Hagia Sophia, Mosque Of Sultans By : Prof. Dr. Said Öztürk, Hasan Mert Kaya Ahmet Bilal Arslan Evliya Çelebi says in his Book of Travels that the materials for the Hagia Sophia were supplied by Al-Khidr (the “Green Man”), that spiritual workers toiled in its construction, and that its middle gate was fashioned from Noah’s Ark. It is rumored that during the first Friday prayers performed in the Hagia Sophia after the conquest the Conqueror saw the Kaaba opposite him and that Al-Khidr turned the Hagia Sophia in the direction of Mecca by inserting his finger in the “sweating column”. CONVERTED INTO A MOSQUE TO SYMBOLIZE THE CONQUEST OF ISTANBUL, THE HAGIA SOPHIA BECAME THE CAMI-I KEBIR (GREAT MOSQUE) OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE. THROUGH THEIR PUBLIC WORKS AND RENOVATION PROJECTS, THE OTTOMAN SULTANS TURNED HAGIA SOPHIA – A MEMENTO OF FATIH SULTAN MEHMET’S VICTORY – INTO A LARGE KULLIYE (MOSQUE COMPLEX). Sultanların Camii Ayasofya The conquest of Istanbul, which had fired the imaginations of statesmen for centuries, was an important objective for Muslims as well. The Prophet Mohammad himself had fueled that aspiration in an hadith in which he said, “Istanbul is going to be conquered one day. And what a great commander the commander who conquers it will be, and what a great soldier that soldier.” Blessed with accomplishing that miracle, Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror is said to have fallen on his knees in prayer upon entering the Hagia Sophia and performed his prayers twice while the first Adhan (call to prayer) was also chanted. The first Friday prayers following the conquest were performed in the Hagia Sophia as well, which was converted into a mosque as a symbol of the conquest. Subsequently creating a foundation for restoring the Hagia Sophia, Mehmed the Conqueror allocated the foundation an annual income of 14,000 gold pieces from a variety of sources. There are actually two documents of Mehmed the Conqueror’s concerning the Hagia Sophia. A copy of the first, which is inscribed on a 66-meter length of antelope skin, is housed in the Ancient Records Archives of the General Directorate of Deeds and Cadastral Surveys. The other document, which is in Arabic, is housed at the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts. All the Ottoman sultans restored and repaired the Hagia Sophia, a memento of the Conqueror, which was added to and converted into a mosque complex. Says Süheyl Ünver, “With its madrasa, its mausoleums, the elegant library added by Mahmud I, its imperial loges, its pool with fountain, its public fountain, its primary school and its clock room, the Hagia Sophia has become one of our most prominent Islamic sites.” In the Republican period, the Hagia Sophia was converted into a museum by a decree of the Council of Ministers on November 24, 1934. There are however doubts regarding the legitimacy of that decree insofar as cadastral records show the property as the “Grand Imperial Hagia Sophia Mosque Complex consisting of a Mausoleum, an a Clock room, a Madrasa and Leased Property” belonging to the Fatih Sultan Mehmed Foundation, according to a title deed dated February 19, 1936. FROM THE CONQUEROR’S HAGIA SOPHIA FOUNDATION CHARTER “All the things I have explained and designated here have been set down in written form in the foundation charter in the manner appointed; the conditions may not be altered; the laws may not be amended; they may not be diverted from their original purpose; the appointed rules and principles may not be diminished; interference of any sort in the foundation is interdicted, like Allah’s other interdictions… May the curse of Allah, the angels and all human beings be upon anyone who changes even one of the conditions governing this foundation.” Ayasofya Mosque: From Church to Museum (by Ahmed Akgündüz, Said Öztürk, and Yaşar Baş), The Ottoman Research Foundation. Istanbul, 2006. HAGIA SOPHIA, MOSQUE OF SULTANS With the conquest of Istanbul, the Hagia Sophia was elevated to the position of the highest ranking place of worship in the Ottoman Empire and therefore became known as a “Cami-i Kebir” or “Great Mosque”. This sublime temple, the crowning glory of our culture for centuries, has come down to our day thanks to the strenuous efforts exerted under the aegis of the Ottoman sultans. Adding new buttresses to the Hagia Sophia, which was showing signs of collapse during the reign of Murad III, the great architect Sinan rescued it from destruction. A library, pool with fountain, primary school and were added to the structure during the reign of Sultan Mahmud I. Also during the reign of Sultan Abdulmejid a clock room was built. One of the most thorough going restorations of the Hagia Sophia was undertaken during the reign of Sultan Abdulmejid when the dome was renovated and consolidated during a two-year project (1847-1849) led by the Swiss architect, Gaspare Fossati. The renowned Russian historian Ouspensky describes it in no uncertain terms: “Preserving the ancient buildings and immediately undertaking repairs, the Turks behaved more humanely and showed more understanding for the city’s monuments than the Crusader armies that occupied Istanbul in 1204.” Another historian, Vlasto, says, “What is the secret of the Hagia Sophia and other temples being able to remain standing down the centuries? These structures are proof that the Turks placed as much importance on learning, science and the fine arts as on the sword.” A SYMBOL OF CIVILIZATION But in Turkish Islamic culture the Hagia Sophia is laden with significance far beyond that of simply being a mosque. The Hagia Sophia stood at the very heart the Ottoman state administration. With the tombs of princes and sultans that lie in its shadow, the colossal and extremely elegant pool with fountain, the sultan’s pavilion and loge, the madrasa and the library, today’s Hagia Sophia is largely an Ottoman legacy. The Hagia Sophia is different with the tomb of Sultan Selim II, one of the Great Sinan’s finest works, and the fountain where fresh fruit syrups were dispensed on certain days. And the sole temple where sultans and men of state came together to the Friday and Bairam prayers and mixed with the people, and where they came in the month of Ramadan, especially on the Night of Power, the holiest time in Islam, was the Hagia Sophia. PRICELESS TREASURE The Hagia Sophia also boasts a calligraphy collection unlike that of any other Ottoman mosque. The biggest imperial inscription, the highest dome inscription and the largest panel inscription are all here. Drawing attention especially for their gargantuan dimensions, the eight calligraphic roundels by Kazasker Mustafa İzzet Efendi are found only here. With its tiles and decorations and the verse from the Light Sura of the Holy Quran inscribed on the main dome, the Hagia Sophia is brimming with artistic reflections of our ancient civilization. Finally, as Hagia Sophia connoisseur Necip Fazıl Kısakürek put it, “In other words, the Hagia Sophia is neither stone, nor line, nor color, nor matter, nor a symphony of substance; it is pure spiritual meaning, meaning alone…” THE HAGIA SOPHIA IS TRUE MEANING: BY NECİP FAZIL KISAKÜREK With the exception of the Conqueror, every ruler in our history, even if he added a thousand times more territory to the fatherland than did the Conqueror, was far from whole in the sense of ultimate perfection and flawlessness. It is only in the Conqueror that we find the object of his struggle integrated in a great and magnificent whole, in keeping with his place and time. And what symbolizes all that is Istanbul, the most beautiful city in the world, and its heart, the Hagia Sophia. An ancient Byzantine monument whose dome opens to the sky on the wings of the crescent moon, thereby showing the 20th century world what true civilization and everlasting architecture is, a monument that unites the intelligence of the West with the spirit of the East, a monument whose historic dome is the home now of a new faith in one God… Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror discerned the wisdom of that; and he seized and conquered the Hagia Sophia like a diamond in the sun, preserved in a city beyond compare like Istanbul. GETTING THERE Sultanahmet’te bulunan Ayasofya Müzesi, pazartesi hariç her gün ziyarete açık. Müze 09.00-19.00 saatleri arasında ziyaret edilebiliyor. Detaylı bilgi için: ayasofya.gov.tr A CLOSE UP OF THE HAGIA SOPHIA The Hagia Sophia has borne witness to two empires, and evidence of that witness to history can be seen in every corner of the great temple. Here are a few of the Hagia Sophia’s crucial details: 1. Ya Fettah The inscription “Ya Fettah” (Oh Conqueror) on the cast metal doorknockers symbolizes the conquest. 2. İznik Tiles You can see some of the finest examples of 16th and 17th century İznik tiles in the Hagia Sophia. 3. Marble Jars Fresh fruit syrups were dispensed at bairam prayers and on the blessed nights from the large marble jars added during the reign of Murad III 4. Deesis Built in the 12th century, the Deesis (“Invocation”) is a masterpiece of the Byzantine art of the mosaic. 5. Hagia Sophia restoration medallion A Hagia Sophia commemorative medallion was minted following the comprehensive restoration commissioned to the Fossati brothers during the reign of Sultan Abdulmejid. “THE HAGIA SOPHIA HAS COME DOWN TO THE PRESENT THANKS TO THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF SİNAN” Prof. Dr. Semavi Eyice* The Hagia Sophia is statically flawed by having a central dome perched atop a long basilica structure. The building was damaged in earthquakes because the dome is unable to bear the pressure. The architect Sinan correctly identified this weakness in the Hagia Sophia and reinforced it, ensuring its survival to our day. At the same time, Sinan was impressed by the Hagia Sophia, which became an instructive model for him. * Art Historian “THE HAGIA SOPHIA IS A MEMENTO OF MEHMED THE CONQUEROR” Prof. Dr. Ahmet Akgündüz* The Conqueror’s Hagia Sophia Foundation document tells the story of the Hagia Sophia and of the building of the five great imperial mosques as well as of the properties, both movable and immovable, that belong to these complexes. At the end there are also some harsh words for those who would violate the terms of the foundation. Putting aside historic rivalries and mutual hostilities, Hagia Sophia should be restored as soon as possible to the spiritual aura for which it yearns. *Rotterdam University of Islam HAGIA SOPHIA LEGENDS The Hagia Sophia is a bit the stuff of legends passed down from generation to generation. Evliya Çelebi says in his Book of Travels that the materials for the Hagia Sophia were supplied by Al-Khidr (the “Green Man”), that spiritual workers toiled in its construction, and that its middle gate was fashioned from Noah’s Ark. It is rumored that during the first Friday prayers performed in the Hagia Sophia after the conquest the Conqueror saw the Kaaba opposite him and that Al-Khidr turned the Hagia Sophia in the direction of Mecca by inserting his finger in the “sweating column”. Again in his Book of Travels, Evliya Çelebi reports that the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapsed the year the Prophet Mohammad was born but that it was repaired with mortar mixed with the Prophet’s spittle and water from the holy Zamzam well in Arabia. Hagia Sophia Legends, Dr. Ferhat Aslan, Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency THE STORY OF THE HAGIA SOPHIA 537 ..... Commissioned by Justinian to two Anatolian architects, today’s Hagia Sophia was inaugurated in a great ceremony. 726-787 ...... The icons and statues in the Hagia Sophia were removed during the Iconoclastic period when the worship of images was prohibited. 1204-1261 ..... The Hagia Sophia was plundered by the Latins, who occupied Istanbul during the Fourth Crusade. The Hagia Sophia was used as a Catholic basilica during the Latin period. 1453 ....... With the conquest of Istanbul, the Hagia Sophia underwent a series of repairs and restorations by the Conqueror as a symbol of the conquest and was converted into a mosque. 1566-1574 ..... A comprehensive restoration of the Hagia Sophia was undertaken by Mimar Sinan during the reign of Sultan Selim II. 1740 ....... Sultan Mahmud I commissioned the building of a primary school, a library and a hospice as well as Istanbul’s most beautiful pool with fountain in the Hagia Sophia. 1847-1849 ...... The Hagia Sophia underwent comprehensive repairs by the Fossati brothers, Gaspare and Giuseppe, during the reign of Sultan Abdulmejid. 1934 .......... In the Republican period, the Hagia Sophia was converted into a museum by a decree of the Council of Ministers. foot Note : skylife/en/2013-08/hagia-sophia-mosque-of-sultans :)
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 22:02:57 +0000
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