Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

Summary

Hagia Sophia, a former church turned mosque and now a museum in Istanbul, is a testament to architectural innovation and historical significance. Built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century, it features a unique blend of central and basilica planning, supported by pendentives and half-domes. The structure's grandeur is accentuated by its mystical light, intricate mosaics, and colored marbles, reflecting the spiritual heart of the Byzantine Empire. Despite changes over time, including damage from earthquakes and Crusaders' looting, its legacy as a symbol of unity between political and spiritual power endures.

Takeaways

• 🏰 Hagia Sophia in Istanbul was originally built as a Greek city, then part of the Roman Empire, and finally as the center of the Byzantine Empire.
• 🔨 The church was constructed by Emperor Justinian to express his power and to provide employment to potentially restless citizens.
• 👷‍♂️ The architects of Hagia Sophia were scholars of geometry, mathematical theory, and physics, tasked with creating a unique, centrally-planned space with a basilica format.
• 🏗 The building features a dome on a square base, a challenge addressed by the use of pendentives, which allowed the transition from square to circular.
• 🌐 The dome's weight and thrust are supported by massive stone piers and half-domes, demonstrating the engineering prowess of the time.
• 🌀 An earthquake caused the original dome to collapse, leading to a redesign that made the dome taller and steeper to reduce lateral forces.
• 💡 The interior of Hagia Sophia is designed to create an otherworldly experience, with light streaming in through 40 windows at the base of the dome.
• 🎨 The building's surfaces were once covered in gold mosaics and colored marble, creating a dynamic and spiritual atmosphere.
• 🕌 After the fall of the Byzantine Empire, Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque, with Islamic inscriptions added to the dome.
• 🏛️ It served as a mosque until 1934, when it was secularized and turned into a museum, reflecting its historical and cultural significance.
• 📿 The building's original Christian furnishings and relics were largely lost due to the Fourth Crusade's sack of Constantinople in 1204.

Q & A

What is the historical significance of Hagia Sophia?

Hagia Sophia is significant as it was once the center of the Byzantine Empire and served as the spiritual heart of the empire. It was the first church of its kind, combining a centrally planned space with a basilica format, and it was the largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years.

Why was the original church in Hagia Sophia replaced?

The original church in Hagia Sophia burned down, and the subsequent church also burned down during riots, including the famous Nika Riot in the 6th century.

Who was the patron of the current church at Hagia Sophia?

The current church at Hagia Sophia was commissioned by Emperor Justinian, who was its patron.

What architectural innovation was used to support the dome of Hagia Sophia?

The architects used pendentives to support the dome of Hagia Sophia. This allowed the transition of a round dome to a square base, which was an architectural innovation at the time.

How did the design of Hagia Sophia influence the perception of space?

The design of Hagia Sophia created a sense of mystery and spirituality. The high dome, pierced with windows, and the use of light and color in the interior created an otherworldly atmosphere.

What was the role of light in the design of Hagia Sophia?

Light played a crucial role in the design of Hagia Sophia. The 40 windows at the base of the dome allowed light to stream in, creating a sense of divine presence and contributing to the mystical effect of the space.

How did the use of color contribute to the aesthetic of Hagia Sophia?

The use of colored marbles, gold mosaics, and colored glass created a kaleidoscope of movement and energy within Hagia Sophia, enhancing its mystical and spiritual atmosphere.

What was the significance of the emperor and patriarch standing together in Hagia Sophia?

When the emperor and patriarch stood together in Hagia Sophia, it symbolized the unity of political and spiritual power, expressing the convergence of heaven and earth.

How did the transformation of Hagia Sophia into a mosque reflect the change in religious and political power?

The transformation of Hagia Sophia into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest signified a shift in religious and political power. It also led to the addition of Islamic inscriptions and other architectural elements.

What happened to the Christian relics and furnishings in Hagia Sophia after it was converted into a mosque?

Many of the Christian relics and furnishings were lost or removed, particularly during the sack of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204, when many treasures were taken to Venice and other parts of Europe.

Why was figural imagery avoided in the mosaics of Hagia Sophia during its initial construction?

Figural imagery was avoided in the mosaics of Hagia Sophia to adhere to the Second Commandment against creating graven images, and possibly to emphasize the architectural space's overall mystical effect rather than specific religious figures.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 History and Architecture of Hagia Sophia

The script discusses the historical significance of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, tracing its origins from a Greek city through the Roman empire to Constantinople. It highlights how the city's transformation under Constantine and the subsequent adoption of Christianity as the state religion influenced the construction of significant churches. The original church was replaced after it burned down, and the current structure was commissioned by Emperor Justinian as a display of power and to employ potentially riotous citizens. The building's unique design, featuring a dome on a square base supported by pendentives and half-domes, was a geometric and engineering marvel of the 6th century. The script also describes the initial structural issues, including a partial collapse due to an earthquake, and subsequent redesign that made the dome taller and steeper for stability.

05:03

🌟 Spiritual and Aesthetic Significance

This section delves into the spiritual and aesthetic aspects of Hagia Sophia. It describes how the building was designed to create an otherworldly experience, with light streaming in through 40 windows at the base of the dome, creating an illusion of continuous light and connecting to Byzantine concepts of perfection and divinity. The use of marble revetment, gold mosaics, and colored glass added to the dynamic and mystical atmosphere. The script also discusses the political and religious合一 of the Byzantine Empire, where the emperor was both a political and spiritual leader, and how the building served as a symbol of this unity. The avoidance of figural imagery in the mosaics is noted, possibly due to religious iconoclasm or to emphasize the architecture's mysticism. The narrative concludes with the transformation of Hagia Sophia into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest and its later secularization into a museum, lamenting the loss of original Christian furnishings and relics.

10:05

🏛️ The Sacking of Constantinople and Cultural Loss

The final paragraph discusses the cultural and historical impact of the 1204 sack of Constantinople by Western European Christians during the Fourth Crusade. It explains how the Crusaders, unable to pay their debts to the Venetians, redirected their efforts from the Holy Land to Constantinople, resulting in the loss of many treasures that ended up in Venice and other parts of the world. The script reflects on the former opulence of Hagia Sophia, which was once adorned with gold, silver, and gems, and was the center for venerating relics and icons. It concludes with a somber note on the enduring legacy of the building amidst the changes and losses it has experienced over nearly 1500 years.

Keywords

💡Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia is a historic building located in Istanbul, Turkey, originally constructed as a church in the 6th century AD under the Byzantine Empire. It represents a pivotal moment in architectural history due to its innovative design and scale. The video script discusses how it was a symbol of the emperor's power and a center of Christian devotion. The building's transformation over time, from a church to a mosque, and finally into a museum, reflects its enduring significance and adaptability.

💡Constantinople

Constantinople, now known as Istanbul, was the capital of the Byzantine Empire and the site of Hagia Sophia. The city's strategic location and political significance are highlighted in the script as the reason for the construction of such an architectural marvel. Constantinople's fall to the Ottoman Empire later led to the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque, further enriching its historical narrative.

💡Justinian

Justinian was the Byzantine Emperor who commissioned the construction of Hagia Sophia. The video script describes him as a patron of the arts and architecture, aiming to express his power and the grandeur of the Byzantine Empire through the building. His vision for a unique structure that combined central planning with a basilica layout was instrumental in creating one of history's most iconic architectural designs.

💡Pendentive

A pendentive is a type of architectural element that allows a circular dome to be supported by a square base. The script explains how the architects of Hagia Sophia used pendentives to solve the challenge of placing a massive dome over a square space. This innovative technique was key to the building's structural integrity and its awe-inspiring interior.

💡Basilica

A basilica is a traditional form of Roman architecture characterized by a longitudinal plan, often used for public buildings and churches. The video script mentions that Justinian's architects were instructed to deviate from the basilica design to create a more unified and central space, which resulted in Hagia Sophia's unique layout combining central planning with basilica elements.

💡Dome

The dome of Hagia Sophia is a central feature of the building's design, symbolizing the unity of heaven and earth. The script describes the dome as being phenomenally high and creating an illusion of weightlessness, achieved through the use of pendentives and hidden structural supports. The dome's design was so ambitious that it partially collapsed in an earthquake, requiring a redesign that made it even taller and steeper.

💡Mosaic

Mosaics are decorative artworks made from small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. In the context of the video, mosaics in Hagia Sophia were used to embellish the interior with gold and decorative patterns, avoiding figural imagery possibly due to religious or aesthetic reasons. The mosaics contributed to the building's mystical and spiritual atmosphere.

💡Iconoclasm

Iconoclasm refers to the destruction of religious icons and art, often associated with religious or political conflicts. The script mentions the period leading up to iconoclasm in the Byzantine Empire, which may have influenced the avoidance of figural mosaics in Hagia Sophia. This historical context adds depth to the understanding of the building's artistic and religious significance.

💡Marble

Marble was used extensively in Hagia Sophia for both structural and decorative purposes. The video script describes how Justinian imported the most beautiful marbles from across his empire to create intricate patterns and a sense of opulence. The use of marble revetment and the careful arrangement of its patterns contributed to the building's rich and dynamic visual effect.

💡Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire was a powerful Islamic state that conquered Constantinople and transformed Hagia Sophia into a mosque. The script discusses how the building's function changed over time, reflecting the shifts in political and religious power. The Ottomans' addition of Islamic inscriptions and other modifications further enriched the building's historical layers.

💡Secularization

Secularization is the process of removing religious or spiritual elements from a society or institution. In the script, secularization is mentioned in relation to Hagia Sophia's transformation from a mosque to a museum in 1934. This change reflects a broader trend of modernization and the re-purposing of religious buildings for cultural or educational use.

Highlights

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is one of the few buildings that have changed the way we see architecture.

Hagia Sophia was originally built in Byzantium, later becoming Constantinople.

Constantine recognized Christianity and made it the official religion of the Roman empire.

The church was initially built near the emperor's palace, signifying its importance.

The original church and its successor were both destroyed in riots, most notably the Nika Riot.

Justinian was the patron of the current church and used it to express his power.

The church is a masterpiece of geometry, blending centrally planned and basilica spaces.

The dome of Hagia Sophia is an engineering marvel, resting on a square base with pendentives.

The unique design of the dome and half-domes created a new style of Christian architecture.

The weight of the dome was ingeniously supported by hidden stone piers and half-domes.

An earthquake led to the partial collapse of the dome, which was then redesigned to be taller and steeper.

The interior of the church is filled with light due to 40 windows piercing the base of the dome.

The use of light in the church is symbolic, representing perfection and the divine.

The walls are clad with marble, creating a sense of movement and complexity.

The emperor and the patriarch's presence in the church symbolized the unity of political and spiritual power.

The building's surface decoration distracts from its structural qualities, focusing on the overall mystic effect.

The church avoided figural imagery, possibly due to religious concerns or to highlight the architecture.

The building was transformed into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest, with Islamic inscriptions added.

Hagia Sophia was secularized and turned into a museum in 1934, losing many of its Christian furnishings.

The Crusaders' sack of Constantinople in 1204 resulted in the loss of many treasures now scattered worldwide.

Transcripts

(lively piano music)

Voiceover: There are a handful of buildings

throughout history

that have changed the way we see architecture.

Voiceover: We're standing in one of them.

We're in Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

What was once Constantinople.

Voiceover: Before that was Byzantium.

Voiceover: First it was a Greek city

then part of the Roman empire,

and then Constantine decided to found a city here.

Voiceover: Which he called the New Rome

and which came to be known as Constantinople.

Voiceover: Or the City of Constantine.

That happened right at the time

that Constantine was recognizing Christianity.

By the end of that century

Christianity would be become

the official religion of the Roman empire.

Voiceover: The emperor had his palace close by

and that was the reason

that the most important church was built here.

Now the church that we're standing in

is not that original church.

That burned down.

Voiceover: And so did the next church.

Voiceover: They were actually burned during riots

and the most famous riot took place in the 6th century

and it's called Nika Riot.

Voiceover: Against the emperor of the time, Justinian

and Justinian was the patron of this church.

Voiceover: This church was a way of putting to work

a lot of people in the city

that might otherwise riot,

but it was also a way for him to

express his power across the empire.

Voiceover: This was one of many churches

that Justinian built.

This building though is the centerpiece

of that building program.

Voiceover: It's unbelievable.

We're standing in this mountain of a building

and in fact, to use that kind of geologic term is

I think appropriate.

One author said that standing here

where we are in the sanctuary

was like standing at the bottom of an enormous canyon.

Now when this was built in the 6th century

it was absolutely unique in the world.

Not only for its scale, not only for its ambition,

but also for its design.

Voiceover: Justinian hired two theoreticians,

two scholars who were well-versed in geometry

and mathematical theory and physics

to think about how to vault this space.

The two churches that were here before

had wooden roofs.

Voiceover: Those were basic basilica structures.

A kind of architecture that the ancient Romans

were very comfortable with.

We see that kind of architecture

throughout the Roman empire,

and so it would have been very familiar

to the Roman emperors Constantine and Justinian.

Voiceover: Justinian asked his architects

to do something different,

and instead of building a traditional basilica

he had them build something that unified

a centrally planned space with a basilica space.

A basilica has a longitudinal format

and a centrally planned space

is based more on a circle.

Voiceover: Let's talk about the basic geometries here.

We have a dome that is phenomenally high.

If you think about how the Romans handled domes

and they did build very large dome structures.

Think about the pantheon in Rome

but in that case you have a round dome

sitting directly on a round barrel.

This building is doing something much different.

This dome is on a square

and so how in the world

do you put the base of a round dome

onto a square building?

Voiceover: From that square base

emerges two half domes forming a rectangle of space

that reminds us of a basilica.

Voiceover: How they've done it.

They've done it with something called the pendentive.

if you look at the base of the dome

you see that it comes down on a series of four arches

and a space between the four arches

and the base of the dome

it's kind of a triangle but it's curved.

This miraculous thing happens.

We know that dome must weigh an enormous amount

and yet it seems to come down

on the slenderest of points.

Voiceover: What the architects did was hide

the enormous stone piers

that are doing most of the work of supporting

the weight and the thrust of that dome.

Domes exert an enormous amount of pressure

not only down but also out.

Part of the work of supporting the dome

is also being done by the half domes on either side

and on the east end three smaller

half domes below that.

This is the first time we see

the dome on pendentives on this monumental scale.

Voiceover: It was dangerous.

It was incredible ambitious

but it didn't work perfectly at first.

Voiceover: No, there was an earthquake.

Part of the dome collapsed

and when it was rebuilt it was redesigned.

The dome that we see now is taller

than the dome that was here originally.

Voiceover: By making it steeper it allows

some of the lateral force to be reduced

so that the weight comes more vertically down.

The enormous thrust really did

destabilize the building,

and if you look carefully

you can actually see some columns

and other structural elements

have been pushed askew.

Voiceover: Here we are talking about the engineering.

Voiceover: This is an engineering marvel.

Voiceover: When you're inside the space

you don't think about that.

You think about the complexity of the space,

the mysteriousness of the space.

The way that the walls dissolve into light,

the mysticism of this space.

Voiceover: That's what this was all about.

In fact, an early chronicler said

it seems as if the dome is suspended from heaven

and part of the reason for that is

and this is just so incredibly ambitious.

The architects pierced the base of the dome

with 40 windows

so that lights streams in under the dome.

You begin to lose the structural elements

between the windows

and it seems almost to be continuous light.

Voiceover: Light in Byzantine thinking

is connected with ideas of perfection and the divine.

Voiceover: The windows create a rhythm

that almost sets the dome in motion

and then all of that is resting

on walls that are clad with marble

that have rich veins and patterns

that are all in motion.

The floor is made of huge paving stones

that seem as if it's almost a pattern of waves.

Voiceover: It lacks the solidity

of Ancient Roman architecture.

Here we have a new Christian architecture

for a new Christian Roman empire.

Voiceover: For me it is the perfect expression

of the transformation of the physical

into the spiritual.

This is a building that was

the spiritual heart of the empire.

Voiceover: The emperor in the east

in the Byzantine empire

which really was a continuation of he Roman empire

but with vast amounts of territories

that had been lost,

that emperor was not just a political figure,

he was also the head of the church.

He appointed the patriarch,

the man in charge of the church.

This is very different than

when we think about the pope

in the western part of the empire.

Voiceover: When important rites took place in this church

and the emperor and the patriarch came together

it was an expression of the unity

of heaven and earth.

Of political power and spiritual power.

We were talking about the way that this building

is an expression of mystery,

and its structural qualities are beautifully hidden.

One of the things that distracts our eye

from the structure is the surface decoration.

All of these upper surfaces

that are not colored stone

were covered with gold mosaic.

Voiceover: Mosaic that had decorative patterns.

Voiceover: Acanthus leaves, palm leaves.

You could find crosses everywhere.

What you couldn't find was mosaics

that showed figures.

This was a period in Byzantine history

that was leading up to what we call the iconoclasm.

Which was a point where

there was a real crisis of images.

When this church was built

it was a clear decision to avoid

any kind of figural imagery.

Voiceover: The decision might have been

because of concerns around the commandment

against creating raven images.

It also may have been to highlight the architecture

instead of drawing your attention to Mary or Christ,

but instead drawing your attention to

overall mystical effect of the space itself.

Voiceover: The color wasn't just from the mosaics.

All these clear glass was originally colored.

It was red, it was yellow,

it was purple, it was blue, it was green

and then you have the surface of the marbles.

Justinian payed an enormous amount of money

to import marbles from across his empire.

He's brought the most beautiful,

most elegant marbles that he could,

and he's embedded them in the walls,

what we call revetment and his workmen

were able to saw these pieces of marble crosswise

and then open them up like leaves of a book

so that the patterns were actually mirrors

creating this wonderful complex patterns.

You have light streaming in the windows,

gold mosaics, these colored marbles.

All of which created this kaleidoscope

of movement and energy.

Voiceover: When the emperor stood

with the patriarch of the orthodox church in this space

they wore gold and purple and silver.

Voiceover: There were gems embedded in the thrones.

There was an enormous screen

that protected the sanctuary

and by some accounts it was 35 feet high

completely covered in silver.

Voiceover: You had the laity, normal people like us

standing in the aisles and the galleries above,

and then only the patriarch, the priest, the clergy

and the emperor were allowed in this space

that as you said was screened.

You had a mystery within this mysterious space.

What a spectacle.

Voiceover: This building is almost 1500 years old

so it's gone through a lot of changes.

Voiceover: Change is visible all around us.

The floors are worn and uneven.

Parts of the marble revetment are lost

and they've been painted instead.

There's clearly mosaics

that date from different periods of time.

Most obviously there are Islamic inscriptions in the dome

from when this building was made into a mosque.

Voiceover: The Byzantine empire

was ultimately conquered by the Ottoman [Turks]

who were Muslims,

and this city, Constantinople was the great treasure

and the great gem in that city was this church.

When this city was conquered

one of the first things they did

was transform it into a mosque.

Voiceover: This functioned as a mosque until 1934

when it was secularized and made into a museum.

Voiceover: What we've lost mostly though

is all of the original Christian furnishings.

Voiceover: Not just furnishings but relics, reliquaries.

This was a space that was filled with holy objects.

Voiceover: The reason for this is not

when the Muslims invaded.

The reason for this is when

the Western European Christians invaded.

Voiceover: Right and that happened in 1204.

Voiceover: Instead of going to the Holy Land.

Voiceover: To take back the Holy Land from the Muslims.

Voiceover: The Crusaders owed the Venetians

a lot of money which they couldn't pay

and so they ended up sacking Constantinople instead.

Voiceover: A lot of the great treasures

that were once here are in Venice.

They're scattered through museums all over the world.

Voiceover: One can only imagine

how rich this space must have looked

when it was covered with gold and silver,

when there were gems studding

its most important furniture.

Voiceover: When people were venerating the relics

that were here and the icons that were here.

Voiceover: When this was the center of the empire.

(lively piano music)