The chronicle of the Hagia Sophia or “Church of the Holy Wisdom” carries with it a palatial history nearly as magnificent and infinitely complex as the cathedral itself. Construction began at the request of the Eastern Roman Emperor, Justinian I, whose vision of a thorough renovation of the Roman Empire, while unattainable in breadth and scope, resulted in the motivation needed to complete the largest and most revered Christian church of its time. The rich cultural focus in Constantinople during his reign meant innovation in the use of mosaic and placed those designed for the Hagia Sophia at the forefront in materials and minutia.

Mosaic of Justinian I image from weltchronik.ge

Currently serving as a museum of great historical significance and beauty, St. Sophia continues its struggle to project the wisdom it was named for. Current world controversies leave immense doubt regarding the legitimacy of Islam as a peaceful religious entity and pose questions as to whether Christianity is less a doctrine of mankind’s salvation through the blessing of an omnipotent heavenly spectral and more the celebration of extreme excess. This divine battle of opposing religious viewpoints was played out in the very nave, halls and rooms of the Hagia Sophia as the cathedral changed hands and liturgy.

Exterior View image from byzantines.net

Of all the architectural features found in this monumental basilica, the floating central dome is the most alluring and inspired reflection of Byzantine era construction. Originally developed by the Romans, pendentives or spherical arches suspend the circular dome and allow light to stream unheeded through a multitude of arched windows and into the marbled and mosaic interior. Weight bearing pillars are arranged to heft the massive dome while giving it the appearance of weightlessness. The resulting effect is a lavish and beautiful one which typified future Byzantine architectural undertakings.

Interior View of Dome image from wikipedia.com

Although the initial design concept of exterior walls was subtly flawed due to masonry techniques of the day, future restorations strengthened and perfected the use of pendentives and corrected the settling and leaning support structures. Repeated earthquakes complicated these design flaws and damaged or destroyed the central dome on more than one occasion. After an earthquake damaged the dome, Isidorus the Younger presided over the restoration in 562, and ultimately corrected many of the structural anomalies. In fact, the central dome was elevated an additional twenty feet to provide further stability to the underlying pendentives and pillars. Trdat, an Armenian architect well versed in cross-cultural influence, directed the repairs of St. Sophia following the destructive earthquake of 939.

Cross-Section image from wikipedia.com

Mosaic transformed itself into a carefully studied art form under a Byzantine paradigm and was used extensively to create an opulent experience of color and light throughout the resplendent Hagia Sophia. The tiles or tesserae were crafted from thick sheets of colored glass and when cut bore a rough-to-the-touch texture. Tiny air bubbles perforated the iridescent pieces, known as smalti. In order to enhance the reflective effect of the glass mosaic, no grout is used to secure the smalti; instead each individual tesserae was laboriously placed to reflect glittering depictions of Christ. Smaller smalti were used to capture facial features of the Savior in the finest detail, placed with precision and care.

Mosaic of St. John Chrysostom image from wikipedia.com

Many of these mosaics were plastered over as St. Sophia was turned into a temple of Muslim worship. During the early 1930s, dedicated art historians were determined to uncover some of the concealed Christian mosaics such as The Deesis, an elaborate representation of Christ, the Virgin Mary and Joseph. This painstaking work was led by Thomas Whittemore, founder of the Byzantine Institute of America. Further efforts have been made to mend bitter feelings over the desecration of this former Christian stronghold with little progress. Pope Benedict XVI visited Hagia Sophia as a definitive gesture of conciliation, although he was warned not to pray or display the sign of the cross for fear of agitating protestors positioned outside.