Temple of Sophia of Constantinople. Hagia Sophia, Istanbul: brief description, photo, history, address, opening hours

Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople

The Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (now Istanbul) is the most grandiose and majestic monument of Byzantine style architecture.
The cathedral was erected under Emperor Justinian the Great in 532-537 by the best architects of that time - Anthemius of Thrall and Isidore of Miletus. Three annual revenues of the Byzantine Empire were spent on the construction of the cathedral. The purpose of building the temple was to consolidate the superiority of Constantinople over other - Christian and pagan - worlds. The dimensions of this church were impressive: the length is 120 meters and the width is 72. The height of the dome alone is 60 meters, its diameter is 30. The cathedral was part of the palace complex of the emperors. It was built as a large ceremonial hall of the palace.

Temple interior

The Church of Hagia Sophia amazes with its interior space. Thanks to the design features of the building, the dome seems to float in the air. The sail (an element of the dome structure) seems to cover the interior. If there was only one dome, then the cathedral could be compared to any structure on a fabric frame in the form of a tent. Only the frame is located throughout the fabric. From the outside, this structural shell looks like a heap different forms, on top of which there is a dome on the drum. The temple itself combines two different models - the basilica and the central dome. The columns of the temple are made of white marble, the walls are covered with gold paintings and, thanks to the mosaics, shimmer in the rays of the sun. The central hall is well lit by 40 windows. Two galleries to different parties separated by 110 marble columns, which gives uniform lighting inside the building.

The iconostasis includes 12 golden columns. Icons, Gospels and other holy books are also decorated with gold. The most striking decorations of the temple are chandeliers and candlesticks (six thousand), which illuminate the gigantic interior space and evoke extraordinary feelings among parishioners during the service. In its architectural and artistic image, the temple embodied ideas about eternal divine principles.

Saint Sophia. General form

The decorations of St. Sophia evoke delight with their beauty and brilliance of colored marble. It is not surprising why the ambassadors of the Russian Prince Vladimir, who came to find out about the new religion, were so amazed during the festive service.

During the destruction of Constantinople in 1096 and 1204, the enormous wealth of the temple was plundered. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the cathedral was turned into the main mosque of the capital of the Ottoman Empire and remained so for five centuries. In 1935, the head of the Turkish state, Ataturk, ordered the opening of a museum in the cathedral. After this, restorers were invited to the temple and the corresponding work was carried out. Mosaics of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary were restored, as well as portraits of Byzantine emperors and their spouses. Above the Holy Gate, an image of the Holy Virgin has survived. The restorers also discovered images of St. Archangel Michael and several great martyrs.

From the times of the Ottoman Empire, the museum has preserved a pulpit, an altar, the throne of the Sultan, and two huge candelabra. The baptistery of the temple was turned into the tomb of Mustafa I and Ibrahim.

The Church of Hagia Sophia, the Wisdom of God, is a unique example of Byzantine architecture from the 6th century. Its significance for the development of world architecture is enormous. This outstanding work of art has become an example for architects for many centuries. When talking about the Byzantine style, this architectural monument comes to mind first of all. Turning their attention to Sophia of Constantinople, Russian architects built their cathedrals in Kyiv and Novgorod.

The Temple of Hagia Sophia (Aya Sophia) in Constantinople was dedicated to Hagia Sophia - the Wisdom of God. For a thousand years (before the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome), it was the largest and most majestic temple of the entire medieval Christian world and the pride of the Byzantine Empire, with which its power and strength were associated. This masterpiece of late antique architecture was located in the central part of Constantinople and formed a single architectural ensemble with the Imperial Palace, the Hippodrome and other beautiful monumental buildings in the central part of the Byzantine capital.

The first temple on the site of Hagia Sophia was founded during the time of Constantine the Great in 324-337. Under Emperor Constantius II it was completed and consecrated. In 360-380, the temple belonged to the Arians, until it was transferred to the Orthodox Emperor Theodosius I.

As a result popular uprising which occurred in 404, the temple burned down. The church built in its place was also destroyed by fire 11 years later. Under Emperor Theodosius I, the Basilica of Theodosius was erected on the same site, but under Justinian the Great, like its predecessors, it was destroyed in a fire during the Nika uprising in 532.

Forty days after the fire, by order of Justinian, a new temple was founded, which, according to the emperor’s plan, was to become the decoration of Constantinople and the personification of the greatness of the Byzantine Empire.

The construction of the temple was led by the best architects of that era - Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles. They had ten thousand workers at their disposal. The highest quality and most beautiful marble from all over the empire was used for construction, as well as architectural elements of ancient Roman buildings. The temple was richly decorated with gold. Its construction cost the empire three annual revenues. Upon completion of construction, entering the cathedral, Justinian, according to legend, exclaimed: “Solomon, I have surpassed you!”

A few years later, the temple was badly damaged by an earthquake, but was soon restored and strengthened. However, it was again partially destroyed by an earthquake in 989, as a result of which the dome collapsed. The temple was strengthened with buttresses and because of this, it largely lost its original appearance. The dome was rebuilt by the Armenian architect Trdat. It turned out to be more elevated than the original, and as if floating in the air, thanks to the windows at the base, through which sunlight penetrated into the twilight of the temple.

Later, the Church of Hagia Sophia was plundered by the Crusaders, and after the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks it was converted into a mosque. For this purpose, four minarets were added to it. Since then it has become known as Hagia Sophia. Later, Turkish builders added buttresses and some extensions to the building, which further changed the original appearance of the temple.

Thus, to this day the Church of Hagia Sophia has reached far from its original appearance, but thanks to historical documents and archaeological data, we can judge its original architecture.

Istanbul. Sultanahmet.

Sultanahmet– the heart of Istanbul, the first hill of the Second Rome. Ancient Constantinople was located here.
At the end of the 2nd century, construction began on a grandiose hippodrome, which received its final form under Constantine the Great in the 4th century. It was a huge and magnificent building, which attracted 100 thousand spectators.
A tour of Istanbul usually begins with Sultanahmet Square - simple and noisy, always filled with tourists and street vendors.
Located opposite each other, two main attractions of the city look at each other - Hagia Sophia (AY Sophia) And Blue Mosque.
Three times restored Hagia Sophia (Hagia Sophia) was the largest Byzantine temple in the Christian world (before the construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome).

Hagia Sophia. Istanbul.

The first temple on this site was erected in 360 by Emperor Constantine, it was called "Big Church".
But in 404, the temple was destroyed during fires set by rioters due to the execution of Bishop John Chrysostom.
In 405, construction began on a new temple, which lasted 11 years.
But the second temple was also burned during the Nika uprising, along with the imperial palace and neighboring buildings in 532.
Emperor Justinian suppressed the Nika rebellion and rebuilt Hagia Sophia in the form in which the temple has survived to this day.
Hagia Sophia built by the best architects of that time - Isidore of Miletus and Anthimius of Tralles. Construction began in 532 and was completed 5 years later. The marble for the basilica was brought from Anatolia and Mediterranean cities.
After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Sultan Fatih Mehmed the Conqueror converted the temple into a mosque, adding a minaret. The frescoes and mosaics were covered with plaster, curtains and wood paneling.
In the mid-16th century, the architect Sinan strengthened support for the main building. Islamic elements were added.
After the founding of the Turkish Republic, restoration work began, and in 1935, on the orders of Atatürk, the temple was opened as a museum.
The length of the temple-museum is 100 m, and the width is about 70 m. The basilica is crowned with a giant dome system ( Hagia Sophia called "domed basilica"). The dome, 55.6 m high, is considered one of the most perfect in Turkey and is among the top five tallest domes in the world.
The mosaics of Hagia Sophia date back to the middle of the 9th to the end of the 10th centuries.

Frescoes of Hagia Sophia.

Interior of Hagia Sophia.

At the entrance to the building, at a depth of 2 meters, you can see the steps that served as the monumental entrance to the second church, columns, capitals and friezes.

Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque)– impressive and majestic, is the main work of classical Turkish-Islamic architecture.

Blue Mosque. Istanbul.

Construction of the mosque began in 1609 by order of the 19-year-old Sultan Ahmed I. The architect of the mosque was Mehmed Agha, a student of the great Sinan. Blue Mosque It took seven years to build.
It got its name thanks to the interior, which is decorated with blue tiles. These blue tiles are an expensive piece of art that will take your breath away.

Blue Mosque. Istanbul. Türkiye.

What is unusual is that in Blue Mosque six minarets: four, as usual, on the sides, and two slightly less tall ones on the outer corners of the courtyard. Legend says that the Sultan ordered the construction of a mosque with golden minarets (“altyn” in Turkish), but the architect, knowing that this was impossible, pretended that he had not heard and built six "alty" minarets.
Blue Mosque largest mosque in area Istanbul.

Entrance to the mosque is free, but be prepared for a long queue.
When entering, you should take off your shoes and women should cover their heads with a headscarf.

Behind the mosque there is a picturesque Arasta market where you can buy Turkish souvenirs, carpets, stones, jewelry. The market is a favorite place for tourists; prices here are quite high, but the covered rows are suitable for pleasant walks.

Arasta market.

It is worth looking into the Meșala cafe at the beginning of the market; the guidebook will say that this is a tourist place, but here you can relax after long walks, smoke a hookah, and in the evening listen to live music or watch a dervish performance.

Visitors to the Arasta market.

Be sure to order Turkish tea (“tea” in Turkish is pronounced “tea”), dark and strong, it is served in tulip-shaped glass cups.

Turkish tea.

Or coffee brewed in a Turk, with added sugar and coffee grounds, taking up a good half of the cup.
More unusual things worth trying muhallebi- a traditional Turkish drink, milk jelly made with rice flour.
Or salep– a hot drink made from powdered orchid (salepa) with the addition of milk or water, sugar and spices.

Salep seller

Back at Sultanahmet Square, look for an ice cream stand. Turkish ice cream – dondurma– thick and elastic, it is made from salep – dried orchid tubers.

Don't go past the Turkish bagel, generously sprinkled with sesame seeds. He is called simit and they sell it at every turn. It’s amazing why the Turks love him so much!

Delivery of simits :)

The green dome attracts attention German fountain. It was built in Germany and shipped to Istanbul parts along the Danube River. It was assembled at this place in 1901. The fountain, decorated with gold mosaics, is a gift from the Chancellor German Empire William II for Abdul Hamid on his visit to Istanbul. At that time, Germany and Türkiye were on close friendly relations.
The fountain is unusual in that its shape is more reminiscent of religious fountains than urban ones.

German fountain.

Heading towards the Topkani Palace, next to the Sultan's Gate one cannot help but notice the magnificent monumental Ahmed III fountain, which is a shining example Turkish and Ottoman architecture in the Rococo style. The fountain was built by Ahmed Agha, the chief architect of the court in the 18th century.

Fountain of Ahmed III.

The next attraction of Sultanahamet is Topkapi Palace- the ancient residence of the Ottoman sultans.

The huge palace complex is amazing with its rich collection.
Topkapi Palace was built in 1465 during the reign of Mehmed the Conqueror. The palace was abandoned in 1853 due to the fact that it was difficult to heat. The Sultan's residence moved to Dolmabahce Palace.
Topkapi Palace- the largest and most ancient of all the imperial palaces that have survived to this day. Its original area was 700 thousand square meters. It housed not only the residence of the Sultan with a harem, but also the administrative headquarters of the Ottoman Empire.

Entering the palace through the Sultan's Gate, we find ourselves in the first courtyard. The guards, royal treasury, arsenal and warehouses were located here.
To the left of the entrance is Church of St. Irene, or "Sacred World" is the first known Byzantine church, built by Constantine in 330. The church is closed to the public and can only be visited on a special excursion.

From the first courtyard we move to the middle one. WITH right side There were the Sultan's kitchens, where about 100 cooks worked. Now silver utensils and dishes are displayed here.

Tower of Justice. Topkapi Palace.

Left – harem, at all another story Topkapi Palace. Harem means a forbidden place. Outsiders were not allowed here, especially men. The harem complex of Topkapi Palace consists of 400 rooms, it living rooms, kitchens, toilets, hospitals, bathrooms, connected to each other by passages and corridors, forming a labyrinth.
The largest room belonged to the Sultan's mother (Valida Sultan). The wives who gave birth to the Sultan’s son lived in slightly smaller rooms.
Once upon a time, thousands of people lived here, more than half were women, as well as their children and eunuchs.

Many of the rooms and chambers were designed by the Ottoman Michelangelo architect Sinan. The harem was decorated in an Ottoman style based on the Italian Baroque.

Topkapi Palace.

Topkapi Palace.

After the harem we will go to the third courtyard. Here are the palace pavilions and other luxurious halls - a library, reception halls, etc. In 1536, 580 craftsmen worked in the palace: jewelers, engravers, gold minters, seamstresses, amber craftsmen and others. Examples of their work are presented not only in the museum; passages, walls, furniture, ceilings and floors are decorated with their inlays and mosaics.
The treasury of the palace is magnificent, where unique jewelry and jewelry are stored. Among them, the most famous is the Qashiqchi diamond of 86 carats, i.e. approximately the size of a palm. It is considered one of the largest diamonds in the world. The legend tells of a poor man who found a diamond on the street and exchanged it for three spoons. Kaşıkçi means spoon in Turkish. And also a golden throne weighing 250 kg.

Topkapi Palace.

Another attraction of Sultanahmet
Basilica Cistern- An ancient underground reservoir. Since the day of foundation Istanbul did not have its own water resources, so the water supply came from the mountains using aqueducts, through which water flowed into fountains and cisterns. The most famous aqueduct that has survived to this day is the Valens, or Bozdugan, aqueduct.
There were many cisterns in Byzantium, the largest and most famous is Basilica Cistern.
Basilica Cistern was built in 532 under Emperor Justinian. After the collapse of the Byzantine Empire it was abandoned. But years later, city residents found out that under their houses there was a huge reservoir of fresh water - you could collect water without leaving your home, and even catch the fish that lived in the tank!
The area of the cistern is about 10,000 square meters, but only part of the structure is open to the public.
The dark room is illuminated by a dim red light, 336 Corinthian and Ionian columns are reflected in the water, the sound of falling drops, everything creates a mystical atmosphere.

Basilica Cistern.

Of all the columns, two stand out: their lower parts are decorated with inverted heads of Medusas.

Basilica Cistern.

It remains to look into Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, which is called the small Hagia Sophia.
This is one of the oldest churches in Istanbul, built from 1527 to 565. It was erected next to the house of Emperor Justinian, where he spent his youth. The church, founded several years earlier than the Hagia Sophia, served as its prototype.
After the fall of Constantinople, the church continued to operate, but in 1506 the church was partially destroyed and converted into a mosque. In 1762, a minaret was added.

Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus.

There are many restaurants with Turkish cuisine open in Sultanahmet, since their prices do not fluctuate much, you can choose any one to suit your taste.
Several restaurants have an outdoor panoramic rooftop terrace that offers breathtaking views.

View from the Seven Hills restaurant.

Continuation: Sultanahmet: walks through the streets.

1. History of Istanbul.

3. Eminonu: pier, Spice Bazaar, balyk-ekmek.
4. Beyoglu: Galata Tower, Taksim, Istiklal Avenue.
5. Sultan Suleiman Mosque.
6. Zeyrek.
7. Kumkapi.
8. Asia: Yuskudar.
9. Bosphorus.
10. Dervishes.
11. Hammam.

Roman Emperor Justinian wanted to build a temple in Constantinople (modern Istanbul), which was supposed to be the most beautiful in the world. Hagia Sophia, erected in 532-537, is a majestic structure filled with light.

Temple given to Theodora

Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire Justinian the First at the request of his wife Theodora, he ordered the construction of a new temple of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The Empress wanted the temple to be built on the same spot where the previous one stood, built by Emperor Constantine the Great, but destroyed in a fire. The new temple was built in less than six years. On December 26, 537, Emperor Justinian inaugurated the basilica.

He was very proud of the beauty of this grandiose structure. Justinian was convinced that this temple was even more unusual than Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. He was so happy that he exclaimed: “Solomon, I have surpassed you!”

The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is one of those rare monuments, as ancient as it is magnificent, which today almost untouched by time.

Domed basilica

The emperor commissioned two Greek architects, Anthimius of Thrall and Isidore of Miletus, to draw plans for the structure. The architects decided to give the temple the appearance of a rectangular building - a basilica, and raise a giant dome in the center. This unprecedented vault symbolized Heaven. It lay on four huge pillars with the help of sails - triangular spherical vaults. The 40 windows cut into the base of the dome created an extraordinary effect - the bowl of the dome seemed to easily float above the temple. 10 thousand workers and 100 master masons took part in the construction of the temple. Excellent materials, each better than the other, arrived from all corners of the empire: white, green, pink and yellow marble, malachite and porphyry columns, decorations from the temples of Egypt, Greece, including the ruined Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. The central door of the temple, intended for the emperor, was covered with gold.

New dome

Twenty years after the construction of the temple Constantinople became a victim of an earthquake. The legendary dome collapsed. The young son of Isidore from Miletus, one of the best architects who led the reconstruction, increased the height of the dome by another 5 m. With the help of powerful buttresses, he strengthened the walls of the structure.

Magnificent mosaics

From the very beginning of construction, the temple was decorated with delightful mosaics assembled from the smallest pieces of multi-colored marble. The dome was decorated with a mosaic depicting the face of Christ.

The striking brick dome, 55m high and 32m in diameter, lets light through small windows.

The temple owes its splendor partly to the wealth of mosaics, the oldest of which are about a thousand years old!

Mosque and museum

In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman army of Sultan Mehmet II and renamed Istanbul. The Turks kept the Hagia Sophia, but turned it into a Muslim mosque. Four minarets were added to the temple. A crescent moon was raised above the dome. Posters were hung on the side walls and in the corners with inscriptions on Arabic. The mosaics were covered with plaster because the Koran, the Muslim holy book, prohibits depicting living creatures. Fortunately, the mosaics were not destroyed. In 1934, the mosque ceased to function and the Hagia Sophia was turned into a museum. The beautiful mosaics were restored and they saw the light of day again.

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Hagia Sophia, St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv - Photo — 2018

Saint Sophie Cathedral or Saint Sophia Cathedral- Christian Orthodox church, built in the 11th century central region ancient Kyiv by order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise. In the period of the 17th - 18th centuries it was partially rebuilt and reconstructed in the Ukrainian Baroque style. Some ancient frescoes and mosaics have been preserved on the walls of the cathedral, including the famous mosaic of Our Lady of Oranta.

St. Sophia Cathedral was the first architectural monument to be included in the list World Heritage UNESCO from Ukraine.

According to information from various chronicles (all of them dated much later than construction), the start date of construction of the cathedral is 1017 or 1037.

The Tale of Bygone Years contains a record of the foundation of the St. Sophia Cathedral in 1037, as well as several other significant buildings: the Golden Gate, the Church of St. Irene and the Monastery of St. George.

Initially, Hagia Sophia had the shape of a five-nave cross-domed church with 13 domes. It was fenced on three sides with a two-tier gallery, and on the outside with a single-tier one. The central nave and transept were much wider than the side naves, creating a regular cross in the interior of the cathedral. The cylindrical vaults that covered its main and transverse naves gradually rose to the central part of the building. The main dome was surrounded by four smaller domes, and the remaining eight domes, which were even larger small size, were located in the corners of the temple. In addition to the windows, the walls are also decorated with decorative niches and blades.

The cathedral was created using Byzantine technology from alternating rows of stone and plinth; on the outside, the masonry was treated with cement mortar.

In order to be able to see the original appearance of the temple walls, the restorers decided to leave fragments of ancient masonry on the facades. The cathedral without galleries has a length of 29.6 m and a width of 29.4; and with galleries: 41.8 and 54.7. The height of the temple reaches 28.7 m.

The cathedral was built by builders from Constantinople, with the participation of Kyiv craftsmen. Despite this, it is impossible to find exact analogues of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Byzantium at that time.

There is a version that Byzantine craftsmen were given the task of creating the main temple of Rus', which they successfully brought to life.

Some frescoes and mosaics made in the 11th century have been preserved in the interior of the cathedral. The mosaic palette contains 177 shades. The mosaics have similarities with Byzantine art of the first half of the 11th century, in an ascetic style.

St. Sophia Cathedral, or Hagia Sophia, Hagia Sophia is an exceptional monument of Byzantine architecture, a symbol of the “golden era” of Byzantium.

The cathedral is located in the historical center of Istanbul in the Sultanahmet district, now it is a museum and one of the symbols of the city.

For more than a thousand years, St. Sophia remained the largest church in the Christian world - until the construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

The height of St. Sophia Cathedral is 55 meters, and the diameter of the dome is 31 meters.

The cathedral was built in 324-337, when the Byzantine Emperor Constantine I., but burned down during a popular uprising. Emperor Theodosius II built a basilica in the same place, which was held in 415, but suffered the same sad fate - in 532, during the reign of "Nike", the basilica was burned. A little later, Emperor Justinian decided to restore the cathedral.

The new building stood until 989, when the cathedral's dome collapsed during an earthquake.

On July 16, 1054, in the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia, in the sacred altar, between the service of the Pope, Cardinal Humbert, Patriarch of Constantinople Michael Serularius, received the excommunication degree.

Since then the churches have been divided into Catholic and Orthodox churches.

In 1453, Sultan Mehmed II, who conquered Constantinople, ordered the cathedral to be converted into a mosque.

Four minarets were attached to the cathedral, and the cathedral became the Hagia Sophia mosque.

In 1935, Hagia Sophia became a museum, and the frescoes and mosaics were covered with layers of plaster. In 2006, Muslim religious practices continued in the church.
As for the cathedral, the cross is 70x50 m. It is a triple basilica with a quadrangular center, topped with a dome. The great dome system of the cathedral became a masterpiece of architectural thought of its time.

Hagia Sophia - Hagia Sophia

The inner temple is completed over several centuries and is particularly luxurious (mosaic on the ground in gold, 8 green Jasper columns from the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus). The walls of the temple were completely covered with mosaics.

Hagia Sophia's attractions include the "crying column" covered with Baker (it is believed that if you put your hand in the hole and feel the wetness, a wish will come true) and the "cold field", where even on the hottest days, a cold wind blows.

March 19, 2010, 6:05 pm
Alechka

Hagia Sophia, St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv - Photo — 2018

Saint Sophie Cathedral or Saint Sophia Cathedral- a Christian Orthodox church built in the 11th century in the central region of ancient Kyiv by order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise. In the period of the 17th - 18th centuries it was partially rebuilt and reconstructed in the Ukrainian Baroque style. Some ancient frescoes and mosaics have been preserved on the walls of the cathedral, including the famous mosaic of Our Lady of Oranta.

St. Sophia Cathedral was the first architectural monument included in the UNESCO World Heritage List from Ukraine.

According to information from various chronicles (all of them dated much later than construction), the start date of construction of the cathedral is 1017 or 1037.

Initially, Hagia Sophia had the shape of a five-nave cross-domed church with 13 domes.

It was fenced on three sides with a two-tier gallery, and on the outside with a single-tier one. The central nave and transept were much wider than the side naves, creating a regular cross in the interior of the cathedral. The cylindrical vaults that covered its main and transverse naves gradually rose to the central part of the building.

Hagia Sophia in Constantinople - a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture

The main dome was surrounded by four smaller domes, and the remaining eight domes, which were even smaller in size, were located in the corners of the temple. In addition to the windows, the walls are also decorated with decorative niches and blades.

The cathedral was created using Byzantine technology from alternating rows of stone and plinth; on the outside, the masonry was treated with cement mortar. In order to be able to see the original appearance of the temple walls, the restorers decided to leave fragments of ancient masonry on the facades. The cathedral without galleries has a length of 29.6 m and a width of 29.4; and with galleries: 41.8 and 54.7.

The height of the temple reaches 28.7 m.

The cathedral was built by builders from Constantinople, with the participation of Kyiv craftsmen.

Despite this, it is impossible to find exact analogues of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Byzantium at that time. There is a version that Byzantine craftsmen were given the task of creating the main temple of Rus', which they successfully brought to life.

Some frescoes and mosaics made in the 11th century have been preserved in the interior of the cathedral.

The mosaic palette contains 177 shades. The mosaics have similarities with Byzantine art of the first half of the 11th century, in an ascetic style.

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Hagia Sophia in Istanbul

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is a world-famous masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. For a thousand years it was an adornment of the city of Constantinople. It was located in the very center of the capital, opposite the residence of the Byzantine emperors. Today it is located in the historical center of Istanbul. Since 1935 it has the status of a museum.

Historical reference

The first cathedral was built in 324-337 during the reign of Emperor Constantine.

In 380, the Arians settled in the temple of God (Arianism is one of the teachings of Christianity). In 380, on the initiative of Emperor Theodosius I, the temple was transferred to the Orthodox.

Gregory the Theologian, the first Archbishop of Constantinople, preached there.

In 404 the temple burned down. A church was built in its place, but it also burned down in 415. A new temple was built again, but it burned down in 532 as a result of a popular revolt. The uprising was suppressed, and Emperor Justinian I ordered the construction of a new church.

The emperor planned to build the most grandiose structure in the empire.

The best architects were invited: Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Thrall. They got the opportunity to use the most expensive building materials. Therefore, many elements were made of pure marble. Ivory, gold and silver were used for decoration.

This is what Hagia Sophia looked like in the 12th century (reconstruction)

Construction work ended at the end of 537. The new temple was illuminated by Patriarch Mina of Constantinople on December 27 of the same year.

The staff of God's temple included 600 people. These are priests, deacons, singers, readers, and other people of God.

In 989, the temple was severely damaged by an earthquake. The dome collapsed and had to be rebuilt. In 1204, the cathedral was plundered by the crusaders. And in the summer of 1453 pride Orthodox Church It was made into a mosque by the Turks who conquered Constantinople.

The conquerors built 4 minarets next to the cathedral and called it Hagia Sophia. Christian frescoes and mosaics were covered with plaster, and the mihrab (Muslim altar) was placed in the southeast corner towards Mecca. The Christian altar, which is always oriented to the east, was removed.

In the 16th century, buttresses were added to the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

They have changed significantly general form buildings and made it rougher. In the middle of the 19th century, restoration work was carried out, which lasted 2 years.

During the time of the first president of the Turkish Republic, Ataturk, Hagia Sophia became a museum. This happened in 1935. The interior was cleared of plaster, and frescoes and mosaics appeared on the walls. Museum employees were given a room for daily prayers.

Currently, a campaign has begun to return the cathedral to its original status - a Christian temple, which it was for a thousand years. The initiators of this movement claim that Hagia Sophia has never been a mosque, much less a museum. This is a desecration of an Orthodox shrine. But so far this issue has not been resolved, and the masterpiece of Byzantine architecture is open to tourists.

Description of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul

The architectural masterpiece has the shape of a quadrangle with a length of 76 meters and a width of 68 meters.

The height is 56 meters. The diameter of the dome corresponds to 31 meters. Interior The temple consists of three naves (nave is a room delimited by columns or pillars). The middle nave is the widest, the side ones are narrower.

The dome is relatively flat. From the floor to its top the height is 51 meters.

Daylight enters the room through numerous windows. In the arches supporting the dome, they are arranged in 3 rows.

Hagia Sophia (Constantinople)

There are 40 windows at the base of the dome. There are also 5 windows in small and large niches.

The interior of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul took several centuries to decorate.

The walls were completely covered with mosaics, which represent plot compositions and ornaments. In 1935, the plaster was removed from the mosaics and frescoes. Currently, on the walls you can see images of Orthodox saints, and on separate 4 shields there are quotes from the Koran.

There are mosaic images of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, the Archangel Gabriel, John Chrysostom, Ignatius the God-Bearer, as well as other saints.

In the northern part of the temple you can see a mosaic portrait of the Byzantine Emperor Alexander. It was discovered during restoration work in 1958. It was created in 912.

Of interest is the mosaic image of the Virgin Mary with a baby in her arms and the emperors Constantine and Justinian standing on either side.

It is noteworthy that in Byzantine art these 2 emperors were never depicted together anywhere else.

There are also runic inscriptions made with Scandinavian runes.

They are located on marble parapets. They were most likely scratched by the Varangians (Varangian - a mercenary from the Scandinavian countries), who served the Byzantine emperors. The first such inscription was discovered in 1964, after which several more were found. It is assumed that there are many such inscriptions, so it is possible that others will be discovered.

Hagia Sophia in Turkey - the embodiment of the power of Byzantium

Report: Hagia Sophia

Christian Byzantium also devoted a lot of work to decorating the Temple of the One

God. The churches of Constantinople amazed with their majestic architecture and

splendor of decoration inside.

But since the time of Justinian, the pride of Constantinople, or Byzantium, has become

the temple of St. Sophia, built by this emperor, in memory of the pacification of the rebellion,

when this sovereign almost lost his throne.

Having decided to build a temple, Justinian turned to the most famous architects of his

time - Anthemius from Tralles and Isidora from Miletus.

He wanted the temple being erected to become a great monument for him, and therefore

He spared no expense for the construction.

Under the leadership of Anthemius and Isidore

Up to 10,000 people, masons, carpenters and

other workers.

According to Justinian, the temple of Hagia Sophia was supposed to surpass everything ever

existing temples with their size and luxury. Gold, silver, ivory

bone, expensive stones were used for construction and decoration in

countless quantities.

Columns and blocks of rare objects were brought from all over the empire.

marbles used to decorate the temple. The result was that the unprecedented and

unheard-of splendor amazed even popular imagination, and in Byzantium

There are legends that the heavenly forces themselves helped the architects in the construction.

Where Justinian planned to build, there was already a temple in the name of the divine

wisdom - St. Sophia, built by Constantine.

The temple above which the place

The Holy Cross has been so offensive to Christians for four centuries

Mohammedan moon, built on the same site as the first, but much later.

The first was small for the large Christian population, and Constantius, son

Konstantin, increased it.

In 404, during the reign of Arcadius, he was burned in

time of confusion. Emperor Theodosius rebuilt the cathedral again. Subsequently he

once burned down, and only Emperor Justinian built a new stone church of St. Sophia

in incomparably larger sizes and with great splendor.

This is the temple and

has survived to this day. To fulfill his plan, the emperor ordered

all governors to look for marble, columns and sculptural decorations for

new temple. The last fire that destroyed the remains of the former temple was in

The new temple took about seven years to build, and in December 538

the completion of construction was celebrated, but seventeen years later the eastern

part of the main dome collapsed from the earthquake and fell on the precious

altar and pulpit.

This misfortune did not in the least diminish Justinian's zeal: he

years, before the Nativity of Christ, they celebrated its consecration.

Report: Hagia Sophia

the leadership of two main architects - Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore

Miletsky - one hundred other architects managed the work, and each of them had

under his command there were one hundred masons each. Five thousand workers worked at

on the right side of the temple and the same on the left. According to Byzantine legends, Angel

drew the plan of this church to the emperor during his sleep.

The Emperor encouraged

workers with money and their presence and, instead of the eastern

customary to rest after dinner, he tied his head with a scarf and with a stick in his hand,

I went to inspect the work in the simplest linen clothes. All classes

made a monetary tribute for the construction of the temple. Marble of all colors - white,

pink, green and blue, Egyptian granite and porphyry, as well as precious

columns recovered from various ancient pagan temples: eight porphyry

columns of the lower floor of the famous Sun Temple in Baalbek, the other eight of

Temple of Diana in Ephesus - decorated it.

It is remarkable that the materials included in

the composition of the building is taken from temples belonging to almost all pagan religions,

so that it rested on the columns of the temples of Isis and Osiris, the Sun and the Moon (in

Heliopolis), Minerva of Athens and Apollo of Delos.

In general, the entire building is dominated by the shape of the sanctuary of Solomon's temple.

It’s easier to understand the structure of the Hagia Sophia, you need to imagine a spacious

a quadrilateral with four smaller ones adjacent to it on its four sides

square and thus form the main parts of the building and the shape of a cross inside. In the corners

the middle large square is lined with four massive pillars (piliers),

the tops of which are connected to each other by semicircular arches, and on top of all this

The arcade is dominated by a huge dome, 35 meters in diameter.

Dome,

apparently rests on the arches with only four points, and the rest of it

supported by pandatives (triangles at the intersection of arches), which

start at the sharp corners of the piers and go up, so imperceptibly rounding,

what they seem simple lungs veins, and the support points of this gigantic arch

elude the eye of the observer, and the dome appears to be hanging in the air.

the vault point rose 61 meters above the floor of the church; length of the church inside the walls

81 meters and width 60 meters. To the eastern and western parts of the middle arch

adjoining two semi-domes and three niches to each of them, so that the roof

The main part of the building consists of nine domes, one rising above

The rest of the part was covered with marble slabs, and the domes themselves were

lead sheets. The semi-domes and niches are supported by both four main

pierres, as well as four other smaller ones, and under each niche - two

porphyry columns with capitals and bases of white marble.

From the north and south

the main square, under the arches, between every two large piers,

there are four columns of the most beautiful granite supporting the choir

or galleries for women, which stood among the ancient Christians during

services separately.

On 24 other columns made of Egyptian granite

adjacent to the choir are side galleries, illuminated by windows in three tiers: in the lower and

on average there are seven windows, and in the top there are five. The main dome is illuminated by 4 windows.

Above the 40 columns of the lower floor there are 60 other and

above the entrance doors there are seven more, so there are 107 columns in total. This number on

The East was credited with a mysterious meaning.

All columns of the upper floor

marble or granite, superbly polished and smooth, but the cornices and

The archivolts on top of these columns are absolutely fantastic. They are decorated

countless leaves and strips in the form of galloons, mixed and

intertwined with each other. The main dome, to connect the full development of it

size with ease of style, made from clay pots that are still

surprise with their strength; they are made from light clay found on the island

Rhodes, and are so light that the weight of 12 pots is equal to the weight of one ordinary

The walls are made of brick and all covered with marble slabs, and the piers

- from large limestones interlocked with iron ties, and

smoothly plastered with oil-based lime mortar to imitate various marbles

Hagia Sophia (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”.

Today official name The monument is the Hagia Sophia Museum.

Hagia Sophia is an architectural monument that includes two religions: Christian and Muslim. Built in 537, the cathedral has been repaired and restored many times and is now a museum.

Saint Sophie Cathedral

For five years (532-537), ten thousand workers worked to build a new symbol of Constantinople.

To build 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 control. In total, 10,000 workers (5,000 people on each side) were involved in the construction of the cathedral. Justinian spared no expense in the construction of the temple. Every day he dressed in a simple linen robe and personally supervised the progress of construction. The workers received their salaries every day.

To ensure that the construction of the shrine did not stop, monetary tribute was collected from all Byzantine classes. The entire treasury of the empire, collected over 5 years, could not cover the costs. It is known that Egypt’s budget was spent for the year only on the choir and pulpit! The emperor ordered marble and stone ruins of various buildings from all over the country to be supplied to the capital. For example, unique columns were brought from Rome, Athens and Ephesus, which to this day delight with their grandeur and stature. Snow-white marble slabs were sent from Prokones. Pink marble was brought from Phrygia, red and white from Iasos, pale green from Karistor. Huge marble stones were sawn so that various images were obtained from the veins - figures of animals, people, trees, plants, fountains, etc.

This was probably the most unusual construction project in the entire 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 mortar was prepared using barley water, and the cement mortar was mixed with the addition of oil. The upper altar table was generally made from a newly invented composition - a mixture of gold and precious stones.

What was the construction idea worth - 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 other ancient quarries, as well as from the famous Athenian Mount Pentelikon, from whose marble slabs 10 centuries before the appearance of the Church of Hagia Sophia, the Acropolis Parthenon was built in honor of the Goddess Athens.

Hagia Sophia was built over a period of 5 years

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

By historical information, approximately 130 tons of gold (£320,000) were spent on construction. Thus, the Hagia Sophia became the most expensive project throughout the existence of the Byzantine Empire.

The construction of the Church of 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 over approximately five years, about ten thousand workers worked on it, and on December 27, 537 the cathedral was inaugurated. Construction materials Marble, stone and brick were used, and material was also brought from distant churches that were throughout Byzantium. During the construction of the cathedral Special attention was given to the dome - to prevent it from collapsing during earthquakes, a special brick was used, light and durable, which was made from materials on the island of Rhodes. The inside of the cathedral was decorated with expensive stones. Over time, Hagia Sophia was destroyed several times and then rebuilt.

Dome of Hagia Sophia

When the Crusaders captured Constantinople in 1204, they converted the church to Catholicism and expelled the Orthodox priests. At that time, a large amount of treasures were barbarically removed from the temple.

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

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

As long as the cathedral has existed, it has always been the center of attention of all religions of the world. The council 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.

Interior of Hagia Sophia

A total of nine doors lead into the temple; only the emperor or 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 covered with buttresses and later buildings).

In addition to the Ottoman siege, Hagia Sophia suffered many disasters, including 2 earthquakes, which left a mark on the church. The damage was so severe that in the 19th century there was a threat of complete destruction. Misfortune was avoided only thanks to Padishah Abdul-Mejid, who invited restorers from Italy to restore the shrine.

Experts say that the walls of the shrine have strength indicators that were amazing for that time. According to assumptions, the builders were able to achieve this result due to the fact that an extract of ash leaves was mixed into 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 temple, 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 experts into three historical periods:

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

Interior of 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 it, you get the feeling that it is floating in weightlessness and the light of the sun seems to be coming from the cathedral itself.

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

In the apse you can see an 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

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

The handprint of the Sultan who conquered Constantinople has been preserved in the cathedral to this day. There is a legend that the Sultan rode into the cathedral on horseback, leaned his elbow on the column and there was a print of his palm left there. The print turned out high because his horse walked along a large number 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 the stone parapets, the history of which dates back several centuries. The oldest of the inscriptions are considered to be the runes that were left in the temple by the Scandinavian Varangian warriors. To date, they have been coated with a durable transparent coating that protects the historical property from abrasion.

Hagia Sophia: how to get there, opening hours and cost of visiting in 2018

Imperial Door, Hagia Sophia

Entrance fee 60 Turkish lira (separate ticket).

If you purchase a Museum Pass Istanbul card for 185 liras (which allows you to visit attractions without queues and at a lower price), then visiting the cathedral is included in the price of the card.

Hagia Sophia can be found on the south side of the city - you can use a tourist guide. You can get to the cathedral via a group tour or on your own. At the entrance to the cathedral, near the ticket office, there is a kiosk where you can rent an audio guide. You will need to leave a document (passport) as collateral. With an audio guide it is very convenient to take an independent walk - you will not need to rush anywhere, you distribute your time yourself.

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

Hagia Sophia on the map

This historical building bears witness to many events in ancient Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) and has centuries-old history, eventful: wars, fires, earthquakes, destruction.

The attraction is indicated in almost all tourist brochures, so you can imagine how popular this place is among tourists.

In contact with

The Cathedral of Sophia of Constantinople opened to parishioners in 537, almost 6 years after the first stone was laid at the foundation of the shrine. What knowledge did the builders of Hagia Sophia need? During the construction, fragments of other destroyed temples, columns from the Temple of Artemis, gold, silver and precious stones were used.

Even foreign ambassadors who came to Constantinople froze with admiration in front of the Church of St. Sophia of Constantinople. This cathedral subsequently burned down more than once, but every ruling emperor of that time ordered the shrine to be rebuilt.

After the conquest of Constantinople (1453), the St. Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople became the Hagia Sophia Mosque. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Turkish government decided to turn Hagia Sophia into a museum.

This Istanbul landmark has several names: Hagia Sophia, St. Sophia Cathedral, St. Sophia Cathedral of Constantinople. Translated from Greek, “Aya Sophia” means “sacred wisdom.”

At first glance, the Hagia Sophia Cathedral is unremarkable and has no special decorations - an ordinary building in a traditional style, of which there are many in Turkey. But if you first get into the courtyard and then go inside the building, you realize that all the beauty is inside.

Even by modern standards, the building is striking in its size: 75 by 68 meters, the diameter of the huge dome is 31 meters, the height from the floor is 51 meters. The construction involved the labor of more than 10 thousand workers, and construction technologies and successful design solutions subsequently began to be successfully used in world architecture.

Initially, the cathedral looked completely different from what people are used to seeing it today. Previously, the cathedral looked like a building with a large dome and a number of extensions on the sides. In the 15th century (after the conquest of Constantinople), the cross on the dome was replaced by a golden crescent, and the Cathedral became the Hagia Sophia Mosque.

4 minarets were added to the main building in the corners (by the way, the minarets were built at different times by different sultans, so three minarets are made of white stone, and the fourth is made of red brick). After numerous fires and destruction in the 16th century, it was decided to restore and strengthen the mosque; additionally, stone buttresses were added, which served as some kind of supports to prevent the building from “sliding.” And after the 16th century, the tombs of the great sultans began to be added to the building.

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The interior decoration amazes with its splendor. The vaulted ceilings are decorated with frescoes and stucco. After Constantinople was conquered by the Turks, all the frescoes in the cathedral were covered with plaster, which is why they were so well preserved to this day, when during restoration work the layer of plaster was removed and the frescoes were again revealed to the world.

Due to the color of the marble, the first two floors Hagia Sophia in Constantinople appear dark gray, almost black. And closer to the dome, especially the upper tiers, are cast in gold - due to the warm golden color of the frescoes and paintings on the dome.

The floor is covered with black and gray tiles, which are cracked and fallen in places - these places are fenced off with special tapes. The walls are lavishly decorated with mosaics from the Byzantine period. These are mainly ornamental mosaics, but at a later time images of saints and scenes of Christian life began to appear.

The mosaic image of the Mother of God is especially valued by historians, which can be seen on the apse (a semicircular niche with a vault at the altar). The mosaic is made, like all the others, on a gold background, the Virgin's clothing is dark blue, and this combination of dark blue and gold reflects the spirit of Byzantine grandeur.

The altar and apse are very well preserved; next to it you can see the Sultan’s box (the Sultan was there with his sons and associates during services), and opposite there was a box for the female half of the Sultan’s family. An important element of the interior decoration are the huge panels on the walls, made in the classical traditions of Ottoman calligraphy.

The museum is also famous for its huge collection of ancient icons., relating to different periods of the development of Christianity, as well as objects of Christian worship. Hagia Sophia also has its own characteristics:

In the photo of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (Constantinople), which can be found in a huge number, unique frescoes, mosaics and other decorations of the building are clearly visible.

Hagia Sophia is one of the most beautiful monuments of world architecture. Its history began in 324-327, during the reign. It was then that the first temple was built on the market square, but in 532 it burned down during the uprising. By decree of Emperor Justinian I, in the same place as a symbol of the greatness of the empire and decoration of the capital in as soon as possible(532-537) was rebuilt For more than ten centuries, Hagia Sophia in Constantinople was the largest temple in the entire Christian world.

And the ambassadors of the Russian prince, having visited here, reported to him: the splendor of this domed basilica of three naves is so great that staying in it is akin to being in paradise. Perhaps this is what prompted Vladimir to baptize Rus' in the 10th century.

The temple building is striking in its size and height, which is 55.6 m. The middle nave is wide, the side nave is narrower. The basilica is crowned by a huge dome, the diameter of which is 31 m. A colossal amount of money was spent on the Hagia Sophia, which was under construction in the sixth century - 320 thousand pounds, which was about 130 (!) tons of gold. The columns alone, brought from legendary Greek and Roman buildings, were of enormous value.

The marble ones were brought from the granite ones - originally from the port gymnasium in Ephesus, the porphyry ones were delivered to the construction site from the Roman Temple of the Sun and the Sanctuary of Apollo. extracted from ancient quarries, as well as from the depths of Mount Pentilikon, located 23 km from Athens, famous for the fact that it was from its marble that the Temple was built. All the luxury that the Hagia Sophia possessed is even difficult to imagine, however, what was needed to make the top gold was melted on the boards of the throne for the patriarch, and then precious sapphires, pearls, topazes, amethysts and rubies were specially thrown into it, says a lot.

Narthexes are a part of the building reserved for preparation for the prayer ritual. You won't see any lavish decor here - the gold and silver coverings disappeared during the Latin invasion. The unique mosaic slabs, as well as the columns brought from different places, attract attention.

Ancient reliefs dating back to the 12th century, mosaic images of Jesus Christ, St. Mary and laid out over the imperial door back in the 9th century, instill a special feeling in the soul.

The most talented architects and artists of that time were invited to build the temple. That is why even today the Hagia Sophia stuns with its significance and beauty. The main space of the church - the naos - has special lighting created by many windows and arches. Images of Jesus, angels, portraits of the oldest patriarchs, emperors and empresses, giant posters with Arabic writing - all this creates a unique atmosphere.

Here, every centimeter has its own history, ancient manuscripts and unique library priceless, and the galleries are another marvel of architectural skill. Huge marble balls, brought to the temple in the 16th century from Pergamon itself, still adorn the main entrance.

There is one attraction that tourists do not pass by - the Weeping Column. After all, according to legend, there is a miraculous hole in it, through which you just need to run your finger, draw a circle - and your wish will certainly come true. A great and beautiful building - Hagia Sophia! Constantinople is a happy city, whose heart beats within the walls of this majestic temple.