Uniquely Byzantium: Religious Marvel of Byzantium: Hagia Sophia

Saturday, February 14, 2009

People from all the corners of the globe should come and gather to Byzantium, a city full of culture and religion represented by the great church, Hagia Sophia. The Hagia Sophia is one of the Eastern Orthodox churches of the Byzantine Empire, and among all of them, it is considered as the most significant, symbolic, and important. This specific architectural marvel embodies the religion of the empire, Easter Orthodoxy.

Hagia Sophia is a Greek word for “Holy Wisdom” and it was built by the Emperor Justinian I in his renovation of Byzantium after a massive revolution. The construction of the building began in 532 CE, and finished just 5 years later in 537 CE. Its architectural design, along with the other Orthodox churches is very unique and different from the Roman Catholic churches of Feudal Europe. Instead of having a structure with the similar shape as a Roman cross, Hagia Sophia has a rectangular base with the dimensions of 260 feet by 240. The house of worship also possesses a high and elaborate dome with a diameter of 30 meters. These architectural characteristics developed due to the belief of the religion; the bare box-like base symbolizes Earth, while the heavily decorated dome indicates the glory of heaven. Feudal Europeans should certainly accept this difference among the religious architectural structures because people originating from different parts of the world view God from a different prospective.

Another reason people should visit Hagia Sophia is because it houses riches and jewels which represents the wealth of the whole Byzantium Empire. The anto (a name for the reading podium), the iconostasis (a screen separating the sanctuary from the nave), and the ciborium (canopy) are all made from silver. And furthermore, the altar and crucifix are of 24 carat, solid shining gold. Brick was the material used to construct the walls, arches, and vaults, and located at the upper part of these are mosaics with a background of gold too.

The Hagia Sophia, located at Byzantium, is a must see for each and every Feudal Europeans because its splendid beauty is without a doubt a spectacle to see. The religion of the empire is most certainly symbolized by this church, and in addition to that, it possess riches and treasures which stands for the huge stock of wealth by the city and empire. Altogether, a trip to Byzantium is a journey to heaven on earth.