Ancient landmark Hagia Sophia, ‘simply unique, without parallel,’ attracts long line of tourists

When Western tourists visit Istanbul, Türkiye enters the port, many people usually look for a special landmark: Hagia Sophia.

Identify the ancient temple Church, museum And mosques, from a distance, can be tricky. The skyline of Istanbul appears to be a large mosque with its exterior, surrounded by Byzantine domes and tall minarets.

There is the Süleymaniye Mosque, built in the 16th century Hagia SophiaAccording to Britannica, according to the order of Sultan Suliman.

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Then there is the Blue Mosque, an Ottoman-era temple just steps from the famous landmark, followed by many other similar buildings.

The Great Mosque of Hagia Sophia is a place of worship for Muslims – but that’s not why it attracts too much attention.

For nearly 1,000 years it has been a Christian cathedral not only in Constantinople, but also in The entire Byzantine Empire.

“Hagia Sophia is simply unique and unparalleled,” Robert Nelson, a professor of art history at Robert Lehman, told Yale University.

“It was not until the construction of St. Peters Cathedral in the 16th century that its dome was more than the height. What was even impressive was its beautiful, luxurious marble decoration.”

He said: “The huge marble columns came from the ancient world.

It was commissioned by the Eastern Roman emperor Justinian I and designed by two Greek architects and mathematicians, Isidore of Miletus and anthemius of Trales.

No wonder This architectural miracle It is often called the eighth miracle of the world.

“Justinians dream of a whole new church,” wrote Frederick Hartt, a scholar of the Italian Renaissance. Justinian got what he wanted.

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“Solomon, I defeated you!” The imaginative emperor reportedly boasted about the completion of his magnificent cathedral.

Most importantly, Hagia Sophia is old and built between 532 and 537 AD – Visitors can still walk In it, soaked in all the glory.

“The harmonious mixed space and glorious impressions of light that we get inside today should complement the imagination by visualizing the majestic parades of the Byzantine Emperor and his courts,” Hart wrote.

Hagia Sophia is grand and awesome, which makes visitors wonder how many centuries ago managed to design such a complex structure.

Again, it’s about the Greeks.

When the cathedral was erected, Constantinople lived in the eastern end of the European continent, named after the Great Emperor of the Constantine Empire, and was one of the most important capitals in the Christian world.

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This ancient city was formerly known as Byzantine, Competitor Rome. It is known for its latest fortifications.

After the great division in 1054, Christianity fell into Roman Catholics Things became a bit complicated when communicating with the Orthodox Church in the East.

Constantinople remains the center of Greek Orthodox church, but its power is weakened.

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In 1204, Constantinople was fired by the Crusaders’ revenge on the Holocaust and held by the West for decades, according to many sources.

In 1453, the trouble came from the Asian side. The city was fired again by the Turks and incorporated into the Ottoman Empire.

As a result, the Cathedral of Hagiya Sofia became a mosque and joined the minaret.

“Hagia Sophia had a direct impact on the Ottoman Empire after conquering the city Become his mosque Nelson told Fox News that digital numbers and has been the city’s main mosque.

“From the late 15th century, Ottoman architects worked hard to replicate their domes and interiors.”

Historians say that the Ottoman Empire’s power development spread to Africa and the east of Europe, with sinister towns and attacking villages and bringing residents into slavery.

exist Western Europe The great powers are participating in exploring and expanding their territory into the new world, and their Eastern counterparts are busy defending their borders.

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Things got rough, especially for the Habsburg Empire (Austria). The city of Vienna found itself siege several times.

The turning point appeared on September 12, 1683. At that time, Polish king January III Sobiski was the ruler of the Polish-Littuanian Federation and was rescued from the surrounded Austrian capital.

This time they believed they would conquer Vienna, a massive Ottoman power led by Kara Mustafa, but were overwhelmed by Sobieski and his heavy Polish cavalry (famous winged cavalry).

Pope Xi Jinping called Sobisky the “savior of Vienna and Western European civilization.”

King Jan Sobieski wrote to his wife, Queen Maria Kazimiera: “The Lord of God has given the eternal God the victory and glory of our nation, which has never been heard in the last few centuries,” according to the Palace Museum of King Jan Iii in Wilanow, and translated from the letter of Klaudyna Michaelowowicz.

The Battle of Vienna marked the beginning of the decline of the Ottoman Empire, but the Bosporus Strait in Constantinople was a natural waterway, and the natural waterways that split Europe and Asia remained in Türkiye’s hands.

The 19th century brought about a sudden revival International interests In Hagia Sophia.

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According to Nelson, the reason is a movement towards romanticism. “This has brought new attitudes to the past, especially to Christianity in ancient and medieval times,” he said.

The ancient city of Constantinople is spread across two continents and was renamed Istanbul in 1930.

In 1935, the founder of Moderna Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Türkiye Republicturning Hagia Sophia into a museum.

Over the years, the former cathedral and mosque have undergone major renovations and have become a favorite among visitors. But in 2020, despite a lot of opposition from UNESCO and international communities, the Turkish government revoked Hagia Sophia’s museum status and transformed it into a working mosque.

Visitors are now allowed Go only to the upper floor (game) of this historic building and view its interior from above. However, it won’t slow them down.

For those who don’t have online ticket sales, there are long lines to buy tickets. In addition, female tourists must cover their minds when entering.

After entering the room, they find themselves facing the images of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and other saints Created by Christian artists So many centuries ago.

Turkish citizens have a separate entrance leading to the ground of the mosque.

According to Istanbul’s deputy deputy agent, Hagia Sophia receives an average of about 50,000 tourists every day, about 60,000 to 7 million visitors.

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The influx of tourists depends on the season.

Today, Istanbul is a popular tourist destination known for its colorful Turkish carpets, bustling bazaars and fragrant spice markets.

But for many visitors, the focus remains Hagia Sophia, a temple built before the existence of Islamic religion.

Strangely, its Byzantine dome is copied in mosques in Istanbul at both ends of Istanbul, and they all look similar.

Perhaps two Greek architects, Isidor and Anthemius, would be as surprised as tourists.

Their 6th-century Byzantine designs lived and multiplied.