Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest structures ever created in the history of mankind. Initially a cathedral built by the Romans, it has gone through several changes with the most controversial being the conversion of it back into a mosque by the AKP Party of Turkey. It served as the divine place of worship of the imperial capital of Constantinople.
When the grand cathedral of Hagia Sophia was finished, historians documented Justinian yelling into the clouds proclaiming “O Solomon, I have Surpassed Thee!” This was in reference that Justinian built an even grander structure than Solomon’s temple of Jerusalem.
Hagia Sophia, Greek: Ἁγία Σοφία, means ‘Holy Wisdom’. It is one of the oldest churches in Orthodox Christianity. Hagia Sophia was the third church to be built in the same location. The previous two include the Church of Constantius II and Church of Theodosius II, the latter of which was destroyed during the Nika Riots of 532 AD.
The cathedral suffered major damage during a great earthquake in 989 in which the ode partially collapsed. The romans contracted an Armenian-Romaoi citizen known as Trdat the Architect to rebuild the dome.
It briefly became a Catholic cathedral after the 4th crusade during a brutal sack and betrayal by the Venetians and Crusaders, and was restored back to an Orthodox Cathedral. The Ottomans conquered it in 1453 and converted it into a mosque until Mustafa Kemal made it a museum post Turkish War on Independence.
The purpose of turning it into a museum was to bring a sort of secularism into the modern state of Turkey without bringing religious strife between the Muslim majority and the indigenous Christians of Anatolia and neighbouring orthodox states, especially because of Turkey’s dark history when it came to non-Muslim citizens.
Influence of Hagia Sophia in The United States
The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, in New York City, New York, was founded in 1916 and moved to a modest three-story structure that had initially been built as a private dwelling in the 1830s. It was located in the Ground Zero area, and was completely destroyed during the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.
Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava was awarded the task of designing the new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in New York. The architect is mainly known for several famous architectural structures such as the 2004 Athens Olympic stadium, as well as other buildings, bridges and even the subway station at the World Trade Center. His design of the St. Nicholas Church emerged from the mosaics of the Hagia Sophia, Constantinople (now Istanbul) in Turkey. The new church will be built on a four-foot-thick, blast-proof mat that Port Authority has provided as the foundation of the building.
The church was expected to reopen in November 2018, but in December 2017, Skanska, the construction company rebuilding the shrine ceased work at the site. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America had been unable to pay Skanska’s bills. On October 17, 2019 Archbishop Elpidophoros of America stated that the Church should recommence and projected that the opening of the doors would be scheduled by September 11, 2021, the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
The exterior design of the St. Nicholas Church was inspired by the mosaic in the Hagia Sophia, of the Virgin Mary with the child. In an interview with the BBC, Calatrava claims “I have done a series of sketches, systematically, exposing the metamorphosis or this change of form, of the Virgin Mary, into the shape of a church.”
The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church keeps many elements of Byzantine churches, including the shape, and the light coming from the cupola (dome). Calatrava’s St. Nicholas Church is more experimental with its new design, yet spiritual harmony is achieved within the space, by emphasising perfection through the symmetry of the structure, and the soft, everlasting glow of the exterior. Many are disappointed that the new church is not built using traditional materials. In my opinion, through his design, Calatrava has successfully maintained the tradition of Orthodoxy. Sanctity is not taught through architectural design. In fact, details in the design brings in holiness to the place, also influencing one’s feelings of joy, weakness, or even sadness and sorrow. The tradition of worshipping continues as the contemporary architectural designs evolve in the 21st century.
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