The sisters of the Hagia Sophia

Fatih Sınar

There are several namesakes and replicas of İstanbul's Hagia Sophia, which was constructed in A.D. 537 upon the order of Emperor Justinian I of the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as Justinian the Great in Anatolia, Thrace and Macedonia.

The soaring Hagia Sophia reflects different periods in Istanbul’s history. (Photo: John Cavacas)

During the Nika Revolt, which claimed tens of thousands of people's lives and damage to property, İstanbul was considerably damaged. A fire started during the tumult of the Nika Revolt and burned the second Hagia Sophia to the ground. After the revolt, Justinian I decided that he wanted to erect a third church on the grounds of the ruined church that would surpass all other religious structures of its time.

One night, he had a dream in which an old saint appeared and showed the emperor a drawing of a place of worship with a name that would be heard all around the world. When he woke up, the emperor tasked physicist Isidore of Miletus and mathematician Anthemius of Tralles, who were also among the most famous architects of that time, to build the church from his dream. For the construction of the Hagia Sophia, which was started on Feb. 23, 531 and lasted for five years, Emperor Justinian I brought marble from all over the Thrace and Aegean regions, including temples in Athens and Ephesus. Construction of the church was completed on Dec. 27, 537. In the following centuries, many replicas and namesakes of the Hagia Sophia have been built in Anatolia, Thrace and Macedonia. While some only have been named after the Hagia Sophia, which means "Holy Wisdom," others have been built as a replica of it. The Little Hagia Sophia Mosque, located a short distance from Sultanahmet Square near the ruins of the Great Palace, is one of them. In addition to the İznik, Trabzon, Enez and Vize Hagia Sophias, there are also replicas in several Balkan cities including Ohrid, Thessaloniki and Sofia.

The Little Hagia Sophia

The sound of the ney (reed flute) was coming from 24-cell courtyard of the Little Hagia Sophia and welcoming visitors. The sofas in the yard allow the visitors to take a break and a one-eyed cat is trying to play with them. The interior architecture of the Little Hagia Sophia is the embodiment of peace. It is located on the historical peninsula in the neighborhood of Kumkapı, which is just a short walk downhill from Sultanahmet Square to the Marmara Sea. Just like the Hagia Sophia, this place of worship has also remained intact for 15 centuries. The Little Hagia Sophia was originally built as the church of St. Sergius and St. Bacchus and was commissioned by the Emperor Justinian in 527, five years before work began on the much larger Hagia Sophia. During Ottoman rule, it was converted into a mosque in 1497 by Hüseyin Ağa, the chief harem eunuch, and still functions as a mosque. The columns still retain their beautifully carved Byzantine capitals.

Hagia Sophia of Thessaloniki

In the eighth century, the Hagia Sophia of Thessaloniki was built in place of an old church as a replica of the Hagia Sophia in İstanbul. Although the Hagia Sophia was converted into the cathedral of Thessaloniki when the city was captured in the Fourth Crusade, it became an Orthodox Church later on. While some historical sources claim that the church was converted into a mosque immediately after the capture of Thessaloniki by the Ottomans in 1430, others say that the Hagia Sophia of Thessaloniki continued to function as a church for a while under the Ottoman occupation. The church is located just a short walking distance from the White Tower of Thessaloniki, which is one of the most important landmarks of the city.

Hagia Sophia of İznik

İznik is surrounded with ramparts. İznik's Hagia Sophia is located at a junction connecting to roads from the İstanbul, Yenişehir and Lefke Gates. It is not as famous as the Hagia Sophia in İstanbul, but its place in Christian history is very important because it is where the first Ecumenical Council in the year 325 -- in which the Christian creed was crafted -- and the seventh and last of the Ecumenical Councils, in 787 -- where iconoclasm was denounced -- convened.

The church was turned into a mosque after the 1331 capture of İznik by Orhan Gazi as a symbol of conquest and it served as a mosque for centuries. Throughout history, the structure of the building has been changed and it has acquired some new supplementary buildings. It is also known that the Hagia Sophia of İznik was repaired during the reign of Sultan Süleyman by architect Mimar Sinan, who ensured the integration of the new supplementary buildings with the original structure. After a long renovation process, the building was reopened as a mosque in 2011.

Hagia Sophia of Enez

In Enez, on the Gulf of Saros near the Greek border, there are the ruins of the sea facing, sixth century Hagia Sophia church, which was used as a mosque until the mid-1960s. Although the exact construction date of the Hagia Sophia of Enez, also known as Fatih Mosque, is unknown, it is considered to be representative of mid-Byzantine architecture styles.

The church, which was converted into a mosque after the 1456 capture of Enez by Sultan Mehmet II is located at the highest point of the Enez castle. The Hagia Sophia of Enez also offers a great view of Enez Lakes, Maritsa River and Marmara Sea.

Hagia Sophia of Trabzon

The Hagia Sophia of Trabzon, which is located in the Ayasofya neighborhood named after the church, was built between 1238 and 1263, by the breakaway Comnenian dynasty in Trabzon. The church, which was converted into a mosque in the 16th century, remained a church for a long time after the 1456 capture of Trabzon by Sultan Mehmet II. The southern facade of the church is one of the most impressive examples of the spectacular late-Byzantine architecture. Inside, the stories of the expelling of Adam and Eve from Paradise, and the killing of Abel by Cain, the two sons of Adam, are depicted via a special transfer printing method. After a long renovation process, the building -- which had been turned into a museum -- was reopened as a mosque on June 28, 2013.

Source: Today's Zaman

Posted in: Hagia Sophia, Travel, Turkey