The Great Architectural Achievements
"Hagia Sophia"
In northwestern Turkey, where the Black and Mediterranean Seas meets, is Istanbul called - Constantinople in ancient times. Once it was the capital of Byzantium, the Greek-speaking part of the former Roman Empire, which survived barbaric invasions and maintained imperial ambitions until 1453, when Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks and was renamed to Istanbul.
Constantinople, which replaced Rome by right of inheritance, received from Constantine the Great the title "hereditary queen" and was named by Michael VIII Palaeologus after the reconquest of the city from the Latin rule as - "the heart of the fatherland." This city was one of the largest economic, political and cultural centers in Europe, known for its magnificent architectural monuments such as churches , palaces, triumphal columns and more.
The construction of the church began in the year of the uprising Nika 532 AD and was completed in 537 AD. Ten thousand workers were organized to build it, grouped in two companies. The total length of the building is 79.29 m, its width - 71.7 m. At its base the dome has a diameter of 30 m. The height from the center of the dome is 56.6 m. The church has been renovated several times - after the earthquakes in 557 AD, 558 AD and 986 AD, as well as after the Crusades of 1096 , 1204 and after the reconquest of Constantinople in 1261 and the restoration of Byzantine rule by Emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus. Its walls are lined with marble in different colors. There are 107 columns in the temple. The gallery upstairs contains mosaics with images of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and several emperors.
The exterior of the "Great Church", as Justinian's temple was called, was characterized by calm grandeur and austerity, and the interior struck with its lightness and was in keeping with the long contemplation existing in the solemn universal ritual. It was distinguished by a complex structure and a skillfull combination between the illuminated central part and the darkened side parts. The splendor of the marble walls, the glow of gold and mosaics, the picturesque play of light and shadow - all this brought mystery to the vast space of the temple.
With the construction of Hagia Sophia, Justinian I finally accomplished this task, which workers from the East and the West worked for years. At the consecration of the temple, on December 26, 537 AD passing through the main entrance, Justinian the Great, astonished by the temple magnificence, cried out as he approached to it's center:
"Blessed be God, who has chosen me to do such a work. Oh, Solomon, I I surpassed you! "
Ceremonies and celebrations by the Emperors
Many ceremonies were performed at Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Regarding the legend transmitted by Constantine VII the Crimson, the crown and clothing of the early Christian emperor Constantine the Great were brought by an "angel of the Lord". They were kept in the church of Hagia Sophia and dressed only in solemn occasions as a symbol of divine power. The emperor had no right to wear clothing and the crown outside the temple, nor to sew, nor to make others according to their model. Any such violation is shown with anathema.
This "sacred" prohibition was violated by Emperor Leo IV the Khazar 775 - 780 AD and described by Theophanes the Confessor. Despite this prohibition, Emperor Leo IV took the imperial crown out of the temple and placed it on his head just to enjoy his appearance. Because of this act, God punished the "wicked man" with a cruel death, and a few years later he died of his passion for wealth and precious stones. Since then, on the day of the coronation, the new emperor gives sworn not to violate this custom.
