Basilica de Santa Sofia
Introduction.
We are faced with an architectural work, known as the Church of Santa Sofía, in Istanbul, Turkey. The most representative building of the Golden Age of the Art of the Byzantine Empire, and in general of the Byzantine art.
Built in just five years (532-537) under the direction of the antem of Tralles and Isidoro de Mileto, who were experts in mathematics, kinetic and static. Antemio would take care of the theory and Isidoro to bring theory to practice. Shortly after I would suffer an earthquake, which led him to the reconstruction by Isidoro "the young man", who would add some modifications.
Through this work we can analyze the characteristics of Byzantine architecture, presenting a mixture between the classical tradition (basilical plant, main load pillars and building scale) and the eastern tradition (central space crowned by a dome). During the time it was the most important temple of Christianity. In the fifteenth, it was transformed into a mosque, and is currently used as a museum.
Developing.
Its main function is religious although it was also used as an imperial propaganda. The most used plants in Byzantine art were those of paleocristian tradition, such as basilical or octagonal, to which the Greek cross inscribed in square or rectangle.
The Church of Santa Sofía has 3 ships separated by half -point arches on columns and Greek cross plant, centralized by means of an immense dome. The center of the plant is made up of four large pillars, which are reinforced with four against pillars that are concealed in the side ships, which delimit the square that supports the great weight of the dome, which relies on 4 medium arches point that help the pechinas system. In turn, the dome pressure is absorbed by two half domes sustained by pillars and these in turn are counteracted from the exedras.
As support elements in addition to the wall, the use of pillars and columns, of a classic type, was also frequent, with capitals worked to a clip and topped by Cimacio, which allowed to lift arches. The constructive system of the entire building is vaulted, with edge vaults in the lateral ships that are visually isolated.
Regarding the exterior, sober and robust giving a feeling of heaviness, due to the big walls and buttresses. We found natural constructive elements, with absence of decoration, unlike the interior, since in Byzantine art the appearance of the outside did not worry and used to be brick and solid and without ornaments, highlighting colors such as the gray and reddish tones of the brick. If we look we can see an organization in volumes that descend in a staggered way, from the dome to the exedras. The most remarkable element is that great dome settled on a window drum, and the wall full of openings and with large buttresses.
The dome measures 31 meters in diameter and 54 meters high, which makes the building structure condition. The weight of this dome is conducted to the ground gradually thanks to the vaults, semi -tires and structural elements whose tensions are annulled between them. In turn, the exterior buttresses help, which counteract lateral pressures.
Those four towers ended in Pico that surround the church, which served at the time to call the town for prayer also stand out. Once inside we see those three ships, the central (which leads to the apse, with 31 meters in diameter and 50 meters high), higher and double wide than the sides, thus allowing opening openings and arches and the sides With double floor:
The superior or tribune, reserved for the high positions. Vaid and with a view to the central nave by vain separated by columns worked to Trépano and above Cimacio.
The lower point with semicircular arches with columns and capitals made to Trépano and on what is superimposed Cimacio.
This whole system of counteracts of the dome, allows you to have a large ship without obstacles in the center, which manages to impress the visitor even more.
So it is an open interior space, wide and with abundant decorative elements. Regarding the walls, marbles were covered in their lower part and paintings or mosaics of bright colors and abundant gold in the upper. Everything inside covered with rich materials such as marble, glass tiles, semi -precious stones … In turn, the golden reflection of the light that designs the wall is characteristic in the mosaics, thus creating a more supernatural and mystical atmosphere.
The dome drum has forty windows, plus those of the semi -couples and exedras, to illuminate the interior and in turn creating a ring of light on which it seems that the dome floats.
These windows were often covered by colored glass, which made the mosaics, paintings and marbles illuminate, creating that unreal atmosphere and materialized.
The materials used for this work were mostly poor materials for the outside, such as stone, brick, concrete and dome, lighter materials such as amphorae. For the interior, noblest materials such as marbles for walls, arches, columns and capitals. And on these mosaics coatings of geometric and figurative themes whose brightness when the sun had an atmosphere of intangible and sumptuous space.The interior impresses with the size of the dome and the disposition of arches and columns that create a wide and diaphanous space.
The Basilica of Santa Sofía became the most luxurious and large Christian building in the world at the time. This building would have to influence not only other posterior Byzantine churches such as San Sergio and San Baco but in the mosques built during the Turkish period, such as the next blue mosque, clearly inspired by Santa Sofía.
Byzantine art arises when the low Roman empire is divided with the death of the Roman emperor Teodosio (395), between the two children of his:
- Honorio, with the Roman Empire of the East.
- Arcadio, with the Roman Empire of the West.
The Roman Empire of the West received the name of the Byzantine Empire with Capital in Constantinople. With the fall of the Empire of the West, the Byzantine Empire became the cultural and artistic center par excellence, and from there arose what we know as the Byzantine art.
Byzantine civilization received a fusion of Roman tradition with Christian thought, as well as oriental, Greek, Roman and Hellenistic influences. Therefore I present a close relationship between the Church and the Emperor, being the most important buildings the religious. And one of the main and most important, the church of Santa Sofía de Constantinople.
Byzantine art inherited from Christian art the mystical and symbolic, of the east luxurious and solemn, and the propaganda by Roman and Hellenistic influence. That is why it can be said that it is an art that nurtures the different cultures already existing. The western tradition of Roman art and paleocristian continued.
It is an art aimed more to the senses than to reason, trying to impress and impact feelings. So he tries to capture nature in all its forms, which generates disinterest in the form.
Byzantine art can be divided into four great stages:
- 1. First gold age (527-726), the iconoclast influence predominated.
- two. Iconoclass discussions (726-843)
- 3. Second Golden Age (913-1204)
- 4. Third Golden Age (1261-1453), Turks conquer Constantinople.
conclusion.
From S. XV These typical characteristics of Byzantine art will begin to extend through Eastern Europe. This art produces a monumental architecture manifested in its churches, splendid mosaics and impressive sculptures. The two great artistic centers that collected this art were Constantinople and Ravena.
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