Mausoleums and Turbes

February 2, 2016 by Kayla Pollard 2 Comments

A mausoleum is a free standing building that acts as a resting place for the deceased, it is common to have multiple people kept in these buildings. In close relation to a mausoleum is a turbe mausoleum, turbe is the Turkish word for tomb, these buildings are often much smaller in comparison.

There are five turbes on the Hagia Sophia property that belong to the Ottoman Sultans, their family members, and those close to them. Before the Hagia Sophia became a museum it last served as a mosque. The tombs hold from four people to 54 people. With the largest turbe, Sultan Murat III chose to house his wife, his daughters and princes, along with other courtier women. In the smallest tomb are four of Sultan Murat III’s princes and a daughter. Some of these tombs were built specifically for the men they are named after, and others had been converted to tombs after death.

Every tomb that was built, or converted, has its own unique appearance. From the exterior the Tomb of Sultan Mastafa I (pictured above) seems to be the most conservative. This tomb acted as a storage space for lamp oil before being converted to a tomb. One of the grander tombs belonged to Sultan Selim II (seen below). A special architect, Sinan, was called to complete this building, and it was was completed three years after Selim II’s death. The outside of the tomb has grand arches, with gold accenting on the columns. Every tomb has hand decorated art and ornaments throughout.

34_sultan_selim_tomb

Sources:
http://www.hagiasophia.com
http://ayasofyamuzesi.gov.tr/en

Photos from:
http://www.hagiasophia.com

Ottoman Empire

February 2, 2016 by Jake Sparhawk 4 Comments

www.dailyistanbulcitytour.com

The Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmet II, conquered Constantinople after a 54 day siege, which was the location of the church, Hagla Sophia. Eventually, Mehmet converted the church into a mosque after witnessing a man saying that this church was for infidels. Over the years, the Hagla Sophia has gone over a few changes by the Empire. For starters, the Sultan Bayezid ordered a new minaret, which is a tall slender tower with a balcony from which prayers are called, to be built. In the 16th century, Suleiman the Magnificent had two Hungarian colossal candles to be placed on both sides of the mihrab, which is a is a semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque. Towards the end of the 16th century, the exterior of the structure was strengthen by famous architect Sinan. Sinan also built two minarets on the western end of the building and the mausoleum of Selim II, which is a building housing a tomb or tombs, to the southeast of the building. In the 17th century, two mausoleums were added next to Selim II’s: Murad III and Mehmed III. Over time, two restorations were done, one in 1739 and one in 1749.

Around 500 years of following the conquest of Muslims, it became a grand location for the Muslim community, with its beauty and history giving it something to be proud of. In 1935, Ataturk, the first President of Turkey, ordered to convert the mosque into a museum of Turkish Republic. It than became a rich foundation of history of Turkey and the world.

Byzantine Science

February 2, 2016 by taylorarchuleta 1 Comment

The Great Calligraphic Planes were originally located on the original Hagia Sophia Church/Mosque. They were huge rounded panes (approximately 7.5 meters in width) that hung on the walls of the mosque. These calligraphic panes are written on a 7.5 meter rounded object with gilt on a green background that was made of hemp. As far as the actual hanging of the calligraphic panes, they are hung with limelight because it is a lightweight and durable material. Kazasker Mustafa Izzet Efendi was the initial calligraphic writer for these panes and was also famous for his calligraphy during the repairs of the Hagia Sophia after it was taken over in the years of 1847-1849. During this time, Kazasker Mustafa Izzet Efendi made eight of these large panes. The panes contained the names: Allah, Muhammad, the four caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali) and also the grandsons of Muhammad: Hasan and Hussein. These eight panes are the largest calligraphic panes in the Islamic world to date. The picture below is what the panes currently look like.

(http://www.photographium.com/apse-mosaic-between-calligraphic-panes-in-hagia-sophia-ayasofya-camii-containing-the-names-of-allah-and-prophet-muhammad-istanbul-turkey-2014-june-23)

(http://phototrekistanbul.blogspot.com/2014/12/ayasofya-muzesi-hagia-sophia-divine.html)

These calligraphic panes are unique to the Hagia Sophia and because of that they still exist in the museum today. I think that they are a vital part of the culture of Istanbul which is why they still hang today. Although they are not unique to the original Christian church, they are a significant part of the reformation of the Hagia Sophia.