The Hagia Sophia's "Little" Moments

Without a doubt, the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey is an iconic piece of architecture. The monumental building has been photographed numerous times by masterful artists, so it is more than a little daunting to consider how best to present photographs of it in a new and meaningful way.

A collage of elements creates a layered view towards the apse of the Hagia Sophia
Istanbul, Turkey - 2012

Peter, a good friend, once made a tongue-in-cheek remark that went something like this: “when I look at your photographs, I sometimes wonder if we actually visited the same place…”

His words made us all laugh and we moved on. But he was right. I do often end up photographing elements of a place that aren’t the “main attraction.” When I reviewed my many photographs of the Hagia Sophia, wondering how I could present a different sort of story, it dawned on me that Peter's words might be the key. I could tell the supporting story, putting my focus on the "sub-plots" (in keeping with the storytelling analogy).

So - in selecting these photographs, my goal was to find the "hidden" views - studies of spatial volume,  layering, light, color and decorative detail - that would make for an intriguing composition. While none of them capture the grand scale of the structure or do justice to its complex interconnecting volumes, I hope these “glimpses” play a role in revealing the supporting elements that are just as essential in creating the rich and multi-layered experience that is the Hagia Sophia.

The Imperial Gate
This central portal between the inner narthex and the nave was reserved for the Emperor.
 Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey - 2012

For nine centuries, the Hagia Sophia (translation: divine wisdom) was a principal church of the Byzantine Empire. In 1054, it bore witness to the advent of the Great Schism - the division of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. After the fall of Constantinople to Sultan Mehmed II in 1453, it was converted to a mosque. Mosaics were plastered over and minarets added. Though never intended to be a mosque, it nonetheless became an important precedent for the design  of future mosques, including the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque) and the Suleymaniye Mosque. Since 1935, it has been a museum.

Second Level Arched Colonnade of the Hagia Sophia
This side wall is really an enclosing plane that shifts in permeability, from large openings on the ground level,
to a more tightly spaced colonnade at the second level, and then to a solid wall with punched windows above.
Istanbul, Turkey - 2012

The Hagia Sophia we see today was commissioned by Justinian the Great in 532 CE. It was built with astonishing speed - the work of over then thousand people - and inaugurated in 537 CE . It sits on the site of two earlier churches - Constantine's Church and Theodosius' Church. Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles were chosen as its designers. According to Sir Bannister Fletcher's A History of Architecture, they were not called "architects" but rather "mechanicoi" -  as they were knowledgeable in the "mechanical sciences" of their time, which would be analogous to the geometry of today. He also notes that the the design is unusual in that the longitudinal emphasis of the basilica plan is moderated by the massive dome which exerts a centralizing influence.

Multi-Layered Enfilade - Hagia Sophia
In this view across the nave from the second floor gallery, the many layers of interconnecting horizontal
and vertical spaces are bathed in natural light that further accentuates and differentiates,
adding to the rich visual experience of the nave and central dome.
Istanbul, Turkey - 2012

In fact, the dome exerts more than just an "influence". It's soaring volume is the main event. It is exactly 100 Byzantine feet (about 103 feet 4 inches) in plan, and after being rebuilt at different times through the years, it stands taller (at 182 feet 5 inches) than the original.

After recovering from the overwhelming drama of this singular space, one begins to take in the supporting elements (or "little moments") of the structure that enhance it and define it. The many attempts at restoration and modernization, not to mention the clear design "improvisations" (Sir Bannister Fletcher's very apt term...) - doors and colonnades that don't line up, structural stiffeners that had to be added, etc. - do nothing to diminish the building's power of place. It has a "messy vitality" (a term originally coined by architect Robert Venturi in the book Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture), that does not detract from its beauty. The overall effect is one of wabi-sabi glory - and it is truly breathtaking.

Mary in Light - Portion of the Deesis Mosaic on the 2nd Level of the Hagia Sophia
Istanbul, Turkey - 2012

One of the little moments that contribute to the wabi-sabi glory of the Hagia Sophia is the Deësis mosaic. This particular view - with the soft light illuminating the face of a soulful and compassionate Mary - is perhaps my favorite. The elements of the image - the mosaic artist's mastery, the plaster, the golden opulence, the less than perfect but still beautiful decorative painting above the cornice, the carving of the window transom - all seem to work together to embody much of the Hagia Sophia's story.

The Deësis mosaic was uncovered in the 1930's by a team of archaeologists and craftsmen who were following a map left behind by the Fossati's brothers, Gaspare and Giuseppi. The brothers were engaged by Sultan Abdul-Medjit to restore the Hagia Sophia after it had suffered extensive damage in 1849. You can read more about this beautiful piece - its history and restoration - in Bob Atchison's website: Hagia Sophia: The Deësis Mosaic  

View of the Hagia Sophia's Narthex - Lower Level Clerestory Windows
Istanbul, Turkey - 2012

View of the Hagia Sophia's Narthex - Upper Level
Istanbul, Turkey - 2012

Floor of the Hagia Sophia's Nave
When the building was used as a mosque, this floor was covered with prayer flags.
Istanbul, Turkey -2012

Before taking my leave of this remarkable building, I paused to look down to the floor, captivated by the simple but pleasing pattern of multicolored marble set into circles of a lighter color. At that moment, it struck me that this surface had carried the weight of people just like me, for almost 1,500 years. I was humbled and moved - as much by the simple floor beneath my feet, as the soaring dome above my head.

On the Bosphorus
Istanbul, Turkey - 2012
photo by Roger Winter

There is a wealth of information - including old photos, new photos, and measured drawings - available on the Hagia Sophia. I relied primarily on:

• Musgrove, John editor. Sir Banister Fletcher’s A History of Architecture, 19^th edition. Butterworths, London England 1987. pp 286 - 293.
• Hagia Sophia: The Deësis Mosaic Bob Atchison's website with lovely photographs and detailed text.

See more of my photographs at http://DigitalYak.etsy.com/.

The Fashion (or Politics?) of Turkish Trench Coats and Headscarves

One of our young hosts for our village homestay
 near Beysehir, Turkey - 2012

I never thought that I would ever say this...but...I do enjoy photographing people! Particularly rewarding are the candid shots that are quickly captured, without much planning and without much fuss. I also find that upon returning from a trip, it's the people shots that I organize first. More so than the photographs of places and objects, it's the photographs of people that bring back memories of the moment in deeper detail, perhaps because of the indelible way in which they are grounded in time. A building or landscape at sunrise might look very much the same from one day to the next, whereas the expression on a person's face, taken at the same time every day, most likely will not.

Shopping Day
Istanbul, Turkey - 2012

The streets of Istanbul are full of history and teeming with people. It's impossible to resist the urge to photograph the women, often walking arm in arm, one in a headscarf and long skirt, the other bare-headed and wearing form fitting jeans. On one walk along the Bosphorus, where fishermen like to stake out their ground for the afternoon, we came across a bride and groom, and their photographer. A fisherman very politely gave up his spot so the wedding photographer could position the bride and groom against the backdrop of sea and sky before digitally memorializing their special day.

Wedding Photos on the Banks of the Bosphorus
Istanbul, Turkey - 2012

One of the interesting things about the scene was the contrast in dress between the wedding photographer and the bride. The young bride was in a traditional white wedding gown (traditional to people of European heritage...), while the young professional photographer was in traditional headscarf (traditional to Turkey...).

When we left Istanbul and headed towards central Turkey - to Cappadocia and Konya - we began to see more and more women in headscarves...and...trenchcoats! In my own light cotton traveling garb, the 90+ degree heat was oppressive, so I could only wonder how it was that they were managing so well.

Headscarves and Trenchcoats at the Mevlana Museum (Shrine of Rumi)
Konya, Turkey - 2012

Smartly dressed women paying their respects at the Mevlana Museum (Shrine of Rumi)
Konya, Turkey - 2012

It was obvious to me that the women took pride in their appearance. Scarves were chosen to compliment their trench coats. I could see that there was an art to the way in which their scarves were wrapped, with a specific number of pins, their patterns displayed just so.

The very hospitable family we stayed with in a village near Beysehir included the patriarch and matriarch, their two sons and their wives, and the two couples' children - one had a daughter and the other a son. I remember thinking that the young wives were modestly, but also quite confidently and stylishly, dressed in colorful headscarves and long skirts.

Young women hosts of our village homestay, with five year old Suleyman
 near Beysehir, Turkey - 2012

It was only much later  in our trip that I discovered what a political lightning rod this single item of clothing - a simple headscarf - actually was.  These are just three of the dramatically headlined articles that I found from BBC News: Turkey: Battle of the headscarf (22 July 2002), Headscarf issue challenges Turkey (7 November 2006), and Is Turkey's secular system in danger? (24 October 2012), that highlight the symbolic role that headscarves play in Turkey's political debate.

To put things in context, Turkey has been a secular state since the early 1920's, the legacy of the much loved leader, Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk). Headscarves are banned for women who hold public positions or those who are engaged in working or studying on public premises. In the late 1970's and early 1980's, more women started wearing headscarves to school and universities. Those interviewed in the BBC articles saw it as a personal choice - a reflection of who they were - and being expelled from universities or banned from appearing in court because they refused to remove their headscarves was a form of discrimination.

The whole controversy would probably not have as much steam if the Turkish government was not currently led (for the past decade) by the Justice and Development Party (AKP). Prime Minister Erdogan has already been accused of having an Islamist agenda, and because Turkey is so overwhelmingly Muslim, the fear is that  relaxing the ban on headscarves will just open the door to Islam in public life.

One of our other young hosts for our village homestay
 near Beysehir, Turkey - 2012

As a outsider, I don't feel it is my place to agree or disagree with either side in this debate. However, I can't help hoping that headscarves and trenchcoats may one day lose their political symbolism and gain more of a cultural one. That's the way I believe it is in the Indian subcontinent where saris are worn - by choice - throughout Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh, by Moslems, Buddhists, Hindus, and Christians alike.  And I can only hope that at some point, something as superficial as what a Turkish woman chooses to wear will be seen only as a personal choice....a choice that is made freely, with confidence and pride, and in the spirit of personal expression, rather than religious restriction.

On the Bosphorus
Istanbul, Turkey - 2012
photo by Roger Winter

Many of the images included in my posts are also available for purchase as 8x10 and 5x7 fine art prints and A2 size greeting cards (all printed on archival water color paper) at http://DigitalYak.etsy.com/. Be sure to send me a message if there is something you'd like that you don't see listed, or if you'd like a custom size or item, as I truly enjoy creating one of a kind items that hold special meaning. Thanks!!

The Allure of Layered Space

Temple of Hadrian
Ephesus, Turkey - 2012

The architectural concept of "layered space" was pervasively evident everywhere in Turkey. At the Hagia Sophia, the Topkapi Palace, the Suleymaniye Mosque, the ruins of Hieropolis and Ephesus, the streets of Istanbul, and even in the humble rock churches of Cappadocia, space is revealed, screened, punctuated and illuminated to create a sense of "layers," directly influencing the way in which we experience our three dimensional world. It was a constant source of delight. I loved it.

Suleymaniye Mosque
Istanbul, Turkey - 2012

An architect's vocabulary includes many terms that don't often make it into our everyday conversations, which is a real shame, as they can capture the rich and complex characteristics of space in a single word or two. Layered space embraces nuance. It provokes a sense of discovery. It provides a frame of reference while foreshadowing what is to come. It is the antithesis of a one-liner.

Bayezid II Mosque
Istanbul, Turkey - 2012

The design tools employed to layer space center on the many ways (and degrees) in which perceived space can be defined and connected - or conversely separated. This may typically involve the use of level changes, deep niches, colonnades (row of columns), decorative screens, as well as openings to above or openings to below. Spatial volumes become interconnected and also divided into slits and slots which are often accentuated or reinforced with a change in materials, color, texture, and light. Because your perception of spatial quality changes as you pass from one layer and into another, the element of time is also added to the mix.

Hierapolis, Turkey - 2012

Hagia Sophia
Istanbul, Turkey - 2012

And because space is three dimensional, it can be layered vertically, as well as horizontally. I was especially intrigued with how this was accomplished in the mosques of Istanbul where beautiful bold chandeliers act as horizontal screens, or an implied ceiling. Within the grand interior volumes of these domed mosques, horizontal slots of intimately scaled space are created for people who would most likely be sitting on the floor.

Hagia Sophia
Istanbul, Turkey - 2012

Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque)
Istanbul, Turkey - 2012

The ultimate goal of layered space is to provide a rich and relevant sensory experience that also enhances the ways in which that space is used. For example, a colonnade or arcade can define a walkway just as well as a solid wall. However in contrast to the wall, it also provides a rhythm of solid and void, a view beyond to establish context which aids in way finding, and the illusion of a less constricted, more expansive space - all things that enhance the simple act of moving from point A to point B.

Celsus Library
Ephesus, Turkey - 2012

The concept of layering space is not limited to the inside of buildings. It works beautifully in landscape gardens - where garden walls, hedges and trees are employed to similar effect - and also in urban environments where degrees of spatial definition can indirectly guide us to recognize public areas as opposed to private ones.

Spice Bazaar
Istanbul, Turkey - 2012

So the next time you are sitting in your living room or going for a walk in your neighborhood, your city or maybe even in Istanbul, try consciously considering your sensory response to your surroundings. You will perceive the delightful "space within a space," notice the framed views, the literal and phenomenal transparency.  You will experience rhythm and progression, solid and void, figure and ground. You will respond to the promise of a destination. Your perception of the physical world will become more acute. That is the wonderful allure - and reward - of layered space...

On the Bosphorus
Istanbul, Turkey - 2012
photo by Roger Winter

All of the images posted here are also available for purchase as 8x10 and 5x7 fine art prints and A2 size greeting cards (all printed on archival water color paper) at http://DigitalYak.etsy.com/. Be sure to send me a message if there is something you'd like that you don't see listed, or if you'd like a custom size or item, as I truly enjoy creating one of a kind items that hold special meaning. Thanks!!