Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
In addition to building cisterns, Justinian I also occupied himself with this building’s construction.
That would be the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, commonly referred to as Hagia Sophia, or by its Turkish name, Ayasofya. Completed in 537 CE, it was the oldest Christian cathedral in the world and, until the construction of the Cathedral of Seville in the fifteenth century, the largest. It was the coronation cathedral for the Byzantine Empire.
Hagia Sophia (which means Holy Wisdom) has had a complicated history that mirrors the history of Türkiye. (Buckle up, people!) It was an Eastern Orthodox church until 1204, a Roman Catholic church from 1204 to 1261, and then reverted to Eastern Orthodoxy. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, it was converted to a mosque. From 1935, when the Republic of Türkiye was established, until 2020, it was a secular museum. Now, it is a mosque.
Hagia Sophia was the sight I was most interested in seeing while in Istanbul and the main reason I wanted to visit the city. Truth is, it’s been on my bucket list ever since I took a Byzantine history course many decades ago. But I’m sad to say that I was ever so disappointed.
Only Turk nationals and foreign Muslims are permitted free entry and allowed access to the lower floor. The rest of us paid an exorbitant entrance fee ($80 Canadian) and were sent to an upper gallery via a sloped walkway.
From there, we could look out over the mosque, but the effect was definitely that of spectator rather than participant. That overwhelming feeling you get when you enter a grand building, particularly a place of worship, and look up? It was nowhere to be found.
Instead of awe and grandeur, I felt shame. Like I wasn’t supposed to be there and how presumptuous of me for wanting to visit. I don’t know if non-Christians feel the same when they visit the Gothic cathedrals of Europe — I sure hope not.
There were banners hiding a mosaic in the apse and we shuffled along to get a peek-a-boo look. My friend and I were both shocked and horrified to realize the mosaic was of Mary holding the Infant Jesus.
Known as the Theotokos Mosaic, it’s hidden from view because the Islamic faith prohibits images of people. (Which is why their art consists of geometric patterns and intricate calligraphy.)
The upper gallery did give us great access to the other Byzantine mosaics, which were not covered up. They are made with thousands of small cubes of glass, stone, and ceramic; the gold leaf between the layers of glass creates the shimmering effect.
Here, take a look.
From what I have read, turning Hagia Sophia back into a mosque has not been without controversy, as it appears to have been a purely political move. I can only hope that some day it will feel more welcoming to everyone, no matter their faith or country of origin.
