Inside the Hagia Sophia

The Hagia Sophia was the first building ever to take my breath away.

Built in 537 AD, Haghia Sophia was the religious centre of the Byzantine Empire for nine hundred years. After the Turkish conquest of Constantinople in 1453, it served as an imperial mosque of the Ottoman Empire.

But before becoming any kind of place of worship, the Hagia Sophia was a mathematical problem that required risk-taking to be solved. Greek mathematicians Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus were chosen by emperor Justinian as the master-builders. Both were experts on Plato and Pythagoras and in the field of solid geometry, but neither of them were builders.

Building the Hagia Sophia was an experimental process. Complex theories were first tested on paper before being tested in stone, marble and brick. The initial construction proved to be too daring for the structures in place, causing the massive dome to collapse several times.

Changes had to be made which included increasing the height of the dome and strengthening the sidewalls with buttresses. These and other additions over the years are what give the Hagia Sofia it’s rather odd and random outer shape.

By the time the Turks took over the city of Constantinople in 1453, the Hagia Sofia had fallen into disrepair. However, the fact that Mehmet the Conqueror chose it as the place to proclaim his victory is proof of its importance and influence. He then took it upon himself to repair it, plastering over the christian mosaics and then adding all the trappings of an imperial mosque which is what it remained for 500 years. This incredible structure has witnessed the fall of three empires – Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman and the birth of the Turkish Republic. In 1934 it was declared a museum and then once again was turned into a Mosque in 2020.

I am very happy to have seen is as a museum. The beautiful marble floors were uncovered and you could go and come as you pleased – taking as much time as you wanted to absorb the atmosphere and marvel at the architecture.

Standing beneath the dome and looking up, I remember being filled with awe and wonder. I have never seen anything as beautiful before. The details – the delicate leaf carvings that crown the marble columns, the intricate mosaics – are particularly stunning.

Another detail that impressed me the most was the large block marble tiles that line the walls. Made by slicing one block in two, the various marble veined patterns mirror each other, opening out like a book. Some are red, some green and others purple.