DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.24719#0194
THE CHURCH OF ST. SOPHIA.
143
Felix tie Beaujour, in his Tableau du Commerce de la Grace,' describes the same building
in the following terms:—
“ The church of St. Sophia was built after the model of that of Constantinople; it is
exactly of the same proportions, hut one-fourtli smaller in size. Tradition affirms that it
was erected in the reign of Justinian, from the designs of the architect Anthemius, the same
who, some years before, had erected St. Sophia of Constantinople. The forms of these two
edifices are not characterized by that pure taste and noble simplicity which give us so much
pleasure in the Athenian structures; still we cannot but admire the bold idea of a circular
plan placed upon arcades, united by pendentives, a mode of construction which has served
as the model for all domes since raised. It must be acknowledged that there is some-
thing imposing in the general effect in both St. Sophias, but the details are insignificant;
and without the collection of columns of verde antique which dazzle the eyes of Europeans,
I am certain that the beauties of St. Sophia of Constantinople would not be more admired
than those of St. Sophia of Saloniki; at least, we should prefer to believe that travellers
admired the two equally.”
Cousinery in his turn gives his opinion about the cathedral of Thessalonica:3—
“ The facade is ornamented with an octostyle portico, four columns of which are of verde
antique, and four of white marble. The interior has nothing remarkable about it hut the
mosaic of the cupola, where are represented the twrelve Apostles upon a gold-coloured ground:
this mosaic becomes deteriorated day by day, and the sacristan detaches fragments of it,
which he sells to Europeans.”
Leake says :3—“Ai Sofia is a mosque so called by the Turks, and which, like the celebrated
temple at Constantinople, was formerly a church dedicated to the Divine Wisdom. The Greeks
assert it to have been built by the architect of St. Sophia at Constantinople; its form is at
least similar, being that of a Greek cross, with an octostyle portico before the door, and a
dome in the centre, which is lined with mosaic, representing various objects much defaced;
amongst them I can distinguish saints and palm-trees.”
When Bajazet took Thessalonica, A.D. 1391, he converted the church, of St. Demetrius
into a mosque, but the Greeks remained in possession of their cathedral. Sultan Amuratli,
in the year 1430, allowed them the use of the principal churches; hut in the year 993 of
the Hegira, A.D. 1589, Batkoub Ibrahim Pasha, governor of Thessalonica, took the church of
St. Sophia from the Christians and converted it into a mosque, retaining its name of Aghia
Sophia, and preserving the mosaics of the dome and choir from injury.
The church stands in the midst of an enclosure planted with trees; around it arc
Turkish schools and hospitals, which formerly were the habitations of the Greek priests.
The building occupies a square of about thirty-three yards; it is built of ashlar masonry
and bricks intermixed, and lined with slabs of white marble. The entrance of the church has
in front of it a portico of eight columns of verde antique, supporting arches that have been
entirely rebuilt by the Turks; the round arches of the Byzantines have been replaced by the
pointed arches ; and the capitals are Turkish in style, such as we see in modern mosques.
On entering, we come into a long transverse passage,—the nartliex, which communicates
with the nave by means of three doorways and by windows, through which catechumens
and penitents heard the services; the gallery is lighted by windows in the portico.
The nave, which is 34 feet wide, is surmounted in the centre by a hemispherical dome of
the same dimensions, supported by four pendentives, forming on the plan a Greek cross with
four equal arms. (See Plates XXXV. to XXXVIII.)
To the right and left are two side aisles (aulce), separated from the nave by four
columns : this is all after the plan of St. Sophia’s at Constantinople. Another passage parallel to
the nartliex divides it from the nave.
The chancel, the depth of which is 22 ft. 9 in., has a waggon-headed vault, and terminates in
a semicircular apse lighted by three windows.
To the right and left of the apse are the two indispensable chapels mentioned as existing
in St. Demetrius’s, communicating with the chancel through two side doors. These two chapels
do not range with the aisle. The level of the chancel or bema is one step above that of the
chapel. The iconostasis and the ambo have both been I’emoved by the Mussulmans.
1 Vol. i. p. 45.
2 Voyage en Macedoine, vol. i. p. 44.
3 Leake, Northern Greece, vol. hi. p. 241.
143
Felix tie Beaujour, in his Tableau du Commerce de la Grace,' describes the same building
in the following terms:—
“ The church of St. Sophia was built after the model of that of Constantinople; it is
exactly of the same proportions, hut one-fourtli smaller in size. Tradition affirms that it
was erected in the reign of Justinian, from the designs of the architect Anthemius, the same
who, some years before, had erected St. Sophia of Constantinople. The forms of these two
edifices are not characterized by that pure taste and noble simplicity which give us so much
pleasure in the Athenian structures; still we cannot but admire the bold idea of a circular
plan placed upon arcades, united by pendentives, a mode of construction which has served
as the model for all domes since raised. It must be acknowledged that there is some-
thing imposing in the general effect in both St. Sophias, but the details are insignificant;
and without the collection of columns of verde antique which dazzle the eyes of Europeans,
I am certain that the beauties of St. Sophia of Constantinople would not be more admired
than those of St. Sophia of Saloniki; at least, we should prefer to believe that travellers
admired the two equally.”
Cousinery in his turn gives his opinion about the cathedral of Thessalonica:3—
“ The facade is ornamented with an octostyle portico, four columns of which are of verde
antique, and four of white marble. The interior has nothing remarkable about it hut the
mosaic of the cupola, where are represented the twrelve Apostles upon a gold-coloured ground:
this mosaic becomes deteriorated day by day, and the sacristan detaches fragments of it,
which he sells to Europeans.”
Leake says :3—“Ai Sofia is a mosque so called by the Turks, and which, like the celebrated
temple at Constantinople, was formerly a church dedicated to the Divine Wisdom. The Greeks
assert it to have been built by the architect of St. Sophia at Constantinople; its form is at
least similar, being that of a Greek cross, with an octostyle portico before the door, and a
dome in the centre, which is lined with mosaic, representing various objects much defaced;
amongst them I can distinguish saints and palm-trees.”
When Bajazet took Thessalonica, A.D. 1391, he converted the church, of St. Demetrius
into a mosque, but the Greeks remained in possession of their cathedral. Sultan Amuratli,
in the year 1430, allowed them the use of the principal churches; hut in the year 993 of
the Hegira, A.D. 1589, Batkoub Ibrahim Pasha, governor of Thessalonica, took the church of
St. Sophia from the Christians and converted it into a mosque, retaining its name of Aghia
Sophia, and preserving the mosaics of the dome and choir from injury.
The church stands in the midst of an enclosure planted with trees; around it arc
Turkish schools and hospitals, which formerly were the habitations of the Greek priests.
The building occupies a square of about thirty-three yards; it is built of ashlar masonry
and bricks intermixed, and lined with slabs of white marble. The entrance of the church has
in front of it a portico of eight columns of verde antique, supporting arches that have been
entirely rebuilt by the Turks; the round arches of the Byzantines have been replaced by the
pointed arches ; and the capitals are Turkish in style, such as we see in modern mosques.
On entering, we come into a long transverse passage,—the nartliex, which communicates
with the nave by means of three doorways and by windows, through which catechumens
and penitents heard the services; the gallery is lighted by windows in the portico.
The nave, which is 34 feet wide, is surmounted in the centre by a hemispherical dome of
the same dimensions, supported by four pendentives, forming on the plan a Greek cross with
four equal arms. (See Plates XXXV. to XXXVIII.)
To the right and left are two side aisles (aulce), separated from the nave by four
columns : this is all after the plan of St. Sophia’s at Constantinople. Another passage parallel to
the nartliex divides it from the nave.
The chancel, the depth of which is 22 ft. 9 in., has a waggon-headed vault, and terminates in
a semicircular apse lighted by three windows.
To the right and left of the apse are the two indispensable chapels mentioned as existing
in St. Demetrius’s, communicating with the chancel through two side doors. These two chapels
do not range with the aisle. The level of the chancel or bema is one step above that of the
chapel. The iconostasis and the ambo have both been I’emoved by the Mussulmans.
1 Vol. i. p. 45.
2 Voyage en Macedoine, vol. i. p. 44.
3 Leake, Northern Greece, vol. hi. p. 241.