Photo: Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

Interior view of the magnificent dome of Hagia Sophia, which rises 184 feet (56m, about 15 stories) in height. Its diameter is approximately 102 feet (31m), just slightly smaller than that of the Pantheon in Rome. Like most Byzantine churches, the dome originally featured a central medallion of Christ Pantocrator. This was added in the second half of the 9th century, after the Iconoclastic controversy was resolved in favor of images. Some scholars maintain that it was a full-length image of Christ seated on the arc of heaven, rather than a bust portrayal of the Pantocrator. The mosaic was destroyed in the severe earthquake of 1346 and was replaced with a similar representation after 1355. It had not yet been plastered over in the 16th century, when travellers attest to its existence. During the extensive cleaning and restoration works carried out by the Fossati brothers in the 19th century, the dome mosaic disappeared. It may well lie hidden beneath the current decoration. The center dome now displays a calligraphic medallion quoting the Light Verse (Qur'an 24:35), inscribed by Mustafa Izzet Efendi during the Fossati restoration.

Photo © Helen Betts.

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