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Encountering the Byzantine Empire in Istanbul
The Peripatetic Historian explores the wonders of the Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern, and tangles with the Whirling Dervishes
An August day in Istanbul is, in a single word, hot. If you required a second adjective, “humid” would do nicely. Or “sweaty.” My first morning in Istanbul is a perspiration provoker and the weather forecast signals no imminent relief. Supposed to be in the low 90s throughout my stay.
Istanbul is a city of eleven million which makes it the third largest city in the world. As we step out the door in the morning to head for our first destination — Hagia Sophia — it feels like a sizable proportion of this population is concentrated in our small district.
Hagia Sophia, the church of the Holy Wisdom, is a vast barn of a structure. The present day edifice was erected by the Byzantine emperor, Justinian I. The present building is actually the third church that was built on this site: a failure to pay attention to fire codes destroyed the first two churches. Hagia Sophia was built in a remarkably short period — 5 years (532–537). The church with its great flattened dome, epitomized Byzantine architecture, and symbolized Roman genius for nearly a thousand years.
