Q. Who made this statement and on what ocassion: "Solomon, I have outdone you!"

1. St. Peter...On the Sunday of Pentecost
2. St. Paul...On preaching to the Athenians
3. St. Constantine...On building the city of Constantinople
4. St. Justinian...On building Haghia Sophia






A. 4. St. Justinian...On building Haghia Sophia

Haghia Sophia or the Church of Divine Wisdom is a masterpiece of grandeur and proportions, coveted by the Islamic East and the Christian West, and one of the most important attestations of humanity - surely the only one that for 1400 years has served God and Allah, the Christian world and Islam. The first church was built between 325 and 360 under Constans II, even though his father Constantine may have had the foundations laid. Ravaged by fire in 404, it was restored and reconsecrated by Theodosius II only to be completely burnt down during the Nika riots in January 532. Justinian had only recently risen to the throne and the supreme ambition of the emperor, a champion of the cause of orthodox Christianity and divinely appointed, was to build the greatest temple that Christianity had ever had. No more than 32 days had elapsed after the destruction of the church when work on the new building began. It is said that the shape of the church was revealed to Justinian in a dream. Artisans arrived from all parts of the world. Justinian, who spent much of his time in the building yards, named one hundred overseers, each one responsible for a hundred workers.

Anthemios of Tralles was designated as architect in chief, assisted by Isidoros of Miletos, both Greeks from Asia Minor. On December 27, 537, Hagia Sophia was solemnly consecrated by the emperor. It is said that when he arrived in front of the church, Justinian raised his arms to heaven and exclaimed "Glory to God who has deigned to let me finish so great a work. Solomon, I have outdone you!". And indeed Hagia Sophia seems to surpass Solomon`s temple in size, beauty and richness. The grand interior of the basilica is central plan. With a total surface of 7,570 square meters, Hagia Sophia takes fourth place after St. Peter`s, the Cathedral of Seville and that of Milan. The interior is dominated by the enormous dome 55 meters above the ground and with a diameter of over 36 meters. Forty ribs divide the dome into sections which terminate at their base in 40 windows. The weight of the dome is supported by four main pillars which in turn are buttressed by four smaller pillars. Haghia Sophia was also an exultation of light which entered through the numerous windows to illuminate the nave where the worshippers were gathered in prayer. At night thousands of lamps and candelabra reflected their light on the 16,000 square meters of gold mosaics scattered here and there throughout the building. The dome too was covered by a pure gold mosaic, with a cross at the center. Unfortunately most of the mosaic decoration of Hagia Sophia disappeared, first under the wrath of the iconoclasts, who spared only the abstract decoration, and subsequently with the conquest of the Ottoman Turks and the Islamic prohibition to reproduce the human figure. Natural calamities sorely tried the architectural challenge of Hagia Sophia. The earthquakes of 553 and 557 weakened the structure of the basilica, until in 558 the eastern arch and part of the dome crashed to the ground destroying the altar, the ciborium and the pulpit. Restored and newly consecrated, Hagia Sophia was to see other more tragic events.

At the beginning of the l3th century (1204 - the Fourth Crusade) Constantinople, after having withstood at least seventeen sieges by barbarians and infidels, fell under the fury of a Christian army. During the three days of plunder, Haghia Sophia was completely pillaged and stripped of its precious icons, its gold and silver candelabra, the jeweled crosses, the glittering reliquaries. Anything of gold was simply melted down. On May 29, 1453 the Ottoman Turks conquered Costantinople. That day, late in the afternoon, Mehmet II entered Hagia Sophia and for the first time after nine centuries, the imam`s prayer to Allah, the only god, resounded under the imposing domes. The transformation of Haghia Sophia into a mosque was carried out with unbelievable respect, even though there were of course many changes. The metal cross on the dome was replaced by the crescent moon which a century later was covered - it is said - with 50,000 fused gold coins. The pulpit was replaced by a mimbar, and a mihrab for prayer in the direction of Mecca was set up. An initial polygonal minaret was built to which others were later added. But the icons, the iconostasis, and various Christian mosaic with human figures were not touched. The exterior of Hagia Sophia was also modified. What had been the baptistery was transformed at the beginning of the l7th century into the turbeh of Mustafa I, where this sultan is buried together with his nephew Ibrahim. Next to this mausoleum are the octagonal and hexagonal tombs of three other sultans, Mohammed III, Selim II and Murat III, each with their wives and relatives. The 20th century brought the downfall of the Ottoman Empire and the simultaneous rise of the young Turkish republic. The first president, Kemal Atatürk, decided to transform the mosque into a Byzantine-Ottoman museum and in April 1932 the mosaics once more began to be laid bare: so it was that, under the careful guidance of Thomas Whittemore of the Byzantine Institute of America the gleaming gold mosaics began to surface from the walls of the mosque, direct evidence of the great past of Haghia Sophia and of the city as a whole.

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St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church
4949 Alton Parkway
Irvine, CA 92604

Phone: (949) 733-2366
Fax: (949) 733-0962
Website: http://www.stpaulsirvine.org
Email: info@stpaulsirvine.org

Proistamenos: Rev. Fr. Steven Tsichlis
Email: frsteven@stpaulsirvine.org

Assistant: Rev. Fr. Simon Thomas
Email: frsimon@stpaulsirvine.org