Page 151 - DK Eyewitness Travel Guides - The World's Must-See Places

Mosaics>
The church's splendid
Byzantine mosaics
include this one at the
end of the south gallery.
It depicts Christ flank.ed
by E!Tl)eror Constantine --·~"·,..·-
IX and his wife, the
E!Tl)ress Zoe.

Seraphim
A mosaic of a six-winged
angel has recently been
uncovered on one of the A Mausoleum of Selim II
triangular sections that A Nave
support the dome. IOil Calligraphic Visitors cannot fail to be staggered by this
roundel
vast space, which is covered by a huge dome
reaching a height of 184 ft (56 m)
Sultan's loge Brick minaret
Caligraphic Roundels >
Muezzin mahfili The eight calligraphic roundels-
(preacher's pew)
painted wooden plaques-were
Coronation Square added in the 19th century.
This square of patterned
rna rble flooring rna rks
the supposed location of the
Byzantine emperor's throne.

Ablutions Fountain >
Ubrary of Sultan Mahmut I Built around 1740, this
fountain is an exquisite
example of Turk.ish Rococo
style.lts projecting roof is
painted with floral reliefs.

Mausoleum of
Mehmetlll

~ Mausoleum of Selim II
The oldest of the three
mausoleums was completed Byzantine Frieze A
in 15 77 to the pi ans of Si nan,
Suleyman l's imperial architect.
Its exquisite interior is entirely
covered with lznik tiles.

HISTORICAL PLAN OF HAGHIA SOPHIA
Nothing remains of
the first 4th-century
church on this spot,
but there are traces
of the second one
from the 5th centwy,
which bumed down
in 532. Earthquakes
have taken their toll
Mausoleum on the third Haghia
of Murat Ill
Sophia, which has
The sultan was buried
been strengthened and
here in 1599. By the time added to many times.
of his death, he had
fathered 103 children.
KEY
L Sth<entUfychurch
Baptistry D 6th<entUfychurch
Part of the 6th-century church,
n Ottoman add~ions
this now serves as the tomb of
two Ottoman sultans.