Constantinople’s Main Cathedral: Hagia Sophia
Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Justinianus Augustus or Emperor Justinian I is considered one of the most consequential emperors in the late Roman and Byzantine eras. Born sometime in 482 CE, he ruled the Byzantine empire from 527 to 565 CE. Like other emperors before him, he was a great admirer of the arts and his devotion to religion meant he wanted to spread Christianity throughout the empire.
The style of a building known as Byzantine architecture thrived during the rule of Justinian. Mosaics were used extensively inside his structures, but what stood out as an innovation during this time was the heightened dome, the product of sixth-century engineering. On the emperor’s orders, the rebuilding of the Hagia Sophia church began in 532 CE. It was the biggest construction of its time that made use of the new techniques. It began a period of intense building in the empire, including bridges, more churches, monasteries, orphanages, forts, and water reservoirs. Procopius of Caesarea, legal secretary to General Belisarius, wrote De Aedeficiis from 550 to 557 CE detailing the many architectural projects of the emperor.
Also called Justinian the Great, the emperor rose to power in 527 when he was appointed co-emperor with his uncle Justin I. Upon his uncle’s death the same year, he became the sole ruler of the Byzantine empire. Modern countries that were part of the Byzantine Empire include Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Israel (including territories claimed by Palestinians), Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Cyprus, Turkey, Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine (including South Crimea), Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, France, and Malta. He made every effort to return the empire to its former ancient glory and show that it was stronger than ever. His rule was authoritarian and under his reign, his will was the law. This did not make him popular with the nobility, the senate, and the factions within. Justinian’s strong-arm policies got their comeuppance in the Nika. A riot of January 11 to 19, 532. The resulting devastation destroyed buildings of note, including Constantinople’s cathedral, the Hagia Sophia (Church of the Holy Wisdom of God), Hagia Eirene (Church of Peace), the Chalke, or Bronze Gate to the emperor’s palace, and the baths of Zeuxippus. The great damage was followed by great rebuilding for several years after.
The central structure during this rebuild was the Hagia Sophia, Constantinople’s main cathedral and most important church throughout history. Its original structure was laid under the rule of the first Eastern Roman emperors Constantine and his son, Constantius II. After Justinian’s rebuild from 532 to 537, the Hagia Sophia became the architectural masterpiece as it stands today, a singular icon of Byzantine architecture.
The church was designed by Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus. Their combined knowledge in engineering, physics, and mathematics achieved at the time a revolutionary design. It combined the basilica. Church type was based on Roman assembly halls, usually composed of a longitudinal nave flanked by side aisles (Ousterhout) and the centralized plan, which incorporated a longitudinal axis. The central dome is over 100 feet in diameter and is raised by pendentives. An architectural element in the shape of a triangular segment of a sphere is used to make the transition from a square room to a circular base for a dome braced on two sides by half-domes. Rows of columns are constructed on the aisles and galleries, with semicircular recesses called exedrae at the corners. The mosaic design in the church was supposedly done with its massive surface in mind, showing crosses and vegetal patterns. The interior was further festooned by variegated marble sourced from all over the empire. These were shaped into floor tiling, wall paneling, columns, and monogram sculptures of Justinian and his wife Theodora. Over 30 other churches were rebuilt by the emperor in Constantinople, plus many more ecclesiastical and secular buildings all over the empire right up to Mount Sinai in Egypt.
When Justinian conquered Italy and Spain. and North Africa, he built churches and other holy establishments, including the Church of the Holy Apostles and the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus. With the westward march of the empire, Justinian commissioned the construction of other churches outside Constantinople, like St. Catherine’s Monastery and St. John’s Basilica. Justinian’s influence by way of architecture led religious leaders to build churches such as the Basilica of San Vitale and the Euphrasian Basilica around the same time.
Justinian The Great has been called by some scholars the last great Roman emperor and the first great Byzantine emperor. The influence of Byzantine architecture was felt for hundreds of years, from 330 to the fall of Constantinople in 1453, and until today. The Hagia Sophia was the crowning glory of his building works. Its beauty still stands unequaled today. In making the Byzantine empire greater and stronger than it ever was, Justinian the Great brought his rule of law to his people and introduced architectural innovations that have survived for over a thousand years.
