HIGHA SOPHIA UP
Hagia Sophia is the most renowned Byzantine cathedral and the best known Christian
church in Istanbul. The church of the Divine Wisdom, the first church of Hagia
Sophia was planned by Constantưne the Great, but it was built by his son and
heir, Constantius . For almost a thousand years Hagia Sophia served as the cathedral
of Constantinople of the Byzantine Empire.The name, Hagia Sophia, means sacred
wisdom.
The first church, Hagia Sophia, was built between the years 337-361 A.D. Construction
was begun during the reign of Constantius, son and successor of Constantine The
Great. The church was destroyed by a fire on 20 June in the year A.D. 404.
The second church of Hagia Sophia was rebuilt by Emperor Theodosius. It was completed
in the year A.D. 415. The second church was burnt down during the Nika revolt
in the year A.D. 532.
The third church of Hagia Sophia was rebuilt between the years 532 and 537 by
the Emperor Justinian . An earthquake damaged the structure in A.D. 558. It was
rebuilt by the young Isidoros.
Hagia Sophia has been restored several times during the Byzantine and Ottoman
period. On the Turkish Conquest of Istanbul. Sultan Mehmet The Conqueror entered
the city on 29 May 1453. The Conqueror lead the first Friday prayers and ordered
it be converted into a mosque. Four minarets of the building were placed at different
times after the Conquest. The southeastern minaret was added during the reign
of Sultan Mehmet II,the northeast minaret by Beyazit II and the two minarets
were added by Murat III. The major restoration to the building was done during
Sultan Abdulmecit's reign in 1847, by a Swiss architect Gaspar Fossatio. Mehmet
the Conquerer added the mihrab and Suleyman the Magnificent donated the two gigantic
candles on each side of the mihrab. The building was used as a mosque until 1934.
For almost five hundred years after the Turkish Conquest it served as the imperial
mosque of Istanbul. Hagia Sophia served as a mosque during the early years of
the Turkish Republic, then declared a national monument and converted into a
museum by the order of Atatuk on 24 October 1934.
UNDERGROUND CISTERN UP
The structure was known in Byzantium as the basilica Cistern, Justinian was the
founder of the largest underground cistern, built after the Nika Revolt in 532.The
number of the inhabitants of Constantinople increased and bring a problem of
water supply. Basilica Cistern was used to store water for the Great Palace among
the other buildings on the Firth Hill. During the Justinian time, After the Conquest
the water in the Basilica Cistern were used for the garden of Topkapi Palace.
It is 140 meters long and 70 meters wide. The twelve rows of 28 columns each,
336 altogether, capacity of having eight thousand cubic miters water. Basilica
Cistern was restored in 1980.
MOSAIC MUSEUM UP
Excavations which began in 1935 by Prof. Baxter. The fragments of the mosaic
pavements which we will see were once part of the Great palace.
The mosaics belonging to the palace are from the fourth and fifth century A.D.
The mosaics are extremely tactile in effect, among them are the figures of a
lion devouring a lizard, a stag entwined with a snake, a woman giving breast
to a child, the combat of a spear bearing hunter and tiger, a child feeding a
donkey, a young girl carrying an amphora, a camel with children mounted on its
back, and a monkey pacing a banana from the tree.
TURKISH AND ISLAMIC ART MUSEUM UP
The Palace of Ibrahim Pasa, the grandest private residence ever built in the
Ottoman Empire was completed in 1524.
Ibrahim was appointed grand Vezir and the following year he married Suleyman's
sister, Hatice.
Unlike many palaces of the period, it was constricted in stone. The palace was
restored 1983.
Considered to be one of the most important examples of Ottoman civil architecture,
it is now a museum of Turkish and Islamic art, exhibiting a collection of 40.000
objects including fine oriental rugs, Seljuk and Ottoman woodcarvings, Turkish
folk life clothing, rug and kilim looms, showing the weaving and dying techniques.
The museum has a conference room and a Turkish coffee house serving coffee or
tea.
ARCHAELOGICAL MUSEUM UP
The Archrological Museum, the jewel of the city with antiquities collected from
all over the country and stored in one building, was constructed between the
years 1891-1908 by the architect, Valaury. It is one of the most important arceological
museums in the world and it was Turkey's first museum,. Before its opening all
valuble antiquities were brought to Istanbul and exhibited in the church of Hagia
Eirene.
The collection consists of archeological pieces from the period 2500B.C. to 500A.D.
On display are Greek, Roman and Byzantine architecture and sculpture, earthware,
bronz and glassware. coins and medaillions. The most valubable object of the
collection is The Alexander Sarcophagus which originates from the 4th century
B.C.
Alexander Sarcophagus Discovered at Sidon by Hamdi Bey in 1887. The sides of
Sarcophagus are decorated with interesting almost round relief showing Alexander
in a lion hunting. The battle scene with the Macedonians are sculptured in a
sportive fashion.
Sarcophagus of the Mourning Women
Mourners grieved for their loved ones in an interesting fashion.Professional
mourners were hired and these eighteen women can be seen on the sides of the
Sarcophagus .You will notice the figure of a child which gives additional importance
to the deceased.
Alexander's Tomb
This amazing monument is decorated with reliefs on all four side. Greco Persian
wars are represented. Alexander is shown with a lion's pelt over his head, mounted.
On the other side there is a scene of a lion with a stag in combat and a hunting
scene on the other. This sarcophagus is also in the form of a Greek temple dating
from the last quarter of the fourth century B.C.
Sidmara Sarcophagus
During the Roman period in groups of reliefs showing gods of mythology.
The Lykian Sarcophagus
Lykia was located in soutwest Anatolia. It shows reliefs of two carved sphinxes
and a lion hunt is shown .
The Tabrit Sarcophagus
Tabrit, King of Phoenikia died after the conquest of Egypt. Tabrit's corpse was
mummified and laid into the coffin.
KARIYE(CHORA) MUSEUM UP
The Church of the Holy Savior of Chora, called in Turkish, Kariye Camii, is,
after Hagia Sophia, the most interesting Byzantine church in the city. Not so
much for the building itself, pretty as it is, but because of the superb series
of mosaics and frescoes which it preserves and which have been magnificently
restored and cleaned by the Byzantine Institute of America. The name of the church,"in
Chora" means "in the country" because the very ancient monastery to which it
was attached was outside the walls of the Constantinian; later when it was included
within the Theodosian walls, the name remained the Holy Savior of Chora.
The church of The Holy Savior in Chora (Kariye Camii) is the most important monument
of the Palaeologan age. Its unique iconographic programme, the quality and beauty
of the mosaics and wall paintings, make it one of the outstanding masterpieces
of Byzantine art.
The origin of the monument cannot be traced with certainty. The earliest reference
is found in the Synaxarion (Legendary) of 4 September by Symeon Metaphrastes,
according to which the relics of St. Babylas who was martyred in 298, were removed
from the Golden Horn to the northwest part of the City, at a place outside the
walls where there is a monastery called Chora.
An anonymous 9th century biographer assigns the foundation of the monastery to
St. Theodore, uncle of the Empress Theodora, whom Justinian had called to Constantinople
to help the Church in the struggle against the sect of the Theopaschites (536).
Theodore settled outside the walls at Chora, where there was a small church.
With the assistance of the Emperor and Empress, Theodore founded the monastery.
Destroyed by an earthquake in 557, it was rebuilt by Justinian, this time larger,
with a domed church revetted in marble, consecrated to the Holy Virgin. At the
same time were built three parecclesia, dedicated to St. Anthemius, the Forty
Martyrs of Sebaste and the Archangel Michael, and also a bath and a hospice,
i.e. a wholecomplex of buildings (Gedeon).
Tradition has it that St. Savvas (439-532) travelled from Palestine to Constantinople
and was given hospitality at the monastery in Chora. Thenceforth, monks from
Palestine were always welcome.
Nicephorus Gregoras, who lived at the monastery and wrote its history in the
14th century, records that it was founded by Justinian. On the other hand, the
historian Procopius remains silent on this point.
Be that as it may, it would appear that the origins of the monastery in Chora
can be traced back to the 3rd century, and this is why the site was considered
sanctified.
The name of Symeon, abbot of the monastery in Chora, appears among the participants
in the 8th Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (787), which restored the veneration
of icons. |
