Aya Sofya

Aya Sofya is today a museum, but its historical importance is based on a long and storied religious history, which has left it with unique architecture, artwork, and artifacts.

Located in Istanbul, Aya Sofya is an intricately decorated architectural wonder, that has been in use for almost 1,500 years. First a Greek Orthodox Church built in AD 537, then as a Roman Catholic Cathedral for 57 years beginning in 1204. In 1261 it reverted to Byzantine control until 1453 when the Ottoman conquest converted it to an Islamic Mosque, which it remained for almost 500 years. In short, it was really a desirable bit of real estate. Finally, in 1935 it officially took on its current status as a secular museum, which technically means we could put it in our ‘Art’ section, but it’s here. So deal with it.

The most striking feature of the Aya Sofya is its immense domed roof, with the highest point of its ceiling 182 feet above the floor, which made it the largest cathedral in the world for nearly 1,000 years. The interior is covered in marble and gold mosaic artwork. The Ottomans also added four towering minarets to the exterior in accord with Islamic architectural tradition. As a result of numerous fires and earthquakes in the last century and a half, many renovation projects have influenced the current structure. Uniquely interesting aspects of such a long and varied history include the different religious influences on the artwork it contains.

The current curators have attempted a secular representation of these influences in equal proportion. Appreciating the proliferation of mosaics is the main attraction, although some of them are easy to miss in darkened corners. One of the more important mosaics is that dedicated to the Emperor Alexander, which was thought to be lost in one of the earthquakes and was only rediscovered in 1958 beneath a coat of paint. Other fascinating features include massive marble urns carved from single blocks, a solid marble door, and the Wishing Column. Tradition states that the Wishing, or Crying Column is perpetually moist to the touch due to supernatural powers imbued in the marble.