Ten days in Turkey - Part 6

Back to Istanbul - Sultanahmet, the old city

The overnight bus to Istanbul was comfortable. Ararat Hotel was small and charming. The terrace offered a full view of the Sultanahmet Camii (Blue mosque) and a partial view of Ayasofya. The room was a bit cramped but functional, the staff was friendly, internet access was free and so were unlimited helpings of the Turkish breakfast. Ararat Hotel is located within a two-minute walk to the Blue mosque, Ayasofya and the Topkapi Palace, as also a street full of decent restaurants.

The Sultanahment Kulliyesi (Complex) and the Ayasofya stand facing each other, separated by the Sultanahmet Park. The complex, one of the grandest buildings in Istanbul, was commissioned by Sultan Ahmet I and designed by the master architect Mehmet Agha. Its construction began in 1609 and was completed in the year 1617. Legend has it that the Sultan was so enamoured at leaving a legacy as grand as the Ayasofya that he personally selected this site and paid a premium for acquiring it. The complex with a grand mosque at its centre also includes a medrese (theological school), a Hünkar kasri (summer palace), an arasta (row of shops in the same trade), the Sultan’s turbe, a darussifa (hospital), a primary school and public kitchens.

The Sultanahmet Camii (see picture) is colloquially called the Blue Mosque because of the roughly 20,000 glazed Iznik tiles decorating its interior. The main dome is supported on four pillars and four half-domes provide additional support. The five storeys from the floor to the dome have 260 stained glass windows that allow ample light. The mimbar of marble with mother of pearl inlay, the marble mihrab and the chandelier pendants hanging from the dome make for a truly spectacular interior. The entrance to the mosque is through a raised courtyard with a domed fountain in its centre. The distinguishing feature of this mosque is its six minarets, four of which are attached to the mosque and have three serefes (balconies) each. The two remaining minarets each with two serefes stand at the corners of the courtyard.

Outside the east entrance to the mosque is the Hippodrome or Sultanahmet Square with some prominent columns. The Serpent Column was originally erected at the Temple of Apollo in 479 BC to commemorate the victory of the Greeks over the Persians and was brought to Constantinople during the rule of Emperor Constantine I (324-337 AD). Towards its north is the Column of Constantine that dates to the 4th and 5th centuries. Towards the south is the Egyptian obelisk dating back to the reign of Pharaoh Tutmosis III, in pink granite with engravings of his victories; Theodosius I brought it to Constantinople in 390 AD. At the southern end of the Square stands a beautifully decorated German Fountain.

Ayasofya or Hagia Sophia (see picture) is the most famous and largest Byzantine church in Istanbul. Initially called Megalo Ecclesia (Colossal Church) and later named as Haghia Sophia (Holy Wisdom), it was one of the most important pieces of architecture in its time. The original church was constructed in the mid-4th century under the supervision of Emperors Constantine I and Constantine II, but later burnt down completely during the Nica revolt of 532 AD. Emperor Justinianus I commissioned reconstruction at the same site for which material was brought from all over the Mediterranean region. This also included dismantled columns of some pagan temples, including the temple of Artemisia in Western Anatolia.

Haghia Sophia was reopened for worship in January 537. Regardless of many subsequent alterations, it is largely this building that stands today. The church experienced its worst days during the Roman period when many of its riches were stolen and taken away to other European churches. By the time Byzantium regained control of Istanbul in 1261, Haghia Sophia was severely damaged and restored with very limited resources. The earthquake of 1334 further damaged this monument. A failing Byzantine Empire was never able to restore the church to its former glory.

A new chapter began for Haghia Sophia following the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul on May 29, 1453. Sultan Mehmed II entered Istanbul and headed directly to Haghia Sophia. He prayed at the ruined church. The same day it was converted to a mosque and named Ayasofya. Since then, it has remained as a symbol of the Ottoman conquest of Byzantium. Ayasofya is a monument that symbolizes the expansion of Muslim rule into Europe.

While preserving the essential structure of Haghia Sophia, Sultan Mehmed II restored it and added various structures to endow the mosque. These include a mihrab, a minaret and a medresse. In later times, one more minaret was added by Sultan Beyazid II and two more by Sultan Selim II. Sultan Mahmud I made extensive additions to the Ayasofya complex in 1739-40. These included a sadirvan (ablution fountain), sibyan mektebi (primary school), a public kitchen, a library, a sultan’s mess and a mihrab, each being important pieces of architecture. The importance of Ayasofya during the early part of Ottoman Istanbul can be gauged from the number of sultans and their family members whose turbes (tombs) are located here.

Haghia Sophia was known for its mosaics and the dome that is believed to represent the eternal cosmos. That this could have been done in the early part of the 6th century makes it even more important. During the Ottoman period, while the non-figured mosaics remained untouched, according to Islamic tradition, the figured mosaics were covered with latex. Many of these are slowly being restored to their original beauty. Two important and beautiful pieces of original mosaic work are those showing Virgin Mary and baby Jesus and another showing the archangel Gabriel. While converting Haghia Sophia into Ayasofya the Ottomans took care not to destroy its originality and instead embellished its beauty with their own architecture. The 7.5-meter diameter calligraphies showing the names of the Prophet (pbuh) and his associates, the laced stonework and the glazed tiles are all examples of those additions.

Since Turkey became a Republic, Ayasofya has not been used as a mosque. It was turned into a museum. As restoration efforts continue and this single monument reveals the combined beauty of centuries of Byzantine and Ottoman architecture, the visitor is left with a nagging question. Haghia Sophia or Ayasofya? To the Muslim world Ayasofya will remain a symbol of its past glory and the spread of Islam to lands beyond Arabia, just as Cordoba and Alhambra (in Spain) reminds Christians of the Crusades that checked the march of Muslim armies into the European heartland. The question today should not be church or mosque. Ayasofya, as also Cordoba and Alhambra, are our collective heritage. Because in them everyone will find something they can identify with. Lets keep it that way.

Walking through Ayasofya, I was reminded of a trip to Jerusalem, an absolutely fascinating city in which Christian, Islamic and Jewish holy sites rub shoulders with each other. One of Christiandom’s holiest shrines is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. For the believers this houses Golgotha, the site of Christ’s crucifixation, the Stone of Unction where his body lay and the tomb from which he rose again. When Muslim armies led by Hazrat Umar, the second khalifah (Caliph) of Islam, entered Jerusalem in 638 AD, he was invited by the city’s guardians to pray in this church. Umar declined saying that if he did so, Muslims in future will lay claim on this church. He prayed on the open ground next to the church. A small mosque called Masjid-al-Umar stands at that site today as a symbol of the tolerance and justice that is the centerpiece of the Prophet’s (pbuh) teachings and the “real” Islam. A watercolor of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher hanging in my office reminds me of this every single day.

Unfortunately, Islam has been judged over centuries less by the actions of the Prophet (pbuh) and his companions, but more through the actions of Muslim kings such as ‘Mehmed the Conqueror'. Converting Haghia Sophia into Ayasofya was the action of a king, and kings of all faiths have behaved similarly.

Islam preaches tolerance and respect for other faiths. It also teaches that as a minority you cannot expect justice unless you have been just as a majority. For this reason it is imperative that Muslims do not ever use Haghia Sophia as a mosque.