Day 2: The Hagia Sophia, the Suleymaniye Mosque, Sveti Stefan Church, and the Greek Orthodox Church -Nancy Mueller

 We headed out early this morning, snagging a spot in line to enter the Hagia Sophia. Constructed by Emperor Justinian between 532 and 537 CE, the Hagia Sophia first served as a Christian church during the Byzantine Empire. After the Ottoman conquest of the city in 1453, the Hagia Sophia was repurposed as a mosque and remained this way until it was secularized by the young Turkish Republic in 1934. From 1935-2020 the Hagia Sophia functioned as a museum, and today it is once again an operating mosque. 

While touring Hagia Sophia we discovered that mosques are designed to recreate paradise on earth, often incorporating features such as light, symmetry, water features, and gardens to achieve so. Geometry also plays a role in mosque architecture as circles represent the perfect form of God while squares relate to the earth and humankind. I found it interesting that the artwork found in mosques is not images, but stylized script to prevent the worship of icons. The Hagia Sophia is unique in this respect as it contains several mosaics from its time as a church, several of which are still visible. It is also interesting to note that while symmetry is valued, the mihrab (a niche found at the front of the mosque to point worshipers toward Mecca) is off-centered as the Hagia Sophia is not correctly oriented having been built first as a church. 

(Above is a mosaic depicting emperors Constantine and Justinian gifting the Virgin Mary the Hagia Sophia and the city of Istanbul- of which she is now the patron saint.)

(The image above is an example of how mosaics inside the Hagia Sophia are covered as the building functions as a mosque. You can also see an example of stylized script artwork.)

After exiting the Hagia Sophia we were introduced to some of Istanbul's wetter weather. But after warming up with lunch (and maybe some Turkish coffee) we traveled to the Suleymaniye Mosque. Constructed under Sultan Suleymaniye in the 16th century, the mosque sits atop a hill overlooking the Bosphorus Strait. The complex includes the mausoleums of Sueymaniye and his wife Roxelana, a cemetery of other nobility, and a school for religious studies. Originally there was a public kitchen, a hospital, and even a medical college! Nearby lies the tomb of renowned Turkish architect Mimar Sinan who designed Suleymaniye Mosque himself. In only fifty years Sinan created over 350 structures, including 81 other grand mosques. Sinan also engineered a suspension system upon which the four minarets stand, allowing them to survive several earthquakes over the centuries. 

We finished out the day with a visit to the Greek Orthodox Church, Sveti Stefan. Made entirely of iron this portable church was first constructed in Bulgaria before being assembled in Istanbul. While the Turkish Greek Orthodox population is waning, there is still a strong local community to the church. On the way back we stopped at the seat of the Greek Orthodox patriarch and visited the public chapel. Seeing the nativity scene here we realized today is Orthodox Christmas!

(Interior of the Sveti Stefan Church)