Now the church had five naves, a monumental entrance, and the roof was still wooden, like its predecessors.

And again a riot, again a fire. January 532. It was the largest rebellion in Constantinople, which took place in the fifth year of the reign of Justinian I (527-565) and went down in history under the name "Nika" (Greek Στάση του Νίκα - Conquer). In this revolt against the empire of Justinian, the two most significant groups, the patricians and the plebeians, united. Like any great reformer, Justinian's innovations and harsh style of government aroused the claims of many segments of the population. The scale of their discontent was serious, and the intentions to overthrow the emperor were almost carried out. Justinian was already preparing to flee the city, but, using the cunning and devotion of his supporters, who bribed most of the leaders of the uprising and attracted them to his side, he crushed the rebellion and continued his reign for another 33 years.

As a result of the uprising, a significant part of the city was destroyed, including the Hagia Sophia, and about 35,000 people were killed. After this event, Justinian decided to perpetuate his victory, marking it with the construction of such a temple, “which has not been since the time of Adam and which will never be”, and its location on a hill near the Grand Imperial Palace and the Hippodrome should have further emphasized its greatness and sublimity.

It must be said that the emperor succeeded, and today we have the opportunity to admire this building, built 1479 years ago. True, over the past time, the cathedral had to repeatedly suffer from earthquakes and fires, but each time it was carefully restored.

Construction and its scope

Preparation for construction was not too long, the place was determined. Where on January 13, 532 the church of Hagia Sophia burned down, already on February 23, just 40 days after the fire, the emperor personally laid the foundation stone of the new temple.

To implement the grandiose plan, two of the most famous architects were invited - Anfimy of Trall (from Trall) and Isidore of Miletus (from Miletus), who already had experience of working together - five years earlier they had built the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus. Another hundred architects managed the workers, about five thousand of whom worked on one side of the temple, and the same number on the other.

The emperor himself daily monitored the progress of the work. During the construction of the temple, the entire empire had to bear monetary tribute, and all classes from the lowest to the highest were burdened with this duty for five years of construction.

In addition to these funds, the remains of ancient buildings, which were of particular value, were brought to Constantinople to decorate the interior of the cathedral.

From Rome, Athens and Ephesus, from the ancient cities of Anatolia and Syria, columns were sent that we can see to this day.

And the porphyry columns of the first floor in the amount of eight pieces were delivered from the Temple of the Sun in Baalbek, the other eight - from the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus.

On the capitals of the columns located along the perimeter of the main space, one can see the monograms of the emperor and his wife.

They did not spare any money or fantasies for the materials: lime was mixed with barley water, olive oil was added to the cement. A new material was even invented for the throne board: the most precious stones were thrown into melted gold - onyxes, pearls, topazes, sapphires, rubies, as a result of which this unusual alloy received about seventy color shades!

Marble for wall cladding was chosen most carefully, taking into account the characteristics of the deposits - Prokones was famous for its snow-white, Iasos - red-white, Karystos - light green, and Phrygia - pink with veins. In addition to marble, for interior decoration, of course, gold of the highest standard, silver, amber, jasper, and ivory were used.

For the manufacture of the dome, clay was brought from the island - it was particularly durable in combination with light weight.

For such an unprecedented in its design, scale and cost of construction, it took not so much time - after five and a half years the temple was ready.

On the day of the consecration of the consecration of the temple, December 27, 537, Justinian expressed in one phrase both the delight from what he saw and the assertion of his own power: “Oh, Solomon! I have surpassed you!"

From that day on, and for the next nine hundred and sixteen years, Hagia Sophia was a symbol of the greatness and power of the Byzantine Empire.

architectural secrets

Trying to describe the main find of Anthimius and Isidore - the domed system of the temple - I thought that the words that Justinian uttered should have belonged to them - the greatest architects of their era.

What they managed to design and implement caused a lot of admiration among contemporaries, and later became the "alphabet" and gave rise to a new direction in architecture.

It turns out that what is familiar to our eyes today and does not cause much surprise, originates one and a half thousand years ago, and then it was a fundamentally new word in the construction of temples. For example, "sails" - spherical triangles that fill the space between the arches (they also transfer the load of a powerful dome to the pylons, and the adjacent half-domes provide stability and stability), cascades of domes combine both semantic and emotional load, and are also a solution for a special penetration of light into the room (pictured below).

What is special here? The main dome is a slightly elongated sphere with a diameter of 31 meters from east to west, and from north to south - 30 meters, formed by 40 radial arches.

There are as many windows in the dome as there are arches - 40, and they are separated from each other by the minimum possible distance. Because of this, on sunny days, the effect of “hovering”, “suspension” is especially noticeable - as if the dome is not fixed by anything, but hangs in the air.

In addition, the dome is covered with golden mosaics, so the light reflected from it has a golden hue.

Smaller domes cascade down from the main dome, and thanks to this “lace” inside the cathedral, a feeling of immense space is created, which is really very difficult to describe in words. The emotional beginning takes precedence over the rational, and at first you don’t want to analyze anything.

Later, at a distance, you begin to understand a little the secret - the effect of "immense space" is created by combining numerous hemispheres and straight strict lines in the form of vertical colonnades and horizontal cornices - the result of very accurate calculations of scale ratios.

No photograph conveys this optical effect. Try it yourself, but I'm not the only one who thinks it's impossible.

For a detailed acquaintance with the architecture of Byzantine (and not only) temples, you can read the "History of Architecture" by Auguste Choisy. Histoire De L "Architecture".

Of course, not the last role in the perception is played by the interior of the cathedral - its cladding, mosaics, accessories. More about this.

mosaics

The mosaics of the cathedral can be looked at endlessly. The most amazing in beauty and craftsmanship are "The Virgin and Child" and "Archangel Gabriel" - they adorn apse(the place in the temple where the altar is located) and vimu(elevation, tribune adjacent to the altar). Mosaics are distinguished by a special style of execution - softness of modeling, play of halftones, absence of hard lines, despite the fact that they belong to the earliest period of the formation of Macedonian monumental painting (second half of the 10th century).

From the point of view of iconography, the mosaics of the period of the reign of Emperor Leo VI (the end of the 9th-beginning of the 10th century) are interesting, when figured compositions replaced the image of the cross that adorned east wall of narfik in the era of Justinian (narfik or narthex - the entrance room, which adjoins the western side of the temple).

These are images of Jesus Christ, a half-figure of the Mother of God (left), Archangel Michael (right) and Emperor Leo VI, falling at the feet of the Almighty.

Art critics say that this mosaic should be viewed from below and at a great distance - this is the only way to get a right angle with the viewer's gaze and achieve the necessary visual effect.

Mosaics in the south lobbyI am distinguishes a more mature style, due, of course, to a later period of their creation, although the difference in “age” with their predecessors is only fifty years.

On the mosaic, lunettes (a part of the wall expressed by an arch and located above a door or window) above a door made of south vestibule in narfik the Virgin and Child are depicted and two great Byzantine emperors - Constantine and Justinian (second half of the 10th century).

On the mosaic south gallery- Christ is on the throne, and Konstantin Monomakh and Empress Zoya bring gifts

This work is attributed to the beginning of the 11th century.

The south gallery also houses two 12th-century mosaic icons, which are the only representatives of the Komnenos era that have survived on the territory of Constantinople.

This is a portrait of the imperial couple - John II Komnenos and Empress Irina, located on both sides of the Mother of God and offering her their gifts.

And Deesis, from the original appearance of which, unfortunately, only less than half remained.

But even in these fragments you can see the level of skill of the authors. Experts compare the image with the most perfect examples of Byzantine painting of that time - the icons of Our Lady of Vladimir and the frescoes of the St. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir.

If you are interested in artistic, historical, iconographic details, professional opinion, figures, facts, research, you can read about it in the History of Byzantine Painting by V. N. Lazarev.

There is also an interesting study about the restoration of mosaics, however, in English: Mosaics of Hagia Sophia, Istanbul: The Fossati Restoration and the Work of the Byzantine Institute, Natalia B. Teteriatnikov.

Other sights of the cathedral left over from Byzantine times

While on the lower level of the temple, pay attention to omphalion- the place of coronation of emperors of Byzantium.

To find it, stand under the center of the dome and look to the right. This is a large square, lined with colored stone, in the center of it is a circle on which the throne was placed for the newly proclaimed emperor.

Climb up the wide passage to the second tier, which was used by church synods and where women performed worship. Pay attention to the interesting slope of the road - it was calculated specifically in order to achieve maximum smoothness when moving when the empress was carried on a palanquin (stretcher on two poles).

From the top floor, you can better see the mosaics, look at the lower level from a twenty-meter height, pay attention to the difference in the perception of a huge space from below and above.

Walk through the upper galleries and find The bed of the empress located in the center of the western gallery.

From here she had an excellent view from which to observe the rituals and ceremonies.

Walking along the north gallery, go to the railing and try to find on them "graffiti"(translated from Italian, this word means "scratches"). This is not at all the "hooliganism" of our contemporaries, it is Scandinavian runes- the traces that the Varangian warriors left in the 9th century, apparently, wanted to perpetuate the memory of themselves.

In the south gallery you will see a massive marble door, which at one time the members of the Synod used to enter and exit the assembly room

Ottoman Hagia Sophia - mosque

1453 was the last year of the existence of the Christian Hagia Sophia. According to the descriptions of historians, on May 29, 1453, the last service took place in it, during which the Ottomans broke into the temple and plundered it, not sparing the worshipers. Already on May 30, Mehmed II ordered the Hagia Sophia to be converted into a mosque.

Over the next five centuries, the mosque, called Hagia Sophia, continued to undergo changes just as it had when it was a Christian temple - it was restored after destruction, reconstructed, some decorative elements were added and other elements were removed.

First of all, minarets were added to the cathedral (at first two hastily under Mehmed II, then two more - under Selim II and Beyazid II) and mosaics and frescoes were plastered, a mihrab was placed in the southeastern part of the temple.

They replaced the silver candelabra with iron ones, and later, under Ahmet III, they hung a huge chandelier that illuminates the cathedral to this day.

The appearance changed significantly already in the 16th century, when it was decided to strengthen the building of the mosque with massive buttresses.

In the middle of the 19th century, a serious restoration of the temple was carried out, which was carried out by Swiss architects - the brothers Gaspard and Giuseppe Fossati.

In 1935, under the rule of Ataturk, when the Republic of Turkey was proclaimed secular, Hagia Sophia acquired the status of a museum.

The frescoes and mosaics were returned to her, from which the centuries-old layers of plaster were peeled off, and a small space was allocated for Muslim ceremonies conducted by the museum staff.

Sights of Ottoman times

From the moment the Christian cathedral was turned into a mosque and over the next five hundred years, almost every Ottoman sultan brought something of his own to the interior of Hagia Sophia.

Calligraphic inscriptions

The first thing that catches your eye is huge circles and rectangular scrolls with calligraphic inscriptions against the backdrop of Orthodox themes.

These are the largest calligraphic panels in the Islamic world, they are inscribed with the names of the prophets and the first caliphs. They are made from donkey skin.

marble vases

On the first tier, near the side aisles, you will see huge vases carved from a single piece of marble.

They were brought to the Cathedral from the end of the 16th century during the reign of Murad III and were used to store water - about 1250 liters each.

Library of Mahmud I

In 1739, on the initiative of Mahmud II, a library was built in the cathedral. This room, located on the first tier in the south gallery, was richly and tastefully decorated with marble and Iznik tiles. The library had a reading room connected by a corridor to the book depository. There were more than 5,000 books in his rosewood cabinets. Nowadays, they are all kept in the library of the Suleymaniye Mosque under the name "Special Collection of Hagia Sophia".

On the eastern wall of the library hangs a “tughra” - a calligraphic signature of Mahmud I, who showed great interest in Hagia Sophia - in addition to the library, he ordered the cathedral to be repaired, a fountain for ablutions to be installed in the courtyard, and a canteen for the poor to be organized on the territory.

Sultan's Lodge

A small "room" in which the Sultan could participate in rituals without being noticed by the public. High carved lattices hid him not only from the eyes of the common people, but also from ill-wishers - they ensured safety.

The box really resembles a golden cage - a beautiful carved hexagonal box, hoisted on stable props. The lower part of the box is a marble openwork panel, and the upper part is wooden covered with gold.

The gratings are in the Turkish style, while the load-bearing columns are Byzantine.

Previously, the box was located on the apse, had a different appearance, but in 1847, during the restoration of the temple, the Fossati brothers decorated it and moved it to where it is to this day.

Mysterious cold window

At the entrance intended for the sultans, a small window was cut. Surprise is caused by a special microclimate that has formed next to it - in any weather, even on the hottest and calmest day, it is always cool here.

Weeping Column

This column has a feature - its walls are always wet. When she began to “cry” and when she began to be called that is not known for certain, but today she has become a real tourist “attraction” - after all, people at all times believe that by performing a certain ritual they will become healthier, richer, happier.

The history of “magic” dates back to Byzantine times, when an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker hung on a column, to which Christians came to ask for healing.

After the temple was captured by the Ottomans, the icon was torn off, and in its place there was a hole. Muslims have come up with their own ritual - you need to insert your thumb into this hole, draw a circle with the other four and make a wish. If the finger becomes wet, the wish will come true. The ritual is still relevant today. Here is such a story.

Where is she? It will not be difficult for you to find it - where there is a queue, there is a column.

Some figures

Often our impression of visual perception is helped to complement the numbers and facts. Here are some measurements and calculations:

• Cathedral area - 7570 sq.m;
• height from the floor to the top of the dome 55.6 m;
• columns: 104 in total, 40 in the lower gallery, 64 in the upper;
• dome diameter: 31.87 meters - from north to south, 30.87 - from east to west;
• the number of windows in the dome - 40;
• capacity of 100,000 people;
• the diameter of each circle with calligraphic inscriptions is 7.5 meters.

It was in Byzantine times:

• 6000 huge candelabra;
• 6000 portable candlesticks;
• each portable candlestick weighed 45 kg.

Modern Hagia Sophia - Hagia Sophia Museum

Today there is a huge amount of discussion about the ownership of the cathedral and its return to the Christian world. While disputes are ongoing, Hagia Sophia continues to be a museum of world significance, surprisingly combining elements of different eras, worldviews and cultures.

About three million people come here every year.

You can start your tour of the museum from the western garden, which contains the remains of columns and other fragments of the first two churches found during excavations conducted by the Istanbul Institute of Archeology.

Then go inside, see everything that interested you, at the exit go to the former baptistery of the cathedral, where the mausoleum of Mustafa I and Ibrahim is now located.

And finally, look at the mausoleum of Sultan Selim II - the work of the brilliant Mimar Sinan, the mausoleums of Murad III and Mehmed III, which are located in a small separate area to the left of the exit from the baptistery.

How to get there

The Hagia Sophia Museum is located in the heart of the historical part of the city - in the Sultanahmet area.

You can get here by tram line T1, which runs through almost the entire center and connects the Zeytinburnu and Kabatash districts.

You need a stop "Sultanahmet. Blue Mosque" is the name of another celebrity, the Blue Mosque.

Leaving the tram, you will find yourself exactly opposite the mosque, and to the left of it, about five hundred meters away is the Hagia Sophia. It's hard not to notice her.

Working hours

The museum is open:

• from April 15 to October 25 from 9.00 to 19.00, ticket offices and entrance to the museum close at 18.00;
• from October 25 to April 15 from 9.00 to 17.00, ticket offices and entrance to the museum close at 16.00.

Keep in mind that there is almost always a queue at the museum for at least 15 minutes; during the tourist season, you can stand for an hour. Count your time, do not postpone the visit for the evening.

Also keep in mind that:

• from May 2016 the museum is closed on Mondays;
• you will not be able to visit the museum on the first day of Ramadan and on the days of the Sacrifice Festivals.

Ticket prices and how to buy them

A regular full ticket costs about 12 euros or 14 dollars (40 TL).

There are no benefits for students.

You can go for free:

• Turkish children under 18;
• children of foreign citizens under 12 years old;
• citizens of the Republic of Turkey over 65 years of age;
• disabled people and one accompanying person;
• soldiers and sergeants;
• cardholders COMOS, UNESCO, ICOM;
• students studying in Turkey on exchange programs (for example, Erasmus) upon presentation of a contract.

You can buy a ticket:

Entrance to the burial grounds of the sultans is free.

What to see nearby

Nearby, of course, there are many interesting things - the Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace, and the Archaeological Museum, and the Museum of Islamic and Turkish Art, and much more.

But since in this text we are talking about the main attraction of Byzantine Orthodoxy, in order not to confuse everything together, I will name only a couple of thematic places.

Cathedral of Saint Irene

Coming out of Hagia Sophia, take a walk towards the Topkapi Palace, literally in a five-minute walk you will see another cathedral, which was recently opened to visitors.

This is one of the oldest churches in Constantinople - the Cathedral of Hagia Irene, which, after the construction of Hagia Sophia, was combined with it.

Now restoration work is still in full swing there, and personally I really liked the idea of ​​​​opening the cathedral-museum for visiting at an early stage of its restoration.

Kuchuk Hagia Sophia (Small Hagia Sophia)

I already wrote that five years before the start of construction of Hagia Sophia, its architects Anfimy and Isidore built the temple of the Great Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus. Justinian loved him very much and invited the same architects to repeat his image on a larger scale, so there is nothing surprising in the similarity of the cathedrals.

During the period of Beyazid II, the Ottomans turned the temple of Sergius and Bacchus into a mosque and gave it the name "Kucuk Hagia Sophia", which means "Little Hagia Sophia".

If you walk from the Hagia Sophia towards the Blue Mosque, then move down towards the sea,

you will come to a rather quiet place. Personally, I really like it here.

Come into the yard, get acquainted with its "inhabitants".

And then go inside.

The mosaics are still covered with plaster, the interior decoration is dull, there is nothing here that will take your breath away.

But I was curious to compare the cathedral with its "younger sister", and the impressions were quite interesting. Come check it out, it won't take too long.

Mosaic Museum

And, if you want to complement the artistic image of ancient Constantinople, go to the Byzantine Mosaic Museum, which is located on the site of the former Grand Palace of the Emperors, literally behind the Blue Mosque.

Magnificent Byzantine mosaics were discovered during excavations of the Grand Imperial Palace, but that's another story...

After the museum

Personally, I don’t like to mix impressions and lump them together, so after Hagia Sophia and nearby (first of all, thematically) sights, I recommend just taking a leisurely walk.

If your “tour” ended at Kuchuk Hagia Sophia, then you can go down to the sea, walk along the promenade and look into one of the fish restaurants on the Kumkapi pier. It is very calm here, few people, always fresh and tasty food, very pleasant service - whether you order a full meal or just drink a cup of coffee, you will be given equally worthy attention. Prices are slightly lower than in the tourist center of the city.

If you stayed near Hagia Sophia, then take a walk along the tram tracks towards Eminonu. Here you can take a look at the windows of small shops, for 0.9 euros or 3 TL you can “win back” ice cream (dondurma) from a cheerful seller

see how Turkish women prepare manti and gozleme at the Han restaurant and neighboring Ela Sofia.

Of course, you can taste them right there. We went to this restaurant out of curiosity. Yummy? Yes. Expensive? Yes.

I must say that eating here on a budget will be more problematic than by the sea, so if you are hungry, but do not want to spend a lot of money and time, go to Eminonu Pier.

Fish lovers can try the famous "balyk ekmek" - fish in bread. Freshly caught sardine is fried in front of you and put in crispy bread, generously adding green salad and onions 0.9 euros (3 TL), and next to it you can buy a glass of pickled vegetables for the same price.

If you don’t eat fish, then the meatballs (or “cutlets”?) loved by the Istanbulites will suit you. Everything here is fast, tasty, inexpensive. Such establishments are called "köftecisi", they are more expensive, such as, for example, as in the photo below.

There are simpler ones, mostly locals go there. The food quality is equally good everywhere.

If you are not hungry, Gulhane Park will be a wonderful end to the walk. The entrance to it (free of charge) is located immediately behind a series of shops and cafes, which you passed along the tram tracks.

or you can just take a walk, dream, learn new impressions,

Rent a Car- also aggregation of prices from all distributors, all in one place, let's go!

Have something to add?

Marina is with you again and today my story is about a historical monument, which is one of the main symbols of Istanbul - the Hagia Sophia Mosque (former Hagia Sophia). In my previous stories, I have repeatedly mentioned this amazing building with a simply fantastic history, an incredible interweaving of Christianity and Islam.

Hagia Sophia Mosque is considered one of the eight wonders of the world, as well as one of the most important architectural buildings in the world. This is one of the rarest monuments that have survived to this day in such a magnificent state of preservation.

The building is located opposite the Sultanahmet district, they are separated by a beautiful green square with a fountain. As a matter of fact, initially it was an Orthodox cathedral, then, under the Ottomans, a mosque, and now it is a museum. But first things first.

The very first building of the cathedral was built in the 4th century by the Byzantine emperor Constantine I. It did not stand for long and died in a fire. In the 6th century, Hagia Sophia was rebuilt by the Byzantine emperor Justinian and still stands today. Of course, the architecture of the temple has undergone significant changes, having survived more than one earthquake, which are not uncommon in these places. The dome was especially damaged by the earthquake, which was actually rebuilt, increased in size and reinforced with additional structures, from which the appearance of the building changed greatly.

Justinian invested heavily in the construction of the temple. The finished building was notable for its unprecedented size, splendor and luxury of interiors. The walls and floors were decorated with dazzling beauty of golden mosaics. This was supposed to inspire the idea of ​​the power of the Byzantine Empire and the church. For almost 9 centuries, the building served as the Patriarchal Orthodox Cathedral. Of course, during this time the temple was repeatedly destroyed, restored, and robbed. For example, at the beginning of the 13th century, the temple was plundered by the Crusaders, and before that the Shroud of Turin was kept there.

In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by Sultan Mehmed II (the Conqueror). Hagia Sophia ceased to exist as an Orthodox church and was turned into a mosque. Four minarets were completed and the interior decoration was redone. Simply put, all the magnificent frescoes and mosaics were hidden under a layer of plaster, and instead round shields with sayings from the Koran were hung on the walls and columns. From now on, the cathedral became known as the Hagia Sophia Mosque. During the reign of the sultans, the cathedral was also remodeled and restored. Most of the mosaics and frescoes have been safely preserved to this day, and scientists believe that this happened precisely due to the fact that over the centuries everything was hidden by a layer of plaster.

In 1935, the ruler of the country, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, issued a decree according to which the cathedral-mosque was turned into a museum. Frescoes and mosaics were freed from the layers of plaster that hid them. Now on the walls you can see the faces of the saints, and shields with quotes from the Koran. This combination is amazing.

At present, the Hagia Sophia mosque impresses not with the luxury of the interiors, lost over time, but with the grandeur of the interior space. The height of the dome is 55.6 meters and its diameter is 31 meters. Standing below, you feel the power and grandeur of the temple and feel like just a speck of dust. The mere thought that these ancient walls are already 15 centuries old causes some kind of trepidation inside.

If you wish, you can go up to the balcony, which offers a magnificent view of the decoration of the cathedral.

The interior of the cathedral is illuminated by beautiful bronze chandeliers with electric bulbs. It seems that earlier instead of light bulbs there were candles.

The sights of Hagia Sophia include the column of desires, the so-called "weeping column", covered with copper. They say that she has healing powers and is generally capable of working miracles. Water seeps through this column. There is a belief that if you put your thumb in a special hole and, feeling moisture, manage to turn your hand 360 degrees, while making a wish, then it will certainly come true.

Another curiosity is the “cold window”, where a cool breeze blows even on the hottest day.

Here are some mosaics and frescoes taken from under the plaster:

Since the day when Hagia Sophia opened as a museum, the American Byzantine Institute has been constantly working to restore the mosaics.

Currently, there is an international movement "Council for the Liberation of Hagia Sophia", the goal of which is to return the status of a functioning Orthodox church to the Hagia Sophia of the Wisdom of God, since it is considered unacceptable for a great Christian shrine to be a museum or a mosque.

Ayasofya Müzesi) in Istanbul is an outstanding monument of Byzantine and world architecture, a symbol of the "golden age" of Byzantium, which is sometimes called the "eighth wonder of the world."

The cathedral is named after the wisdom of God (from the Greek sofia - wisdom).

Hagia Sophia includes two religions: Christian and Muslim. Built in 537, the cathedral has been repaired and restored many times, and is now a museum. Today, the official name of the monument is the Hagia Sophia Museum.

The unique cathedral rises majestically above the Hippodrome square. Everyone should feel the centuries-old atmosphere of this place and see the magnificent interior that has survived to this day.

For five years (532-537), ten thousand workers worked on the erection of a new symbol of Constantinople.

For the construction of this unique temple, the Byzantine ruler Justinian hired two great architects of that time - Isidore from Miletus and Anthimius from Thrall. A hundred more architects were brought in to help these talented craftsmen, each of whom had 100 masons under their supervision. In total, 10,000 workers were involved in the construction of the cathedral (5,000 people on each side). Justinian did not spare funds for the construction of the temple. He daily dressed in a simple linen robe and personally supervised the progress of construction. The workers were paid every day.

So that the construction of the shrine would not stop, monetary tribute was collected from all Byzantine estates. The entire treasury of the empire, collected over 5 years, could not cover the costs. It is known that only the choirs and the pulpit spent the budget of Egypt for the year! The emperor ordered marble and stone ruins of various buildings from all over the country to be delivered to the capital. For example, unique columns were brought from Rome, Athens and Ephesus, to this day admiring their grandeur and article. Snow-white marble slabs were sent from Procones. Pink marble was brought from Phrygia, red-white marble from Iasos, soft green marble from Karistor. Huge marble stones were cut in such a way that various images were obtained from the veins - figures of animals, people, trees, plants, fountains, etc.

It was probably the most unusual building in the history of the Byzantine Empire. Most of the building materials were brought from shrines belonging to almost all pagan religions. For example, the porphyry columns of the lower tier of the cathedral were brought from the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus and the Temple of the Sun in Baalbek. The lime composition was prepared using barley water, and the cement mortar was kneaded with the addition of oil. The upper throne board was generally made from a newly invented composition - a mixture of gold and precious stones.

What was the cost of one idea of ​​​​building - the temple of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople was supposed to surpass the famous temple of King Solomon in Jerusalem.

Most of the marble used in the construction of the temple was brought to Constantinople from Anatolian deposits, the Mediterranean basin, several more ancient quarries, as well as from the famous Athenian Mount Pentelikon, from the marble slabs of which, 10 centuries before the appearance of the Church of Hagia Sophia, the Acropolis Parthenon was built in honor of the Goddess Athens.

The temple was made of brick, but much more expensive material was used for decoration. Ornamental stone, gold, silver, pearls, precious stones, ivory were used here. Such investments severely squeezed the treasury of the empire. Eight columns were brought here from the famous Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.

According to historical data, about 130 tons of gold (320,000 pounds) were spent on the construction. Thus, the Hagia Sophia became the most expensive project in the history of the Byzantine Empire.

The construction of the Hagia Sophia was carried out under one of the most famous rulers of Byzantium - Justinian. It is with his activities that the strengthening of the power of the Byzantine Empire is associated.

The temple was built, approximately within five years, about ten thousand workers worked on it, and on December 27, 537, the cathedral was inaugurated. Marble, stone and brick served as building materials, and material was also brought from distant churches that were all over Byzantium. During the construction of the cathedral, special attention was paid to the dome - in order for it not to collapse during earthquakes, a special brick was used, light and durable, which was made from materials on the island of Rhodes. Inside the cathedral was decorated with expensive stones. Over time, the Hagia Sophia was destroyed several times and then rebuilt.

Interior of Hagia Sophia

When the crusaders captured Constantinople in 1204, they made the temple Catholic and expelled the Orthodox priests. At that time, a large number of treasures were barbarously taken out of the temple.

In 1453, the Byzantine Empire was captured by the Ottoman Turks. It was during this period that Fatih Sultan Mehmet (1451-1481) turned the cathedral into a mosque for Muslims, which was the main mosque until 1935.

On February 1, 1935, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and the Council of Ministers decided to transfer the mosque to the status of a museum that opened its doors to local and foreign tourists.

At all times, while the cathedral exists, it has always been in the center of attention of all religions of the world. The cathedral was both Orthodox and Catholic, and then became Muslim. The cathedral is still a shrine for religious people, but at the moment it acts as a museum.

Hagia Sophia: architecture

The entrance to the Hagia Sophia is through a spacious courtyard, in the center of which there is a fountain.

Dome of Hagia Sophia

In total, nine doors lead to the temple, only the emperor or the patriarch had the right to enter through the central door.

Once there were 214 window openings inside the shrine, but today there are only 181 (the missing ones were closed by buttresses and later buildings).

In addition to the Ottoman siege, Hagia Sophia suffered many cataclysms, including 2 earthquakes, which did not pass without a trace for the church. The damage was so strong that in the 19th century there was a threat of complete destruction. Misfortune was avoided only thanks to the padishah Abdul-Mejid, who invited restorers from Italy to restore the shrine.

Experts say that the walls of the shrine have amazing strength indicators for that time. According to assumptions, the builders were able to achieve this result due to the fact that ash leaf extract was mixed with the main solution.

Mosaics in Hagia Sophia

In the past, the walls of the temple, or rather, their tops, were decorated with paintings of various themes and mosaics. In 726-843, during the iconoclasm, these beauties were destroyed, so in our time we cannot fully appreciate all the splendor of the interior of the cathedral.

Later, the creation of new artistic creations continued in the church, and in 1935 restoration work began to restore ancient Orthodox frescoes and mosaics.

Today, one of the most valuable elements of the interior design of the cathedral are ancient mosaics. Conventionally, they are divided by specialists into three historical periods:

1. 9th century (beginning);
2. IX-X centuries;
3. end of the 10th century.

Icon of the Virgin Mary in the Hagia Sophia

Particularly valuable is the mosaic image of the Mother of God, dressed in dark blue, made on a gold background and located on the apse. The magnificent color combination of gold and dark blue emphasizes the spirit of Byzantine grandeur.

Even by modern standards, the temple building has quite impressive dimensions - 75x68 meters.

A distinctive feature of the Hagia Sophia is its beautiful dome, with a diameter of 31 meters, the height of the dome is 55.6 meters. Looking at him, one gets the feeling that he is floating in weightlessness and the light of the sun seems to come from the cathedral itself.

In the middle of the central dome, surrounded by 40 windows, once there was an artistic image of Jesus Christ. But after the capture of Constantinople by the Turks, this image was painted over, and a surah from the Koran was applied over the renewed coating.

In the apse you can see the image of the face of the Mother of God. It was she who was considered the patroness of the temple and associated with wisdom (Sophia).

Legends and interesting facts

Skip-the-line tickets to Hagia Sophia and tour with a historical guide from Istanbul Welcome Card

There are some unusual places with riddles in the cathedral. One of them is a weeping column covered with copper, which, according to legend, is able to grant wishes. Also, if you lean against it with a sore spot, healing will occur. Another mysterious place of the Cathedral is a cool window, from which, in any weather, it is cold and a little noise is heard.

The handprint of the Sultan who conquered Constantinople has survived to this day in the cathedral. There is a legend that the sultan rode into the cathedral on horseback, leaned his elbow on the column and there was an imprint of his palm. The imprint turned out high, because his horse walked over a large number of corpses.

The main feature of the temple is that it combines elements of Orthodox and Islamic cultures (images of Christ, the Mother of God and excerpts from the Koran). Particular attention should be paid to the inscriptions on stone parapets, the history of which dates back several centuries. The oldest of the inscriptions are the runes that were left in the temple by the Scandinavian Varangian warriors. To date, they have been coated with the strongest transparent coating that protects the historical heritage from abrasion.

Hagia Sophia: how to get there, opening hours and cost of visiting in 2019

The terrace of the Four Seasons restaurant offers a magnificent view of Hagia Sophia

Entrance fee 72 Turkish Lira (separate ticket).

If you buy the Museum Pass Istanbul for 220 lira (which gives you the opportunity to visit attractions without a queue and at a lower price), then the entrance to the cathedral is included in the price of the card.

Hagia Sophia can be easily found by standing on Hippodrome Square (T1 tram stop Sultanahmet). You can get to the cathedral with the help of a group tour or on your own. At the entrance to the cathedral, not far from the ticket office, there is a kiosk where you can rent an audio guide - 45 lire. You will need to leave a document (passport) as a deposit.

If you prefer to walk on your own, then our non-boring audio guide in Russian, which includes all the main historical monuments of Sultanahmet, is perfect for a sightseeing tour. This is not only a time saver, unlike an excursion with a group, but also a monetary benefit. Available for Android and iOS.

Hagia Sophia can also be reached by light rail line T1, which passes through Sultanahmet. The cathedral can be seen from afar by its dome.

Hagia Sophia on the map

The cathedral Hagia Sophia in Istanbul or Hagia Sophia Mosque is one of the main attractions and business card. For a long time this Orthodox church was one of the largest churches in the world. Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest examples of Byzantine culture. Sometimes Hagia Sophia is called the "eighth wonder of the world." The Hagia Sophia Mosque now operates as a museum and is under the protection of UNESCO.

Story

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul was built on the site of an ancient acropolis. First, in this place, the Roman emperor Constantine built a cathedral in honor of Sophia the Wisdom of God in 360, it stood for 75 years, and then was destroyed in a fire.

Soon another cathedral was rebuilt, but it suffered the same fate, it burned down in a fire in 532. By the way, the Cathedral in honor of Sophia (Sofia Cathedral) is also in Kiev, if you are in the city, I advise you to definitely visit it.

current Saint Sophie Cathedral in Istanbul, construction began under Justinian I, 10,000 people took part in the construction. Hagia Sophia was built in record time in just five years. A huge amount of money was spent on the construction of the cathedral. The solemn consecration of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople took place in December 537.

For almost 1000 years, the cathedral was a symbol of Byzantium and remained one of the largest Christian churches, until the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. The height of the dome of the Hagia Sophia is 55m, and the diameter is 31m.

In 1453, Constantinople was captured by the Turks. The Turkish Sultan Mahmed Fitih the Conqueror entered the city and was struck by the beauty and huge size of Hagia Sophia. He ordered not to touch the Orthodox church, but to turn it into a mosque. Hagia Sophia was renamed Hagia Sophia, a minaret was added to it in the western part, and then three more minarets.

In 1935, under Ataturk, Hagia Sophia was converted into a museum.

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (Ayasofya) how to get

Hagia Sophia is located in the center of the old city in the Sultanahmet area. To get to the water in the cathedral, you need to get off at the T1 Sultanahmet tram stop and walk a little. Hagia Sophia you will see immediately. The square near the cathedral is always noisy and crowded both in winter and summer 🙂

Hagia Sophia Istanbul opening hours

Opening hours of the Hagia Sophia Museum:

• from 9:00 to 19:00 from April 1 to October 31
• from 9:00 to 17:00 from November 1 to March 31

Ticket offices close an hour earlier.

Price

The cost of a ticket to the Hagia Sophia Museum is 72 lira. Tickets are sold at the box office in front of the entrance, where there is always a huge queue.

Hagia Sophia: our review

First you have to stand in a rather long queue for tickets, and then another queue for the entrance to the cathedral itself. We were inside the Hagia Sophia several times: on New Year's Eve on December 31 around lunchtime and in May on a weekday afternoon. Each time I had to stand in line for about half an hour.

Nearby they sell delicious corn, you can refresh yourself while standing in line. Very convenient 🙂

At the entrance to the Cathedral, bags are carefully checked and passed through a metal detector, as at an airport.

Hagia Sophia is striking in its size. The length of the cathedral is 81m, the width is 72m. The light enters through 40 windows, due to the large amount of light it seems that the dome is floating in the air.

You can climb to the second level, to the galleries and view Hagia Sophia from above.

Frescoes and mosaics of Hagia Sophia are of great interest, many of them have survived to this day.

One of the attractions of Hagia Sophia is the weeping column. Put your finger in the hole, make a wish and rotate your finger 360 degrees. The wish must come true!

The cathedral is so huge that you can walk around it for a long time. We really liked the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul: it is amazing in size and very strong energy is felt in it.

If you want, you can take.

And we, under the impression, go out into the street, to the square between two shrines: Hagia Sophia and the current one. It is always crowded here. Even in winter, flowers and green trees are planted on the square, a fountain is turned on.

And in summer it’s even better: you can lie on the grass and watch the turmoil around 🙂

And in the evening Hagia Sophia is beautifully illuminated. The area includes

If you are planning to visit Istanbul, I advise you to book a hotel in advance. It is best to live in the Sultanahmet area, within walking distance of Hagia Sophia.

But among them, the main place is occupied by the magnificent Hagia Sophia, which is also known as the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul or as the Hagia Sophia Mosque. Here is a sacred and prayerful place not only for Christians, but equally for Muslims. It is one of the most visited and famous historical monuments in the world. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The building of the great temple, built in a seismically dangerous zone, near a tectonic fault, withstood several strong earthquakes. It has endured several devastating fires and suffered the ravages of war. Many books have been written about the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, about its architecture, decoration, about the impression it makes on visitors, about its centuries-old history. Any advertising publication of Istanbul, as a rule, is accompanied by the image of Aya Sophia. And what is so special about it?

Who was Saint Sophia?

Many people think that the temple bears the name of a woman - after all, among the Christian saints there are several named Sophia, perhaps named after one of them? No, this is a wrong assumption! The name comes from the Greek word "sophia", meaning knowledge, wisdom, and not from any specific holy name Sophia. The full Greek name is the Temple of the Wisdom of God.

During its long, long life, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul had several different names - Hagia Sophia, the Great Church, Hagia Sophia.

Tiptoe into space at Hagia Sophia

With reverence we pass through the tourist entrance to the narthex of the church. Here, where once penitent sinners crowded, reference information now hangs, marble archaeological antiquities stand, traces of a golden mosaic are on the ceiling. But under the impatient beats of the heart, we move on. From here, 9 doors go to the main part of the temple, the central ones are the Imperial Gates. It is believed that they are made from the remains of Noah's ark.

We freeze in order to feel: in the Byzantine era, only the emperor himself could pass through them, and now anyone who has paid 25 lire boldly passes ... But, if you do not rush and stand in this place for a while, you can see dark recesses on the marble floor slabs - these are trodden for centuries, the footprints of the guards who guarded the emperor during his prayer. How many people defended here for this visible stroke of time to appear ...

We pass into the nave under the mosaic depicting the emperor, who prostrated himself before Christ. On the sides of Christ are the Mother of God and the Archangel Gabriel. In the hands of Jesus the Gospel with the words “Peace be with you. I am the light of the world."

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is stunning. A huge dome floats weightlessly over an arcade of windows. It is like a real golden sky… After a while you realize the size of the temple and its grandeur… And the feeling of peace and tranquility surrounds and absorbs you. Thin rays of light from the windows of high vaults fall on the majestic columns, unearthly eyes of angels and saints look attentively and sadly.

Around a crowd of people: women and men, old people and children ... What brought each of them here?

Near the entrance stands a quadrangular Weeping Column lined with ancient copper sheets, which is considered miraculous. A hole has been made in it, inside which moisture is felt. The copper surface around the peephole has been polished with millions of touches. If you make a wish and stick your thumb into the hole, and then manage to turn it 360 degrees, then, they say, the wish will come true. I also made a wish and turned ... No, my wish did not come true ...

Next to us, in line for a miracle, were the kids from the school field trip. Funny and curious, they twirled and looked at us with interest. Or maybe Katya?

Let's look into history

The exquisite combination of peach-colored domes and minarets of Hagia Sophia against the blue sky is a symbol of Istanbul. This is the only building in the world that served the needs of three different religions: it was a Catholic cathedral, a temple of Greek Orthodoxy and a mosque of Sunni Islam.

• In the 4th century, a cathedral was built on this site. But it was either destroyed or burned, so in 532-537 Emperor Justinian I rebuilt it. He created a true masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. The cathedral served as a Byzantine church for the next 900 years, here was the residence of the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople, the place of imperial ceremonies and church councils. It is believed that Russia became Orthodox, not Catholic, under the impression of the grandeur of this building.
• On April 13, 1204, the crusaders subjected Constantinople to a merciless ruin. The knights ruthlessly robbed the Cathedral, tore off all the coatings of gold and silver, stole everything that represented at least some value. After that, the building was handed over to the Catholic priests. Hagia Sophia in Istanbul functioned as a Roman Catholic cathedral until Emperor Michael recaptured Constantinople with a strengthened Byzantine army in 1261. But priceless relics, such as the Shroud of Turin, the spear with which the Roman legionary pierced the side of Jesus, fragments of the Cross, and many others, have never returned.
• On May 29, 1453, the capital of the Byzantine Empire fell. In Constantinople, triumphant, the victorious Turks enter. From the ruler, the illustrious Sultan Mehmet, nicknamed the Conqueror, sees in the conquered city an incomparable miracle - Hagia Sophia and immediately turns it into his imperial Hagia Sophia. In this capacity, she has been serving Muslims for a very long time. The Turks carry out some transformations in it to remove Christian signs, build a beautiful marble mihrab and minbar inside, from which sermons are conducted, build amazing minarets, as if floating in the azure air of Istanbul.
• Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic that emerged after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, in 1934 turns Hagia Sophia into a museum. He says the ancient building "should become a monument to all civilization." Prayer rugs are removed, revealing a beautiful marble floor. A number of calligraphy panels are moved to other mosques, however, eight of them remain in place to this day. The mosaics are cleared from the layers of plaster covering them.

What to look for

In order to see, you need to know what to look at. Otherwise, you will either not pay attention to much or you will not really realize. And in order not to be excruciatingly painful later, you need to prepare, read and see. Well, what am I, they are not small. And in short, yes.

See architecture

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is a domed basilica of 3 naves, the central one is wide and the other two are narrower. The most important thing is a grandiose dome 56 m high and 31 m in diameter, which rests on 4 arches from 4 pillars. This daunting design challenge was brilliantly solved by ingenious architects using many innovations. As a result, the square central space of the temple is crowned with a magnificent dome. Below it are forty arched windows. Two smaller semi-domes adjoin the dome from the west and east, and to each of them - three more, smaller, semi-domes.

The dimensions of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul are as follows:

• its length is 76 m,
• width - 69 m,
• and the height is 56 m

Hagia Sophia has two levels: a gallery is located above the lower floor. The first floor was intended for believers, in the center were the clergy and the emperor.

On the second floor there were galleries or choirs, they were intended for women during worship. In the center of the choirs, on the axis of the temple, there was a place where the empress sat during the service. From here, the temple is visible, as in the palm of your hand.

Interior

The interior of the Hagia Sophia has always been of rare beauty. During its erection, for decoration, white marble, like snow, was brought from Prokonez, malachite green was brought from Karitos, elegant red from Iasos, pink marble from Phrygia. The lower parts of the walls were covered with blue-green and pink marble, the floor was decorated with marble patterns of different colors. The surface of the altar, according to contemporaries, shimmered with 72 different colors and shades. The capitals of the columns were decorated with elegant carvings. The upper gallery was painted with frescoes and covered with mosaics with sacred images. And the dome was decorated with gilding and a mosaic with the face of Christ the Almighty.

Along the perimeter of the temple there were rows of icons, shrines, a shrine with relics. But that's all in the past. Now it's empty and bare. But the interior lining of the building with polychrome marble, green, white, porphyry, has come down to our time.

1. Byzantine mosaics

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is now famous for its exquisite mosaics. The oldest mosaics are modest geometric and floral designs and date back to the reign of Justinian. Later - with images of Christ, saints, emperors and their families.

And above the altar there is an image of the Mother of God, holding the baby Christ on her knees ... At the entrance to the nave of the cathedral, my eyes stopped on a miraculous image, and then, when I wandered between the columns, I noticed that my gaze was drawn to her more than once, not twice.

And the most famous of the mosaics are on the top floor, in the galleries. In the southern gallery is the most-most of them - the Deesis mosaic. This word denotes in iconography a composition of three characters: in the middle is Christ, near him the Mother of God and John the Baptist in prayer poses. Here is another famous mosaic - the image of Christ Pantokrator in dark blue robes, his right hand is raised for blessing, and his left is holding the Gospel.

Right under the main dome of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, on triangular pandative sails, frescoed cherubs. Their Turks, unlike mosaics, did not cover them with plaster, but only covered their faces with overlays.

1. Calligraphy in Hagia Sophia Istanbul

In the museum, high above, there are 8 huge round shields, made either from camel or donkey skin. They have Arabic inscriptions of wondrous beauty. The names of Allah, his prophet, sayings from the Koran are written. The shields form an incredibly interesting contrast to the Christian mosaics.

1. Lamps and wrought iron chandeliers.

Chandeliers descend from the heights on cables, almost to the height of a person. This is one of the striking elements of the decoration of the temple: like droplets of radiant dew on a cobweb spread overhead. Incredibly beautiful.

1. mihrab

Let me remind you that this is a rounded niche in the wall that marks the direction of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, there is the most sacred place in Islam. See, in Aya Sophia, she is a little off center? The fact is that the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul was built as a Christian temple, which are oriented to the east. And all mosques should be directed to the Kaaba in Mecca, that is, to the southeast of Istanbul, which is why in Hagia Sophia there was such a mismatch between the central part of the church building and the axial point of the mihrab. To the left of the mihrab is the Sultan's Lodge, to the right is the minbar, a place for preaching.

1. coronation site

It is believed that the square on the floor, made of colored marble, is the place where the Byzantine emperors were crowned.

Secrets of Hagia Sophia

If it continued to be a mosque, then there would be no question of investigating something in it, and even more so of excavating it. But, fortunately, the Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul has been converted into a museum. And this means that scientists can freely explore it. Although not all rooms in it are open to ordinary people, scientists, of course, have studied each one, and scrupulously, down to the millimeter.

True, we must make a reservation - we are talking only about the above-ground part of the structure.

And, I must say that there are amazing stories about what is under the building. A certificate from the Spanish ambassador from 1403 has been preserved that below, under the Hagia Sophia, there is a giant cistern. And this is not the only evidence. This was repeated by various European travelers in later times. Scanning the temple confirmed the presence of large voids underneath. But it has not yet been possible to find an underground storage, the size of which should be surpassed.

The main thing

The world-famous Hagia Sophia in Istanbul has three main and unique features:

• First, he has a very respectable age. Hagia Sophia in Istanbul has been around for 1,500 years. From this time, it was used by Christians for 916 years, for 481 years it served as the Hagia Sophia Mosque, and now it is the most famous museum in Istanbul.
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