Day #2 Istanbul (part A)

Today marked our second day in the vibrant city of Istanbul, Türkiye. We started our day by visiting the Little Hagia Sophia and learned about its history as a church, and its later conversion into a mosque—given away by the asymmetrical interior. We then walked to the Hippodrome where, for centuries, horse races had been held. It is now a beautiful plaza. Following this, we toured the Hagia Sophia (Hi-yuh Sophia) and visited the galleries and learned about its multireligious history. Finally, we finished off our day by exploring underground and visiting the Basilica Cisterna, the largest ancient cistern in Istanbul, which was used in Byzantine times. Its size is impressive and its purpose was to be a source of water in case of a siege. Most of the sites we visited today were built under the order of Emperor Justinian. So today was our  “Justinian Day.” Each site we visited had many interesting details; one prominent theme was the architectural marvel imposed in each building. 

 

For example, at  Little Hagia Sophia, we learned about structural details that went into sustaining the temple. This temple is an engineering marvel that was built between  527 to 536 AD. It was the earliest early Byzantine temple in Constantinople. Its strong foundation is made from 5 feet by 10 feet stones which helped it survive a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in 1999. The use of these stones provided the stability to help ensure the building’s nearly 1500 years (and counting!) longevity. The Byzantines used recycled materials to create their buildings. One notable example is an ancient sarcophagus that had been converted to use as a water tap. They also employed other recycled materials like stones and columns in the interior and exterior of the temple. Another engineering detail included in the corners of the ceilings are spinning marble pillars which—if they stop spinning—indicate there is structural damage from an earthquake.

At the Hagia Sophia we learned about a prominent  feature of this temple—its majestic dome in the middle. Building the dome was a difficult task, attaching the cylindrical base of the dome to the square base of the building was a challenge for ancient architects. However, by using four pendentives (structural triangular segments of a sphere), the architects successfully built the dome so that it looks as if it’s floating. At the bottom of the dome is a row of windows that were intentionally placed to allow heavenly light to shine on the interior of the dome and building. Building windows under the dome is challenging due to the amount of weight the dome puts on the walls and therefore, the windows. The seeming impossible feat of adding windows adds to the architectural marvel of this site. Visitors to the Hagia Sophia also enjoy the  breathtaking decorations. A key part of these decorations are the mosaics located after entering the Gateway to Heaven. Lining the wall are depictions of Jesus, Mary, Justinian the Emperor, and Constantine. Made from real gold and colored glass, the brilliant colors of these mosaics never seem to fade; they add another dimension to the beauty of the Hagia Sophia.

 

Finally, the Basilica Cistern was built to store water for the city and is believed to currently have a capacity only 10% of the size it was in older times. The cistern was so large it had been referred to as a lake and was named the ‘sunken palace’ due to its underground architecture. To provide some scale of what we saw, the cistern was said to hold over a year's worth of water in the case of a siege. It remained filled to the top with water at all points in time, despite being on display today. In order to construct the cistern, they dug in the ground and then built it up. The weight of the cistern is carried on the columns, which had been recycled from the ruins of other buildings (this process is called spoliation). Numerous types of columns were reused including Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian giving the appearance of mismatched pillars. All of these components, the reused materials, the vast underground area, and the structural integrity of the pillars and walls holding thousands of gallons of water in addition to  buildings above, add to the wonder of the cistern. 

We enjoyed learning about the different architectural challenges and strategies and seeing how they compared and contrasted through the sites we visited today.  We can’t wait to explore more of Türkiye, teşekkürler for reading!