Hagia Sophia ( el, Αγία Σοφία, meaning 'the

Holy Wisdom Holy Wisdom (Greek: , la, Sancta Sapientia, russian: Святая София Премудрость Божия, translit=Svyataya Sofiya Premudrost' Bozhiya "Holy Sophia, Divine Wisdom") is a concept in Christian theology. Christian theology ...

'; tr, Ayasofya) is a formerly

Greek Orthodox The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek language, Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the Eastern Orthodox Church, entire body of Orthodox (Chalced ...

church which was converted into a

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

in 1584, and located in

Trabzon Trabzon (; Ancient Greek: Tραπεζοῦς (''Trapezous''), Ophitic Pontic Greek: Τραπεζούντα (''Trapezounta''); Georgian: ტრაპიზონი (''Trapizoni'')), historically known as Trebizond in English, is a city on the Bl ...

, in the north-eastern part of

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

. It was converted into a museum in 1964 and back into a mosque in 2013. It dates back to the thirteenth century when Trabzon was the capital of the

Empire of Trebizond The Empire of Trebizond, or Trapezuntine Empire, was a monarchy and one of three successor rump states of the Byzantine Empire, along with the Despotate of the Morea and the Principality of Theodoro, that flourished during the 13th through to t ...

. It is located near the seashore and two miles west of the medieval town's limits. It is one of a few dozen

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

sites extant in the area. It has been described as being "regarded as one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture."

History

Hagia Sophia was built in Trebizond during the reign of

Manuel I Manuel I may refer to: *Manuel I Komnenos, Byzantine emperor (1143–1180) *Manuel I of Trebizond, Emperor of Trebizond (1228–1263) *Manuel I of Portugal Manuel I (; 31 May 146913 December 1521), known as the Fortunate ( pt, O Venturoso), was ...

between 1238 and 1263. The oldest graffiti carved in the apses of the church contain the dates 1291 and 1293. After

Mehmed II Mehmed II ( ota, محمد ثانى, translit=Meḥmed-i s̱ānī; tr, II. Mehmed, ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror ( ota, ابو الفتح, Ebū'l-fetḥ, lit=the Father of Conquest, links=no; tr, Fâtih Su ...

conquered the city in 1461, the church was possibly converted into a mosque and its frescos covered in whitewash. Other scholars suggest it was not converted until 1584, being spared the initial transformation because it stood several kilometers outside the city walls. The adjacent monastery continued to be used by monks as late as 1701, when Tournefort found them still in residence. It is likely that the monks gradually abandoned a building that failed to protect them from harassment and predation, and the Turks assumed its use without needing to expel them. According to local tradition, at the turn of the 19th-century the site was used as a cholera hospital. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

the city was occupied by the

Russian military The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (, ), commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military forces of Russia. In terms of active-duty personnel, they are the world's fifth-largest military force, with at least two m ...

and for the first time the church could be examined by archaeologists, including

Fyodor Uspensky Fyodor Ivanovich Uspensky or Uspenskij (russian: Фёдор Ива́нович Успе́нский ) was a Russian Empire and Soviet Byzantinist. His works are considered to be among the finest illustrations of the flowering of Byzantine studie ...

, and some preliminary cleaning of the wall paintings began. In the 1940s it was reported to be locked and used as a store, but by the 1950s it was again in use as a mosque. In 1964, when it was turned into a museum. Between 1958 and 1964 the surviving frescoes were uncovered and the church consolidated with the help of experts from the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

and the General Directorate of Foundations; one expert involved in the work estimated no more than one-sixth of the original decorations had survived. All that did survive, however, are thought to be original works done just after its construction, and are considered part of the Byzantine 'Palaiologic Renaissance'. The Hagia Sophia church is an important example of late

Byzantine architecture Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire, or Eastern Roman Empire. The Byzantine era is usually dated from 330 AD, when Constantine the Great moved the Roman capital to Byzantium, which became Constantinople, until th ...

, being characterised by a high central

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

and four large column arches supporting the weight of the dome and ceiling. Below the dome is an ''

Opus sectile ''Opus sectile'' is a form of pietra dura popularized in the ancient and medieval Roman world where materials were cut and inlaid into walls and floors to make a picture or pattern. Common materials were marble, mother of pearl, and glass. The ...

'' pavement of multicolored stones. The church was built with a cross-in-square plan, but with an exterior form that takes the shape of a cross thanks to prominent north and south porches. The structure is 22 metres long, 11.6 metres wide and 12.7 metres tall. The late 13th-century frescos, revealed during the University of Edinburgh restoration, illustrate

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

themes. External stone figurative reliefs and other ornamenting is in keeping with local traditions found in

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...

and

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. 24 metres to the west of the church is a tall bell tower, 40 metres high. It was built in 1427 and houses a small chapel on its second floor. The internal walls of the bell tower are covered in frescoes. It was also used as an observatory by local astronomers.

Mosque conversion

In 2012, the religious authorities (

Diyanet The Directorate of Religious Affairs in Turkey ( tr, Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı, normally referred to simply as the Diyanet) is an official state institution established in 1924 by the orders of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk under article 136 of t ...

) filed a lawsuit against the

ministry of culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: *Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) *Ministry of Culture (Algeria) *Ministry of Culture (Argentina) * Minister for the Arts (Australia) *Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan) * Ministry of ...

, claiming the ministry had been 'illegally occupying' the church for some decades. The Diyanet won the case and received the ownership of the building. On 5 July 2013, the former church was partially converted for a while into a mosque according to the local

Vakif A waqf ( ar, وَقْف; ), also known as hubous () or ''mortmain'' property is an inalienable charitable endowment under Islamic law. It typically involves donating a building, plot of land or other assets for Muslim religious or charitable ...

Direction of Trabzon, which is the owner of the estate. The reconstruction works were started, in which some frescoes were veiled and the floor covered by a carpet. The

mufti A Mufti (; ar, مفتي) is an Islamic jurist qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion ('' fatwa'') on a point of Islamic law (''sharia''). The act of issuing fatwas is called ''iftāʾ''. Muftis and their ''fatwas'' played an important rol ...

of the Turkish province Trabzon said that “the works for opening the Hagia Sophia mosque in the city to practice prayers again are going on,” and claimed that “during the prayer the mural paintings will be covered by curtains". The local union of architects from Trabzon filed a lawsuit against the ministry of religious affairs' conversion plan. A local judge ruled the transformation of the former church to be illegal, and ordered it to be maintained as a museum.Hagia Sophia to remain museum
Kerknet, 6 November 2013 However, it has remained a mosque. Between 2013 and 2018 the fresco's and opus sectile floor mosaic in the prayer hall were covered by immovable curtains and carpets, while the fresco's in the narthex remained uncovered. During renovation works from 2018 to 2020 the building was closed to visitors. A report drafted by the local union of architects heavily criticized the 2013 mosque conversion, and a court ordered the ministry of religious affairs to fulfill its promise and make the frescoes visible outside prayer time. In 2020 a retractable suspended ceiling was put in place underneath the dome, and a glass floor was placed over the opus sectile mosaic.

Cultural significance

The church figures prominently and has key significance for the lead character's spiritual development in

Rose Macaulay Dame Emilie Rose Macaulay, (1 August 1881 – 30 October 1958) was an English writer, most noted for her award-winning novel ''The Towers of Trebizond'', about a small Anglo-Catholic group crossing Turkey by camel. The story is seen as a spiritua ...

's novel ''

The Towers of Trebizond ''The Towers of Trebizond'' is a novel by Rose Macaulay (1881–1958). Published in 1956, it was the last of her novels, and the most successful. It was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction in the year of its publication. Plot ...

''. "It took me some time to make out the Greek inscription, which was about saving me from my sins, and I hesitated to say this prayer, as I really did not want to be saved from my sins, not for the time being, it would make things too difficult and too sad."

Gallery

File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia 4900.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Exterior south side File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Decoration exterior 4887.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Decoration exterior File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Decoration exterior 4889.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Decoration exterior File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Decoration exterior 4891.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Decoration exterior File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Capital 93 093.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Capital File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Exterior 93 087.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Exterior Image:Hagia Sophia interior.JPG, Interior File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Evangelists' fresco 4777.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Evangelists' fresco most of it File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Evangelists' fresco 4793.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Evangelists' fresco centre File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Evangelists' fresco 4829.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Evangelists' fresco Mark closer up File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Evangelists' fresco 4835.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Evangelists' fresco Matthew File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Evangelists' fresco 4830.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Evangelists' fresco John close up File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Evangelists' fresco 4836.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Evangelists' fresco Luke File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Several scenes 4791.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Several scenes File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Marriage in Kanaa 4806.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Marriage in Kanaa File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Marriage in Cana detail 4819.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Marriage in Kanaa detail File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Christ teaching in the temple 4812b.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Christ teaching in the temple File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Christ teaching in the temple 4811.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Christ teaching in the temple detail File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Feeding of the thousands 4797.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Feeding of the thousands File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Feeding of the thousands 4801b.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Feeding of the thousands detail File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Feeding of the thousands detail 4837.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Feeding of the thousands detail File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Feeding of the thousands detail 4841.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Feeding of the thousands detail File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Healing of a man born blind 4813.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Healing of the blind man at the pool of Siloam File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Marriage in Cana 4821.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Unidentified fresco File:Fresco of Marriage in Cana in Hagia Sophia, Trabzon 4823.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Unidentified scene File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Marriage in Cana 4838.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Unidentified scene File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Mary and Christ 4883.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Mary and Christ File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Ascension of Christ 4871.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Mary and Christ detail with Christ File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Interior 93 067.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Interior File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Resurrection 4857.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Descent into hell File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Baptism of Christ 93 068.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Baptism of Christ File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Baptism of Christ 4859.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Baptism of Christ File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Interior 4881.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Interior File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Last supper 4869.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Last supper File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Unidentified scene 4866b.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Unidentified scene File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Unidentified scene 4867.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia St. Bartholomew File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Unidentified scene 4877.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Unidentified scene File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia Jesus at Sea of Galilee 4879.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Unidentified scene File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia part of the nativity scene 4861.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Unidentified scene File:Trabzon Hagia Sophia John the baptist and Holy spirit 4814.jpg, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Baptism of Christ Image:Dome frescoes, Hagia Sophia, Trabzon.JPG, Dome frescoes Image:Floor of Hagia Sophia, Trabzon.JPG, Floor in 2008 Image:Hagia Sophia Floor Tiles, Trebizond.jpg, Reconstruction of the

Opus Sectile ''Opus sectile'' is a form of pietra dura popularized in the ancient and medieval Roman world where materials were cut and inlaid into walls and floors to make a picture or pattern. Common materials were marble, mother of pearl, and glass. The ...

floor tiling as drawn by

Charles Texier Félix Marie Charles Texier (22 August 1802, Versailles – 1 July 1871, Paris) was a French historian, architect and archaeologist. Texier published a number of significant works involving personal travels throughout Asia Minor and the Middle Eas ...

in 1864. What remains was covered with a carpet in 2013.

Notes

External links

Hagia Sophia of Trabzon/TrebizondThe Church of Hagia Sophia, TrabzonPhotos of the Hagia Sophia in Trabzon
*''The Church of Hagia Sophia at Trapezounta, Pontos'' by Dr Constantine Hionides {{Authority control Buildings and structures completed in 1263 Byzantine museums in Turkey Byzantine church buildings in Turkey Byzantine art Empire of Trebizond Museums established in 1964 Byzantine architecture in Trabzon Greek Orthodox churches in Turkey Cathedrals in Turkey Mosques converted from churches in the Ottoman Empire Museums in Trabzon Province Greek Orthodox cathedrals Pontic Greek culture mosques in Trabzon