For centuries, it was known as Megalo Ekklesia, the "Great Church" of Constantinople. The Greeks called it Hagia Sophia (eye-ah soh-fee-yah), meaning "Divine Wisdom," an attribute of God. The Turkish version is Aya Sofya. But no matter what you call it, this place—first a church, then a mosque, and now a museum—is one of the most important and impressive structures on the planet.
Emperor Justinian built Hagia Sophia between A.D. 532 and 537. It served for 900 years as the seat of the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople—the "eastern Vatican." Replete with shimmering mosaics and fine marble, Hagia Sophia was the single greatest architectural achievement of the Byzantine Empire.
When the Ottomans took Constantinople in 1453, Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror—impressed with the Great Church's beauty—converted it into an imperial mosque. Hagia Sophia remained Istanbul's most important mosque for five centuries. When Turkey became a republic in 1934, Hagia Sophia was converted again, this time into a museum. It retains unique elements of both the Byzantine and Ottoman empires and their respective religions, Orthodox Christianity and Islam. In short, Hagia Sophia epitomizes the greatest achievements of both East and West, rolled into one.

ORIENTATION

Hours: Tue-Sun 9:00-18:30, off-season until 16:30, closed Mon. Temporary exhibits and the Upper Galleries close 30 min earlier. Last entry is one hour before closing.
Getting There: Hagia Sophia is in the Sultanahmet neighborhood in the heart of the Old Town, facing the Blue Mosque. The main entrance is at the southwest corner of the giant building, across the busy street from the tram tracks. If you arrive by tram, get off at the Sultanahmet stop, and walk a couple of hundred yards downhill along the tram tracks. Cross the street and the tracks at the traffic light.
Getting In: A crowd generally gathers just before 9:00 outside the ticket office and rushes the doors when they open. Arrive at 9:15 to miss the mob. If you are early and have the Underground Cistern in your plans, go there first (the cistern is across the tram tracks—described in the Historic Core of Istanbul Walk, page 59). Guided tours often bunch up at Hagia Sophia's security checkpoint and ticket-taker. Be patient—the logjam usually clears quickly.
Information: As you approach Hagia Sophia, loitering tour guides may offer to guide you around for a fee. Thanks to this chapter's self-guided tour, you won't need their help. Once inside, most museum descriptions are in English. Tel. 0212/528-4500.
When to Go: Try to avoid Tuesdays in peak season, when Topkapi Palace is closed and Hagia Sophia is busier.
Length of This Tour: Allow at least an hour for the main floor, and 30 minutes or more for the Upper Galleries.
Security and Baggage: After buying your ticket, but before entering, you'll go through an airport-type security checkpoint. There is no bag check, so you will need to carry your bags with you.
Services: The WC is just before the museum exit. The cafeteria is at the end of the long walkway beyond the ticket-taker, across from the main building entrance. There are two bookshops: one at the Interior Narthex, and the other at the exit, by the Vestibule of Guards.
Photography: Photography is allowed, but don't use your flash when taking pictures of icons, mosaic panels, or frescoes. English-language signs indicate where you should turn off your flash.
Starring: The finest house of worship in the Christian and Muslim worlds.

BACKGROUND

Hagia Sophia was built over the remains of at least two earlier churches (see sidebar on page 131). After the second of these churches was destroyed in the Nika riots in A.D. 532, Emperor Justinian I(r. 527-565) wasted no time, immediately putting his plan for Hagia
Sophia into action. He asked for the near-impossible: a church with unbelievably grand proportions, a monument that would last for centuries and keep his name alive for future generations.
Justinian appointed two geometricians to do the job: Anthe-mius from the Aegean town of Tralles and his assistant, Isidore of Miletus. Both knew from the start that this would be a risky project. Making Justinian's vision a reality would involve enormous challenges. But they courageously went forward, creating a masterpiece unlike anything seen before.
More than 7,500 architects, stonemasons, bricklayers, plasterers, sculptors, painters, and mosaic artists worked around the clock for five years to complete Hagia Sophia—and drain the treasury— faster than even the emperor anticipated. In December of 537, the Great Church of Constantinople held its first service in the presence of Emperor Justinian and the Patriarch of Constantinople.
The church was a huge success story for Justinian, who was understandably satisfied with his achievement. As the story goes, when he stepped inside the church, he exclaimed, "Solomon, I have surpassed you!" In the long history of the empire, the Byzantines would never again construct such a grand edifice, but its design would influence architects for centuries.
Hagia Sophia was a legend even before it was completed. People came from all over to watch the great dome slowly rise above the landscape of the city. It was the first thing merchants saw from approaching ships and caravans. Hagia Sophia soon became a landmark, and continues to hold a special place in the mystical skyline of Istanbul.
Hagia Sophia served as a church for nearly a millennium. It was the largest domed building in Europe until Brunelleschi built Florence's great dome in the Renaissance almost a thousand years later.
The day the Ottomans captured Constantinople in 1453, Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque. Most of the functional elements that decorated the church were removed, and its figurative mosaics and frescoes were plastered over in accordance with Islamic custom. Today the interior holds mostly elements from the time when Hagia Sophia was used as mosque.

THE TOUR BEGINS

• After you pass through security and ticket control, you'll see the official walkway leading straight ahead, toward the main entrance. Instead, we'll take a shortcut for a better entrance route: Turn right, cross the big path, and go past the wooden kiosk toward the giant, ornate, Rococo...
Fountain
The Ottomans added this fountain in the mid-18th century. Also notice the water taps, under the gallery across the little park from
the fountain. When this church was used as a mosque, both of these were used for ablution— ritual cleansing before prayer, as directed by Islamic law. • The museum exit is at the far end of this courtyard (to the right), where you see the turnstiles. WCs are just before the exit, to its left. At the top of the courtyard, near the big fountain, notice the entrance into the big building itself (which may be marked Exit). Step through this large vaulted entryway—passing the small museum bookshop—into the...
Vestibule of Guards
This entry is named for the imperial guards who would wait here for the emperor while he was attending church services. Byzantine emperors used this entryway because of its proximity to the royal palace, which stood where the Blue Mosque is today.
Scholars believe that the entrance's imposing bronze doors were brought here sometime after Justinian, from an ancient temple in Antioch. At the top of the flat panel (about eye level), you can see traces of the silver imperial monograms that were once affixed to the bronze sheeting. Notice that these doors can't open or close—they became stuck in place when the marble floor was renovated and raised.
The vaulted ceiling is covered with original mosaics, dating back nearly 1,500 years to Justinian's time. The mosaics in his church—such as these—depicted geometric patterns rather than people, which was the fashion at the time. But later, figurative mosaics were also added. Above the doorway into the church, notice the gorgeous donation mosaic,
dating from the 11th-century reign of Basil II. Scenes such as this became common in later Orthodox churches, and usually depict the patron who funded the church's construction and to whom the church is dedicated. In the mosaic, you see Mary and the Christ child enthroned. Jesus holds the Gospels in his left hand, and makes the sign of the Trinity with his right hand. Two mighty Roman emperors flank the Holy Family: On the right, Constantine presents Mary and Christ with a model of his city, Constantinople. On the left is Justinian, presenting a model of his greatest achievement, Hagia Sophia. Note the differences between this model and today's Hagia Sophia: Justinian's version had no minarets, and no retaining or garden walls, and its dome was topped with a cross. It's fortunate that this mosaic has survived so beautifully intact, because many such mosaics were destroyed during the Iconoclast Era (see sidebar on page 122). • Continue through the doorway under the donation mosaic into the...
Interior Narthex
Hagia Sophia's Interior Narthex is an attractive space, with nine vaulted bays. The walls on either side are lined with inch-thick marble panels, which were affixed using stucco and iron rods. In some parts of the building, such as the Vestibule of Guards, the iron rusted and over time the marble pieces began to fall off (the Vestibule of Guards' walls are painted to replicate the original marble covering). But here in the Interior Narthex, which is more protected from the elements, the panels are intact.
On the narthex ceiling are original Justinian mosaics that survived the Iconoclast Era because they were non-figurative. The church's designer, Anthemius, sought to give the impression of movement. These mosaic pieces—interspersed with randomly placed bits of semi-precious stones—change from muted shades to brilliant reflection depending on the direction of the light. Since services generally took place after sunset, the mosaic artists designed their work to be vivid even in flickering candlelight: simple polychrome crosses and starry shapes on a golden background.

The Iconoclast Era (A.D. 730-840): The Banning of Icons

Throughout Byzantine history, church and political leaders clashed over the use of icons—depictions of human figures in mosaics, frescoes, and other art forms. In the empire's early stages, Church fathers opposed the images, but the public liked them. So did the emperors, who used icons to bolster their claim to divine power—often depicting themselves as holy figures on coins and church walls.
Opponents (called iconoclasts) argued that icons drove believers away from the very basis of Christianity. If Christ was divine, how could his nature be depicted in mere paint or stone? An icon would show only Jesus' human side, ignoring or incorrectly mingling the separate divine and human parts of his nature.
Fed up with the controversy, Emperor Leo III banned icons in A.D. 730, saying that people had begun worshipping them as idols. His ban did little to end the debate, but instead led to revolts.
Thanks to popular demand and political expediency, icons returned a century later. In the post-Iconoclast Era, craftsmen and mosaic artists were again free to portray religious scenes. Emperors had the artists add events and scenes that had nothing to do with religion but instead furthered political objectives. They saw no harm in portraying themselves with Mary, Christ, and the angels. Icons turned out to be like illustrations from a history book—projected from an imperial point of view—instead of tools to teach religion to the illiterate. Two great examples at Hagia Sophia are the mosaic of Emperor Leo above the Imperial Gate, and the Empress Zoe mosaic in the Upper Galleries.

Imperial Gate

This majestic doorway was reserved for the emperor—it was opened only for him. Notice the metal hooks attached to the doorway's open frame. The Ottomans added these to hold leather curtains—similar to those used in today's mosques—to protect worshippers from dust, and to reduce the interruption of a giant door opening and closing. The hooks on the walls held lamps.
Look at the panel above the gate, the Mosaic of Christ with Emperor Leo VI. The emperor known as "Leo the Wise" is today remembered more for his multiple marriages than for his intellect. His first three wives died without giving him a child, so he married his mistress—and the mother of his son—Zoe Carbonospina (meaning "Black Eyes"). This sparked a scandal: The emperor was excommunicated by the patriarch, and was barred from attending the Christmas service in A.D. 906. In this scene, Leo seems to be asking for forgiveness—prostrating himself before Jesus, who blesses the emperor. The Greek reads, "May peace be with you. I am the light of the earth." Mary and the Archangel Gabriel are portrayed in the roundels on either side of Jesus. Whitewashed by the Ottomans, the mosaic was only rediscovered in 1933.
Now look through the Imperial Gate into the interior of the nave for a breathtaking view. Go ye.
• Step through the Imperial Gate and into the main nave of Hagia Sophia.
The Nave
Overwhelming, unbelievable, fantastic: These are the words that fall from the open mouths of visitors to Hagia Sophia. Take a few steps into the grand space, close this book, shut your ears to the rumble of excited visitors, and just absorb the experience: You are in Hagia Sophia, the crowning achievement of the Byzantine Empire that once ruled the world.
Blocking your view (and the travelers' buzz) is the looming scaffolding, in place for an extensive restoration project. It's been here for over two decades, with at least another decade to go. (Locals grouse that just when they think the restoration is almost finished, it starts all over again.) The project has taken so long because of lack of funds, and because of structural problems—mainly leaks through the dome's exterior lead cover. Restoring Hagia Sophia is also a political balancing act: The "Great Church" is of enormous importance to both Christianity and Islam, and each side wants to ensure "their" version is protected.
At least the scaffolding—which is about the size of a 20-story building—gives you some sense of the dome's mammoth dimensions, height, and size. Paris' Notre-Dame would fit within Hagia Sophia's great dome, and New York City's Statue of Liberty could do jumping jacks here. • Take a few minutes to appreciate the feat of engineering that is Hagia Sophia. First, tune into the...

Math in Practice

Emperor Justinian appointed two great geometry professors to design his Great Church: Anthemius of Trades and his assistant, Isidore of Miletus. Anthemius' title was "Mechanikos," or engineer—not "architect." (Architects of the time worked beneath the engineers, and were considered contractors ranking among the builders and masons.) The mission given to Anthemius was to "apply geometry to solid matter." Hagia Sophia's architectural unity is testament to Anthemius' ability and genius. He knew how to create and integrate spaces within the confines of an architectural style.
In Byzantine architecture, a building's interior was more important than its exterior. The exterior was just a mask, but the interior aimed to impress and overwhelm the visitor with a specific message. Hagia Sophia's message was that the emperor—who created that sacred monument—was backed up by divine power. So in a way, the church was a very expensive propaganda tool.
Byzantines, like the Romans before them, mastered the use of the arch to bear weight. Anthemius wanted to create the feeling that the church's dome was hanging down from the heavens on gold chains. To achieve this, he designed a dome bigger and higher than anything built before, and placed a row of clear glass windows around its base—creating the illusion that the dome is floating on air. (Later engineers in Europe's Gothic Age opened up the space even more, through the use of flying buttresses.)
Anthemius is considered the greatest architect in Byzantine history. But after designing Hagia Sophia, he continued his career as a professor of geometry, living a modest life in a small residence in Constantinople.

Architecture

Hagia Sophia was designed as a classical basilica covered by a vast central dome. By definition, a "basilica" is characterized by a large central open space, called a nave, flanked by rows of columns and narrow side aisles. It sounds simple, but even the two geometricians Justinian chose to build Hagia Sophia had doubts about whether the plan would work (see sidebar above). Every so often, Anthemius would go to the emperor to tell him about potential risks. And every time, he got the same response: "Have faith in God." Anthemius was right to have worried. Despite his mastery of geometry, he made some miscalculations; a few decades after Hagia Sophia was completed, part of the gigantic dome collapsed. The dome was repaired using steeper angles than the original; even so, it would collapse and be rebuilt again in the sixth and 10th centuries.
The main dome—185 feet high and roughly 105 feet in diameter—appears to float on four great arches. The secret is the clear glass windows at the base of the dome. The triangular pendentives in the corners gracefully connect the round dome to the rectangular building below, and the arches pass the dome's weight to the massive piers at the corners. Semi-domes at the ends extend the open space. Over 100 columns provide further support to the upper parts of the building. Many of these columns were brought here from other, even more ancient monuments and temples.
Hagia Sophia was a worthy attempt to create a vast indoor space, independent from the walls. But in practice, quite a bit of the dome's great weight is held up by the walls, which is why there are not very many windows. The Byzantines built additional arches inside the walls to further help distribute the weight. These "hidden arches" are visible here and there, where the stucco layers have worn away.
As you look around, note the basic principle of Byzantine architecture: symmetry. All the architectural elements, including decorative pieces, are placed in a symmetrical fashion. If a window or door would weaken a wall, then a false, painted-on one would be created in its place.
Artful use of light creates the interior's stunning effect. The windows at the base of the dome used clear glass, while other windows throughout the building used thin alabaster to further diffuse the light and create a more dramatic effect.
• With the Imperial Gate directly behind you, face the apse and look up into the massive dome.

Dome Decorations

Many of Hagia Sophia's original decorations—especially mosaics or frescos depicting people—were covered with whitewash and plaster through the centuries that Hagia Sophia was used as a mosque. In some cases, the plaster actually helped to preserve the artwork. For others, damage was inevitable, as the stucco absorbed the whitewash. In the 19th century, the sultan invited the Swiss-born Fossati brothers to complete an extensive restoration of Hagia Sophia. They cleaned and catalogued many of the Byzantine fig-ural mosaics before covering them up again.
At the base of the dome, between intersecting arches, are winged seraphim. These angels' faces are covered with gold-leaf masks or medallions. The two nearest the apse are from the 14th century; the other two are replicas by the Fossati brothers.
The Ottoman additions that will immediately draw your attention are Arabic calligraphy, especially the eight 24-foot-wide medallions suspended at the bases of the arches supporting the central and side domes. These huge, leather-wrapped, wooden medallions were added in the 19th century and decorated by master Islamic calligraphers. The two medallions on the arches flanking the apse are painted with the names of Allah (on the right) and Muhammad (on the left). The four at the center name the four caliphs—Muslim religious and social leaders who succeeded the Prophet Muhammad: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali. The two medallions on the arches above the Imperial Gate bear the names of Muhammad's grandchildren and Ali's sons, who were assassinated.
The heavy chandeliers hanging from the dome are also Ottoman additions. They held candlesticks, or glass oil lamps with floating wicks.
• As you face the apse, look to your right. In the back-right corner of the nave is a large, round container.
Alabaster Urns
formidable ancient acropolis of north Aegean Turkey. Find the tap mounted in the side.
This is one of two Hellenistic-era urns (one on each side of the nave) that the sultan brought to Istanbul from Pergamon—the
Traditionally, Ottoman mosques had functional fountains inside, to provide drinking water for worshippers.
The two purple porphyry columns behind each urn are older even than Hagia Sophia, though their exact origin is unclear. Two columns stand at each corner—eight in all. Long ago, metal hoops were placed around the columns to prevent further damage (they already had cracks in them). • Go beyond the urn and the porphyry columns into the side aisle (on the south, or right side as you face the apse). As you walk, you'll enjoy some interesting perspectives back into the central nave.

South Aisle

The golden mosaics on the ceiling are from Justinian's age. Past the large buttress, a row of four green marble columns to your left separates the south aisle from the central nave. These four columns carry the Upper Galleries, and also provide support to the domes, easing the burden on the buttresses and exterior wall. Notice the richly decorated, white-marble capitals of these columns (with the joint monograms of Justinian and Theodora).
On our last visit, the next two features were obscured by the scaffolding, so you may not be able to see them: To the left of the column row, toward the center of the nave, notice a colorful, attractive section in the otherwise boring gray-white marble floor. This is the coronation square—the spot where for centuries Byzantine emperors would receive their crowns. The big circle in royal purple at the center was where the throne was placed, facing the apse. Directly behind the coronation square is an Ottoman addition: a fancy-looking, elevated marble platform called the choir loge (muezzin mahfili).
Back in the south aisle, to your right—opposite the four green columns—part of the aisle was redecorated by Sultan Mahmut I as a library to hold religious books. Look through the ornate grill to see fine blue-and-white İznik tiles on the wall.
Just beyond the library, you'll pass between stout columns into an open area at the corner. Just before you pass between these columns, notice the relief panels decorating them (facing each other across the corridor, with a chandelier between them). This marble frieze depicts an unusual design for a church decoration: two dolphins separated by a stylized fork. This may represent Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. There were still pagan communities in Constantinople when the church was built, maybe even helping with construction. Some say the pagans may have snuck in a few of their own symbols. 1 Swing left—past two more purple porphyry columns—into...

The Apse

The first thing you'll notice as you approach the apse is the highly decorated staircase set diagonally away from the wall. This is the mimber (meem-behr)—the pulpit used in a mosque by the imam (cleric, like a priest or rabbi) to deliver his sermon on Fridays, or to talk to the public on special occasions. The imam stands halfway up the stairs as a sign of respect, reserving the uppermost step for the Prophet Muhammad.
Go beyond the pulpit and face the apse. When Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque, a small niche was added off-center in the apse's circular wall. Called the mihrab, this niche shows the precise direction to face during prayers (toward the holy city of Mecca).
High above the mihrab, on the underside of the semi-dome, is a colorful Mosaic of Mary and the Christ Child on a gold background. Christ is also dressed in gold. Part of the background mosaics is missing, but most of the scene is intact. This, the oldest of Hagia Sophia's mosaics, dates from the ninth century. It may have been the first figurative mosaic added after the Iconoclast Era, and replaced a cross-design mosaic from the earlier period. Note the "clubs" on Mary's forehead and both shoulders, which stand for the Trinity. Notice also the "spades" among the "clubs" on the pillows.
On the right end of the arch, just before the semi-dome (behind the large medallion), find the Mosaic of Archangel Gabriel with his wings sweeping down to the ground. On the opposite end of the arch, there was once a similar mosaic of the Archangel Michael, but all that remains are a few feathers from his wings. To your
left, by the side of the apse (under the big medallion), is the elevated prayer section for the sultans, or the sultan's loge (behind the gold-glazed metalwork). This was added in the 19th century.
• Now follow the left (west) aisle back toward the Interior Narthex, where you entered the nave. Just before you exit back into the narthex, look for the column at the far-back corner (on the right), covered in rusted-green brass sheeting roughly up to eye level.

Miracle Column of St. Gregory

This is the legendary "perspiring column," or the Column of St.  Gregory, the miracle worker. For centuries, people believed this column "wept" holy water that could cure afflictions such as eye diseases and infertility.
How does it work? Put your thumb in the hole, and if it comes out feeling damp, your prayer will be answered. No? Try this. Put your thumb in the hole again, and this time, make a complete 360-degree circle with your hand, with your thumb still in the hole. (This might require some acrobatics.) The metal surrounding the hole has been polished by millions of hands over the yea:rs.
• Walk through the door to the left of this column, leaving the main nave and re-entering the Interior Narthex. The huge door to your right leads to the Upper Galleries, which hold Hagia Sophias best-known mosaics.
Continue through this door andfollow the long, stone-paved ramp up to the galleries. Why a ramp, and not stairs? Because those with exalted rank were carried by their servants, or rode on horseback. Watch your step, as the ramp has irregular stone paving.
The Upper Galleries
• As you step off the ramp, you're at the edge of the West Gallery. For now, turn to your immediate left to enter the North Gallery.
North Gallery
This gallery, which was exclusively reserved for women, is the darkest and least important of the three galleries. Today the only attraction here is the Mosaic of Emperor Alexander (after passing the first big column, look up and back). Alexander was the brother of Leo VI (the "Wise" but polygamous emperor we met earlier, in the scene above the Imperial Gate) and took the throne after Leo's death in A.D. 912. Alexander had no interest in state affairs, and scholars describe him as a devout hedonist. He had this mosaic portrait made during his one-year reign. The medallions read, "O Lord, help your servant, faithful Emperor Alexander."
• Now backtrack to the large...

West Gallery

This gallery provides a direct view of the apse. Walk to the center of the gallery and look for a green marble circle in the floor right before the balustrade, with columns on either side. This was the spot reserved for the empress' throne, right across from the apse.
Here and there in the walls, you'll notice holes in the stucco with glass pieces placed between the stones. This was a safety feature, to see if the walls were in danger of collapsing: The glass pieces would crack under pressure.
• Turning left at the end of this gallery, you 11 pass through the marble separator—known as the Gate of Heaven and Hell—into the...

South Gallery

The south gallery was originally used for church council meetings. The frescoes on the ceiling are copies of ancient designs, redone by the Fossati brothers during their 19th-century restoration.
Go to the first window on your right. Next to the window is the Deesis Mosaic, one of the finest of Hagia Sophia's Byzantine mosaics—though certainly not its best-preserved. Dating from the 13th or 14th century, its theme—depicting the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist asking Jesus for the salvation of souls—is common in Eastern Orthodox churches. Notice how Mary's and John's heads tilt slightly towards Christ. The workmanship is fascinating, especially the expression and detail in the faces. Get up close to examine how miniscule and finely cut the pieces are.
• Walk to the far end of this gallery, for two more Byzantine mosaic panels, placed side by side.
As you approach the end of the gallery, look for the 12th-century Mosaic of the Virgin and Child with Emperor John Comnenus and Empress Irene. Mary stands in the center, holding the Christ child in her arms. Christ's right hand extends in blessing, and he holds a scroll in his left hand. As in many such mosaics, the emperor offers Christ a bag of money (representing his patronage), and the empress presents a scroll. Their son Prince Alexius is portrayed on the adjoining pier—added to the scene only after he became co-emperor at age 17.
To the left is the 11th-century Mosaic of Christ with Emperor Constantine IX Monomachus and Empress Zoe. Constantine and Zoe are portrayed in ceremonial garments, flanking Christ on his throne. The inscription above the emperor's head reads, "Sovereign of Romans, Constantine Monomachus," while the empress is identified as "Zoe, the most pious Augusta."
Standard fare so far, but if we dig deeper, this mosaic gets quite interesting. Look again at the inscription above the emperor and find the section where it looks as if someone rearranged the mosaic pieces. Here's the story: Empress Zoe—the daughter of an emperor who had no male heirs—married Romanus Argyrus, but he was killed in his bath a few years later. Zoe then married her young lover, Michael IV—and, within a few years, he was dead, too. His nephew, Michael V, was named co-emperor and sent Zoe into exile. But the well-connected Zoe found a way back, had Michael V deposed, and married a third time, to Constantine Monomachus, at the age of 65.
That's three husbands in all—and a lot of extra work for the mosaic artists. So, instead of changing the image of Zoe's husband each time, they simply changed the title over his head. And Zoe's face, which was erased by Michael V, was restored to her youth-like appearance after she resumed her reign and married Constantine Monomachus.
By the way, if you've enjoyed these mosaics, don't miss the Chora Church Museum, out on the edge of the Old Town
• Retrace your steps back down the ramp to the Interior Narthex. Walk toward the Vestibule of Guards (straight ahead, at the far end). Midway along the narthex, the door on the right opens into the narrow Exterior Narthex. Pass through it, then use the main visitors entrance and exit to the front courtyard.
Just as you step outside the building, the remains of the earlier Theodosian Church—in the large hole on the right—are worth a look (described in the sidebar above). If you need a bite to eat, the cafeteria is directly ahead, by the side of the garden.

Early Churches at the Site of Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia was built over the remains of at least two earlier churches. No trace remains of the first church, construction of which probably began in the fourth century A.D., as Constantine moved to strengthen his hold on the fledgling Byzantine Empire.
Constantine himself probably directed the church's initial construction, but his son, Constantius II, completed the bulk of the church. It's thought that a fire destroyed this first "Great Church" at the beginning of the fifth century during a riot protesting the exile of church Patriarch John Chrysostom.
The next church, believed to have been built by Theodosius II, was grander in scale, and more elaborate. But as fate would have it, this second church was also destroyed during a religious uprising—the Nika riots of 532 that caused the death of over 30,000 people. Half of the city was reduced to ashes, including the church.
Some remains of the Theodosian Church are visible in the pit just outside the main entrance to Hagia Sophia. Here, you can see part of the steps that led to the entrance portico, the bases of the columns that supported the entry porch, and fragments of marble blocks with carved sheep designs. A few other Theodosian Church artifacts, columns, and capitals are scattered through Hagia Sophia's outdoor garden. (s3)