Byzantine mosaic decorations of Hagia Sophia

During the life of the Emperor Justinian, the Hagia Sophia, Nika revolt in 532, which saw the ruins of Constantine's church was removed to his feet again, the first dome collapsed in 558, and then was re-built and decorated. Thus, within a period of thirty-three years of the Christian church in the world of the bravest and most revolutionary designed, planned, built, and had been decorated. This is the intermediary between God and human beings engaged in the management of an empire, a project designed to create a religious center.

Imperial palace, the scene, two-way function: the Emperor's power to perform religious ceremonies to make the legal and foreign visitors, clad in the rights of the empire as a divine power to make it appear to be lower.

An enormous dome that looks like floating in space, flowing movement, and rhythmic progress of centralization largely was made more vivid contrast with light. In this light, endless meters of gleaming gold mosaic tesserae lighted with a gleam of magnificent and awe-inspiring. As stated Prokopios'un, as though a man in full bloom in the countryside was. Even stronger than the day of the Bosphorus and the Marmara Sea waters reflecting the light, like a flood pouring into all kinds through the window. At night, thousands of candles and oil lamps, saçmaktaydılar its golden rays. This is really a trick staged by the empire, the power of the other world in this place, a visual deliliydi that used by today's service.

There was absolutely no images depicting the original decoration of the church of Justinian, only several meters long-drawn-out, the edges of fruit, floral patterns and geometric decorations had the gold tesserae. A couple of huge flat-cross and a crucifix were most likely center on the inside of the dome. Tesserae from Justinian's time, mainly on the back of cut glass with pieces of gold leaf or other coatings are applied. Then used, natural stone or terra cotta color in particular the form of truncated cubes.

Certainly the absence of any tasvirin, reflecting the tradition of the East from the West too. Interestingly, the structure from the beginning of history, ie, the conquest of the Ottomans banned all figurative decoration 900 years ago, there was the original decoration and adornment with figural imagery and storytelling. This trend is even the time of Christianity İkonaklastik Period (726 843) şiddetlenmişti. Emperors of this period, a way to attract attention, but the eastern provinces of the empire's western provinces were coming.

Mosaics of Hagia Sophia is the earliest date after Iustinianos'tan uncertainties, and depictions of narrative made all kinds of work, or have been destroyed İkonoklast Period covered. Thus, the mosaics of Hagia Sophia history is known, in fact begins with re-establishment of Orthodox and Macedonian dynasty, especially I. Basileos (86 786) and II. Konstantinos Porphyrogenitos'un (reaches its peak during the reign of 91359J. Gradually the walls of Christ, the Virgin Mary, covered with depictions of saints and emperors. Their function and the nature of the church can be seen dolaşılırken.

Many large mosaics have disappeared. Some of them, and most occurred during the 900 years before the conquest, the wrongdoer has been destroyed by the earthquakes in 1346. Thereafter, on the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the finest examples of Byzantine mosaic from the revival period of the last one reached.

Slowly in 1453 after the conquest mosaics, plastered or covered by applying the whitewash on them, thus preserved. In 1847 the sultan, named two Swiss architect Gaspare and Giuseppe Fossati, commissioned to restore the building fabric and its ornaments. During these studies, all extant copies of mosaics were uncovered and to provide a visual archive. Then in 1931, covering the tops and the American Byzantine Institute Thomas VVhittemore uncovering and restoration of the mosaics to work again until the tops have been closed. Ataturk in 1934, when commanded by the conversion of the Hagia Sophia museum, extended the scope of this work. Unfortunately, many of the mosaics that is detected by Fossati was not until this date, you probably have lost the great earthquake of 1894. Mosaics of Hagia Sophia from the present, very few of Justinian 's style can be chosen from the original decoration. Located in the northwest corner entrance hall, a spectacular example of this style is completely under the surface decoration. However, a sufficient amount of material remained and after the ninth century. This is also the period of the Macedonian dynasty, on the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the great artisans worked in Constantinople during the Byzantine renaissance gives an idea of ​​the variety and quality.