Hagia Sophia: Architectural Marvel & Byzantine Legacy
All these elements described above highlight two main areas of interest: the large central dome and the exedra with the main apse, where the longitudinal axis ends and the altar stood.
The combination of volume sets, lighting effects, and gilded mosaics give visitors the impression that the covering is suspended in the air. This feeling would increase during religious ceremonies, where large quantities of incense created a mystical atmosphere, screened by golden rays of light multiplied and reflected by the gold of the walls.
The style of the Hagia Sophia basilica is representative of Byzantine style for several reasons. First, the luxurious ornamentation of the interior surfaces is covered with rich mosaics and polychrome marble. Second, the use of domes and various resources like shells and half-domes solved problems of weight and tension. Third, the predominance of the arch and the truncated form of the capital invested over the cymatium. Fourth, the concept of an extensive area and the trend towards a centralized plan.
This church had two functions: religious, as a place of Christian liturgical celebration and community meeting, and political, as the Byzantine Cathedral in the capital of the Byzantine Empire, with the imperial court adjoining the church. Its magnificence reflected the greatness and power of Justinian, providing a worthy setting for ceremonies reaffirming the theocratic power of the emperor.
Two elements emphasized the sanctity of the temple and the imperial power. One was the great central dome depicting the heavenly vault protecting the Byzantine Empire. The other was the clear line of spiritual tension along the longitudinal axis, from west to east, from the narthex to the presbytery. This created a sacred space, moving from chaos outside the church to the order of the presbytery, from the setting sun in the west to the rising sun in the east.
Hagia Sophia is a highlight of universal architecture. Its structure is innovative in two respects. First, regarding the plan, it combines a basilica shape with a Greek cross, merging the longitudinal strain of early Christian architecture (like the Church of Santa Sabina) with the centralization of Eastern tradition (like the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem). Second, the dome’s leadership, unlike Roman buildings like the Pantheon where it rests directly on the wall, here uses a system of shells and exedrae for wider weight distribution.
As background, we mention two temples from the Roman Empire: the Parthenon (though its dome rests directly on the wall) and the Temple of Minerva Medica. The influence of Hagia Sophia and Byzantine architecture is visible in styles like Turkish-Anatolian (The Blue Mosque in Istanbul), Romanesque (St. Mark’s Basilica), and even in the tiles of the mihrab of the Mosque of Cordoba.
The Basilica of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople was built by the architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus, both from Asia Minor. Its construction took only five years, beginning in 532 and completing in 537 AD. Located in present-day Istanbul, Turkey, it was built on the site where Constantine had raised a church dedicated to Holy Wisdom, which was destroyed twice and rebuilt by order of Justinian.
The building materials primarily combine brick with extra mortar to alleviate the building’s weight.
The Basilica has a vaulted construction system. The plant is highly original, with a slightly rectangular perimeter combining a basilica with an apse, three naves (the central one 33 feet wide and 50 feet high), and a narthex. It features a Greek cross plan and a centralizing spatial composition through a gigantic dome that unifies the whole.
The great dome, supported from north to south, rests on four exedrae and two larger half-domes of the same diameter, one at the header and the other at the foot. These, in turn, rest on smaller exedrae in the corners. From east to west, this large central space is open to the floor, with two-story aisles covered by a ceiling.
The support system for the vast central dome is original and chained. The dome’s weight is divided among the exedrae and static media represented by four central pillars. These pillars transmit the roof’s weight through transverse arches to other external supports arranged in pairs. The aisles are separated from the nave by arches resting on columns and pillars.
The exterior of the monument looks very plain. The succession of semi-cupolas converges towards the central vertical axis, creating an upward and curved rhythm culminating in the large central dome. However, the original volume set has been distorted by later additions like minarets and the strengthening of the foothills.
The interior features include:
The general form of space is highly original, combining the tension of the longitudinal axis from west to east (narthex to apse) with a revitalization from the oval plant design, lighting, the interplay of spherical and straight elements, and the constant combination of incoming and outgoing space. This creates a feeling of expansion and streamlining, yet also centrifuged and flexible.
Numerous windows allow light to penetrate, almost dissolving the structure. For example, the series of windows at the base of each dome ring gives the appearance of lightness, as do the walls with their many windows.
Mosaics cover the walls and vaults, complemented by colored marble walls. The brightness of these materials and the effect of light would have created an appearance of wealth inside. Unfortunately, much of the figurative decoration was lost or hidden when it became a mosque in the 15th century.