Description of Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia, inaugurated at the end of 562 and holding the title of the largest house of worship in the Christian world for a full 1000 years: With its approximately 1500-year history and its "enchanting" splendor that has captivated onlookers since day one, it is a unique "monument" not only religiously but also architecturally, politically, culturally, and socially!

Fifteen hundred years after it majestically rose to the sky, Hagia Sophia, still standing in the heart of Istanbul, was described in all its details and with inspiring power, adorned with all the beauty and splendor its creators intended for it, by Paulos Silentarios, also known as Paul the Silentiary, one of the greatest poets of his era, on the very day it was inaugurated.

Displaying his mastery of eloquence, the Silentiary penned a "guide" work that conveyed details about the materials used in the construction of the temple, which enchanted observers with its grandeur, and for the first time articulated the theological motifs hidden behind what appeared to be aesthetic symbols.

Among the panegyrics written for the architectural works of the period as a literary tradition, "our" most special one is the Description of Hagia Sophia, with Pierre Chuvin's preface highlighting the importance of the text and its author, Samih Rifat's meticulous translation that makes the Silentiary's voice echo in our ears, and his own photographs...