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We are in front of the museum of Ayasofya in Trabzon.
We will give you historical, architectural and touristic information about the museum today.
The Komnenos dynasty existed
from 1202 to 1461.
King Manuel Komnenos directed the kingdom
between 1238 and 1263.
The Ayasofya church, which has given its name to the region,
was built during the time of Manuel Komnenos.
On the spot of the Ayasofya
there are the remains of an
older chapel and in the
Roman period there was a temple
dedicated to Apollo.
The Ayasofya comlex comprises a church,
a bell tower, a graveyard with
Christian and Moslim tomb stones,
and antique building remains uncovered through archaeological excavations.
The church’s architecture is characterized by its basilical cross plan.
The west side was made higher by adding a nartex (vestibule),
while the southern and northern nartex were covered by a barrel vault.
There are entrances at the south,
north and west sides.
The walls were made of large hewn stones.
The building receives light from five windows in the east wall,
six in the south wall,
six in the north wall,
and one in the west wall.
The large niche is half round in plan from the inside,
and pentagonal from the outside.
The dome was built in a 12-angular shape referring to the twelve disciples of Jesus.
Ayasofya’s dome was built in Georgian style and the rim (frame)
of it was made of the style Kafkas!!!! (((A’s dome was built in a Georgian or Caucasian style)))
Motives from the seldjouk period ornate the outer walls of the church.
The southern entrance is the most magnificent of the building.
There is a keystone above the entrace.
The keystone bears the depiction of an eagle.
The eagle was the emblem of the kingdom of Komnenos.
Below this stone there are two pigeons
with their tails touching each other symbolizing the Holy Spirit in Christianity.
The star and the moon next to the
pigeons are the symbols of good and evil.
Below these symbols one can see antique animals and deer.
The deer is the symbol of immortality.
The grape leaves on the band
are positioned in a symmetrical way.
The relief figures on the frieze are telling
the story of how Adam and Eva were sent from paradise.
From the the right to the left the
first scene tells about the creation of Adam and Eva.
The next scenes show Adam in the garden of Eden,
Adam sleeping, the creation of Eva,
Eva eating the apple and giving the apple to Adam,
fig leaves,
their dismissal from paradise because they had eaten from the forbidden fruit,
the children of Adam and Eva: Cain and Abel.
Cain was a farmer, Abel a sheperd.
The last scene shows the *** of Abel.
The columns and their capitals belong to much older times.
Outside the building at the east side is a picture representing a two-headed eagle.
For the Byzantines the double-headed eagle was the symbol of the East and West Roman empires.
This symbol was used by the Seldjuk people as a
state emblem – a symbol that goes back to the time of the Hittites.
There are pictures of ships carved with sharp tools in the lower part of the same wall.
These ship engravings were made by sailors from different nations when visiting the harbour.
The engravings date between 1400 and 1700 AD.
The sea side of the church was decorated
with stars and rosette motives.
The same kind of decoration exists also on the west walls of the building.
The central dome is carried by a high collar or rim, while the whole was built on four columns.
The central part of the church is just
under the dome which is decorated by a colourful mozaic
made of six different marbles.
The west side is closed by three niches (apsides)
the main one being in the centre.
The north part of the building was used for the preparation of religious ceremonies and is called prothesis.
Objects used in the religious ceremonies including the priest’s vestment,
the holy bread and the chalice were kept in the south room.
This room is called diakonikon.
This part of the building up the iron staircase was used as a storeroom.
The ceiling, walls and dome are decorated with
frescos made of metallic paint on wet gypsum plaster.
Parts of the frescos are highly worn, but some are well preserved.
You see the fresco of the Pantakrator on the highest point of the dome who symbolizes rulership of the universe.
It is said that from this point Jesus is watching the entire church.
Below the Pantakrator flying angels are seen.
In the dome there are 12 windows and between the windows the 12 disciples were painted.
The birth of Jesus,
his crucifiction,
his hour of death,
and his baptismal ceremony are shown on the pendentives.
In the eastern apsis above the mihrab,
Saint Mary and Jesus,
the Ascension of Jesus,
the sanctification of the disciples,
the miraculous draft of fishes,
the incredulous Thomas,
and the birth of Saint Mary are shown.
On the northern wall there
are four saints below the arch,
and Jesus is shown during
his cricufiction and
his hour of death.
On the eastern wall the washing of the feet,
furthermore the last supper is painted,
governor Pilatus washing his hands,
and the denial of disciple Petrus.
The dream of Jacob,
the torture of Saint George, eight soldier saints,
the baptism of new christians,
the genealogical tree of Jesus
and the disciples preaching in the world are visible on the outside of the northern nartex.
We are in the entrance of the western nartex.
Non-christians could enter until this part of the buliding.
On the west arch of this nartex: the Annunciation to Mary.
Below the northern side of the arch: Saint Mary the patroness,
Below the southern side of the arch: Jesus and the Holy Bible.
On the ceiling: the four evangelists and their animal emblems.
The baptism of Jesus,
Opening the eyes of the blind man,
Jesus as a child among the scribes,
The first miracle of Jesus, turning water into wine,
The recovery of the child possessed by satan,
The healing pool and the recovery of the man who could not walk.
Jesus walking on the water and ruling the waves.
The curing of disciple Petrus’ mother in law.
Mary and John the Baptist
begging clemency from Jesus.
Six saints on the south and north walls,
and again on the western nartex: the miraculous feeding of 5000 people.
Along the outside of the western nartex: the Last Judgement day.
The bell tower was built in 1427 and functioned as a lighthouse.
On the bell tower’s side facing the church
was a scene that no longer exists:
the son of king Alexious killing his father
and seizing this crown.
And this son had the brutal event painted here.
The Ayasofya museum which is in the centre of Trabzon, lends its name to the district.
From that point the whole city can be overlooked.
In the old days the church was outside the city walls.
today it is 200 metres from the sea coast.
The buildings near the main road were removed
because of new city planning and parks were laid out.
The building was turned into a mosque by adding a pulpit (minber)
and a screened-off lodge (mahfil) after Sultan Mehmet conquered the city in 1461.
In the south part of the building from the time it used as a mosque one can read:
“No doubt all mosques are from God. Therefore, do not worship anyone except Allah”.
The building was restored in 1864.
It was used as a storehouse and hospital during the first world war and the time of the Russian occupation.
After the occupation it became again a mosque.
It was restored in 1962 by the General Directorate of Vaqfs and with help of the University of Edinburgh.
After 1964 it was opened as a museum.
About 700.000 people visit the Ayasofya museum every year.