Hagia Sophia - Justinian's Dream

Simin Uysal

I visit Istanbul quite frequently but last month I traveled to Istanbul three times and on each of these travels, I spent time either around or watching Hagia Sofia (or Ayasofya in Turkish). The name means “Holy Wisdom” and it is a former Greek Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later an imperial mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul.  The glory of the building itself and its almost 1,500 years of history always leave me in awe and wonder.

What we see today is the third building The first site was wooden and built on the site of an ancient pagan temple in 360 AD by Emperor Constantius which was destroyed in 404 AD during riots. Emperor Theodosius II built a new Church which was completed in 415 AD. During the rebellion of Monophysites in 532, Hagia Sophia was destroyed again, along with many other important buildings, including the Church of Hagia Irene. This revolt is known as the “Nike Revolt” because the rebels repeatedly shouted “Nike”, the name of the goddess of victory.

After saving his throne, Emperor Justinian ordered the construction of a new church which was to surpass the magnificence of the earlier ones.  Historians write that he personally supervised the construction and made full use of all his empire could offer. Anthemius of Tralles (Aydın) and Isidorus of Miletus, were entrusted with the construction of the building. They supervised one hundred master builders and ten thousand workers and the new Church as we know today was constructed between the years 532-537 A.D.  It is almost unbelievable to think that it took only five years and ten months to build this glory.

Remnants from temples, columns, and stone were used from all over the empire.  Pillars and arches from the Temple of the Sun from Baalbek, Delian Apollo of Minerva from Athens, and Temple of Cybele from Cyzicus and porphyry columns famous Temple of Artemis from Ephesus were incorporated into the basilica’s structure. 

A medallion that had the face of Medusa was embedded in its walls.  It was placed in a prominent place where visitors would encounter the medallion when entering the church. 

The column known as the “weeping column” or the “wishing column” has many legends that surround it. This column is originally from the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus and is made of white marble with a bronze belt circling its lower part.  There is a hole in the column that water drops come out of.  Because of this, people believe the column was weeping and it has been associated with miracles.  Visitors today come today to stick their finger in that hole of the pillar and pray for a miracle. 

Wishing Column

There are so many myths surrounding this magnificent place and the tunnels and reservoirs beneath it still hold mysteries. Here are a few of the myths which feel most interesting for me:

Emperor Justinian’s Dream

According to the most common legend about the construction of the Hagia Sophia, Emperor Justinian, saw an old man wandering around holding a silver plate in his dreams. Then the old man handed Justinian over the silver plate and told him “Here is the plan of the Hagia Sophia”.

Handprint of the Giant 

In the south-eastern end of the church, stands a rectangular column on which there is a hand print. There were many legends about this hand print. The construction of Hagia Sophia lasted for five years and ten months which seemed impossible for its time and this helped the creation of many stories. A widely known myth about the construction of the church says that giants and jinn helped its construction. It says that the giants have carried the columns and one of them decided to leave his mark. This is the story I was told when I visited Hagia Sophia for the first time as a child. As some other sources indicate, this piece of stone was added later onto the column. It was originally found in the Theotokos Church at Ayvansaray and when the church burned down, the stone was brought to Hagia Sophia.  

Magic Columns

There are four angel mosaics on the four columns carrying the great dome. The belief was that when Gabriel flapped wings and screamed, it would be the sign of abundance in the east; when Raphael flapped wings and screamed, it would be the sign of famines in the west; when Michael flapped its wings and screamed, it would be the sign of a rebel appearing from north and when Azrael flapped wings and screamed, it would be a sign of plague around the world.

The Emperor Door is the largest door of Hagia Sophia and is made of oak and has a bronze frame. The leaves on the door are coated by bronze plates. The door had been used only by the Emperor and his retinue. Byzantine references say the door could be made of the woods of Noah’s ark or the wood of the chest of which the Jewish holy plates were kept in.

There are many more myths, legends and stories surrounding both Hagia Sophia and Istanbul. I think it would take volumes of books to include them all. While watching Hagia Sophia, the Church of Holy Wisdom, I see the ancient temples, I see a magnificent church and a magnificent mosque. I recall the words of Rumi: 

“I searched for God among the Christians and on the Cross and therein I found Him not.
I went into the ancient temples of idolatry; no trace of Him was there.
I entered the mountain cave of Hira and then went as far as Qandhar but God I found not.
With set purpose I fared to the summit of Mount Caucasus and found there only 'anqa's habitation.
Then I directed my search to the Kaaba, the resort of old and young; God was not there even.
Turning to philosophy I inquired about him from ibn Sina but found Him not within his range.
I fared then to the scene of the Prophet's experience of a great divine manifestation only a "two bow-lengths' distance from him" but God was not there even in that exalted court.
Finally, I looked into my own heart and there I saw Him; He was nowhere else.”