Istanbul Guide

55

MOSAICS

World.’ At his feet an emperor (probably Leo VI) prostrates himself. The Virgin Mary is on Christ’s left and to his right is the Archangel Gabriel. Through the Imperial Door is the building’s main space, famous for its dome, huge nave and gold mosaics. Unfortunately, a huge scaffolding tower erected for restoration works has marred the interior for more than a decade. Nave Made ‘transparent’ by its profusion of windows and columned arcades, Aya Sofya’s nave is as visu ally arresting as it is enormous. The chandeliers hanging low above the floor are Ottoman additions. In Byzantine times, rows of glass oil lamps lined the balustrades of the gallery and the walkway at the base of the dome. The focal point at this level is the apse , with its magnificent 9th-century mosaic of the Virgin and Christ Child . The mimber (pulpit) and the mihrab (prayer niche indicating the direction of Mecca) were added during the Ottoman period. The mo saics above the apse once depicted the archangels Gabriel and Michael; today only fragments remain. The Byzantine emperors were crowned while seated on a throne placed within the omphalion , the section of inlaid marble in the main floor. The ornate library behind the omphalion was built by Sultan Mahmut I in 1739. The large 19th-century medallions inscribed with gilt Arabic letters are the work of master cal ligrapher Mustafa İ zzet Efendi, and give the names of God (Allah), Mohammed and the early caliphs Ali and Abu Bakr. Though impressive works of art in their own right, they seem out of place here, detracting from the austere magnificence of the building’s interior. The curious elevated kiosk screened from public view is the imperial loge (hünkar mahfili) . Sultan Abdül Mecit I had this built in 1848 so he could enter, pray and leave unseen, thus preserving the imperial mystique. Looking up towards the northeast (to your left if you are facing the apse), you should be able to see three mosaics at the base of the northern tym panum (semicircle) beneath the dome, although they were obscured by scaffolding when we visited. These are 9th-century portraits of St Ignatius the Younger , St John Chrysostom and St Ignatius Theodorus of Antioch . To their right, on one of the pendentives (concave triangular segments below the dome), is a 14th-century mosaic of the face of a seraph (six-winged angel charged with the care taking of God’s throne).

In Justinian’s day, the great dome, the semi domes, the north and south tympana and the vaults of the narthexes, aisles and galleries were all covered in gold mosaics. Remnants exist, but one can only imagine what the inte rior looked like when overlaid with glittering and gleaming tesserae (small glass tiles in corporating gold leaf). There were no figura tive mosaics at this time – these date from after the iconoclastic period, which ended in the early 9th cen tury. When the church was converted into a mosque, the mosaics were considered inap propriate; fortunately, most were covered with plaster and not destroyed. Some were uncovered and restored during building works in the mid-19th century, and, though once again covered (by paint), were left in good condi tion for a final unveiling after the mosque was deconsecrated. Vikings are said to have left the ‘Eric woz here’–type graf fiti that is carved into the balustrade in the upstairs south gallery. You’ll find it near the Deesis mosaic.

SULTANAHMET & AROUND AYA SOFYA