Seven Wonders

Seven Wonders

‘Seven Wonders’ Released.

Finally seventh July 2007 arrived and in a grand function held at Benfia Soccer Stadium at Lisbon, Portugal, the results were out marking the end of the hectic campaigns blowing in the cyber world for the last two years. Initially there were 200 nominations for this high status out of which 77 were selected by people which in turn got reduced 21. Finally on 7^th July Bernard Weber the Australian adventurer has released the list in a grand ceremony attended by celebrities like Hillary Swank, Bipasha Basu, Ben Kingsley as well as Portugal’s home-grown foot ball wizard Christiano Ronaldo. Shows by top artists like Jennifer Lopez, Jose Carreras, Dulce Pontes, Alessandro Saffina etc added color and glamour to the ceremony.

And The Winners of the New Seven Wonders of the World are !!!

Pyramids in Giza (there was no election as it was only surviving structure of the original Seven Wonders. Built 4500 years back these pyramids stands tall challenging the centuries which pass by. The tallest is 452 feet tall, the tomb of King Cheops nearby the limestone wonder statue of the Sphinx. As per the wish of the government of Egypt this structure was not nominated and it was given an honorary status. The names of the other seven winners are given below with brief descriptions.

Pyramids in Giza image courtsey: tourism-egypt.com.eg

1. Chichen Itza (at the mouth of the well of Itza) Pyramid Yucatan Peninsula Mexico was built in the 6^th century AD by the Mayans. It is a collage of various architectural styles happened due to cultural integration between different civilizations. Chichen Itza is Referred in the ancient chronicles as ‘Uucyabnal’ meaning Seven Great Rulers. The main structure is the Pyramid of the Kukulcan a step pyramid; its corners cast a shadow of a crawling serpent on the ground denoting fall and winter.

Chichen Itza image courtsey: wikipedia.org

2. The Great Wall of China. It is a massive 4150 miles long barricade built to block the invading armies of Huns, Mongols, Turks as well as numerous nomads who were engaged in looting and killing of people at random. It was built between 4^th and 7^th centuries and remains as the only structure that can be viewed from space.

Great Wall of China image courtsey: wikipedia.org

3. Taj Mahal Agra India was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan in the sixteenth century as mausoleum to his wife Mumtaz Mahal who died in her early age in a child-birth. It took 20,000 people about 16 years to complete the structure which involved extensive precision work. One of the best preserved Monument in India.

Taj Mahal image courtsey: wikipedia.org

4. Petra of Jordan located in an ancient city of Petra, Jordan built on a terrace in Wadi Musa (Valley of Mosses) was capital of Arab Kingdom of Nebastius. It had a promising past under the Romans who came after Nebastius in AD 106. Most of the structures as well as infra-structures like water tunnels are carved out of rock. The tomb of Ad dayer though incomplete its facade even served as a church to Christians who had to live there fearing repression.

Petra of Jordan image courtsey: wikipedia.org

5. The Coliseum of Italy. It was built in AD 80 is the forerunner in design of the modern stadium. Built by Emperor Titus for a 100 day long marathon game including the duel between gladiators, who had either to kill or die before the public spectators and there may be the emperor himself as the spectator. It was here Christians were thrown to hungry lions for their crime of embracing Christianity.

Coliseum of Italy image courtsey: kellogg.northwestern.edu

6. Machu Pichu of Peru represents a wonderful Incan culture that prevailed in South America around the 15^th century. Ruins of the giant walls, Palaces, temples, dwelling places are all there located at an altitude of 8000 feet above sea-level.

Machu Pichu of Peru image courtsey: wikipedia.org

7. Christ the Redeemer of Rio de Janeiro Brazil. A giant statue of Jesus Christ; standing straight (stretching his hands in the role of redeemer of souls) which is a 125 feet tall structure located on the Mount Covocado. This giant statue was built by Paul Landowski in 1926 and brought to Brazil to be assembled. The transportation of these heavy parts safely was a task which deserved equal merit as the construction, but all done successfully by building rail to the top of the mountain and carrying the parts using cog-wheels. The statue was opened on 1931.

Christ the Redeemer image courtsey: wikipedia.org

Seven is not eight!

There is a contradiction in selecting seven wonders other than Pyramids as the total number comes to eight. It would have been appropriate if six would have selected other than Pyramid of Giza as it is the only existing wonders of the original seven. Seven should have been kept as seven itself in 7 – 7 - 2007, Deferring to stretching to 8 – 8 – 2008!

Loss of wisdom!

The high profile canvassing via SMS also have made a balanced decision impossible, and number of structures lost the covetable status in the battle-cry. Kerala articles presented a list of 7 of which Taj Mahal alone emerged winner. The other six were Angkor Wat, Hagia Sofia, Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower, Neuschwanstein Castle and The Kremlin. All these were eligible but lost due to lack of back-support. It is said wisdom gets lost in the flood of knowledge and knowledge in turn gets lost in the flood of information. However the project could make some awareness in youth about the cultural heritage of the world so far so good.

New Seven Wonders of the World

New Seven Wonders of the World.

To get wonder-struck is every body’s wish; mother-nature has bestowed us with so many wonders like the earth, sky, ocean, sun, moon, stars etc. Every-day sights loots the thrill and people flock to see new ones, those who live on sea-shore go to the mountains to get the thrill, whereas those living in mountain ranges go to the ocean to get wonder-struck! Man in his long history has played god by creating wonders of his own which can be classified in to those belonging to the Ancient ages, Middle Ages and those of the Modern times.

Wonders of the Ancient Ages.

• The Pyramids,

• Colossus of Rhodes

• The Hanging Garden of Babylon.

• Statue of Zeus.

• Temple of Artimis at Ephesus.

• Tomb of Mausolus at Halicarnassus.

• Light House of Alexandria.

Wonders of the middle Ages.

• Coliseum of Rome.

• Catacombs of Alexandria.

• Great Wall of China.

• Stone Hedge.

• Porcelain Tower.

• Leaning Tower of Pisa.

• Hagia Sophia.

Wonders of the modern times.

There are about 21 options for the selection as the Seven Wonders of the World of the modern times. All having their own unique features, our site is of the view that the following criteria should definitely taken in to account when the ranking is made. The criteria we think just are given in its order of priority.

1. Age (how old it is),

1. History (what role it has played in history),

1. Preservation (whether it exists today),

1. Magnificence (how wonderful it is).

Number one is The Pyramid of Giza and there is no contenders for that place the other ones are given below.

1 Acropolis of Athens

2 Angkor Wat of Combodia.

3 Kiyomitzu Temple, Kyoto Japan.

4 Opera House of Sydney, Australia.

5 Eiffel Tower Paris, France.

6 Statue of Christ the redeemer Rio de Janeiro Brazil.

7 Machu Picchu Peru.

8 Petra Jordan.

9 Pyramid at Chichen Itza.

10 Statue of Liberty, New York, America.

11 Coliseum of Rome, Italy.

12 Alhambra, Granada, Spain.

13 Timbuktu, Mali.

14 Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow, Russia.

15 Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey.

16 Stone Hedge, Amesbury United Kingdom.

17 Statues of Easter Islands.

18 Great Wall of China.

19 Neuschwanstein Castle Germany.

Why vote for the Taj?

Age. As per the first parameter Age (older the structure gains an ancestral status and a new structure of the same shape stands no match to the old), Taj sufficiently aged (built in 1632 – 1648) as a structure of the early seventeenth century structure.

History. Taj was built as a mausoleum for Mumtaz Mahal wife of Emperor Shah Jehan belonging to the Mughal Empire king Shah Jehan hence Taj has the status of the monument dedicated to eternal love. To add to the woes of the king he got imprisoned by his own son Aurangazeb and had to spend the rest of his life in the nearby prison. There was one favor done to the king he could see Taj from his place of arrest.

Preservation. Taj was lucky enough to be preserved in good shape where as almost many of the other structures were got destroyed more than one times and had to be rebuilt thereby losing its originality.

Magnificence. The Taj was built by the strenuous work of 20,000 skilled workers brought from all parts of the world and they all had to take 16 long years to complete the work. The precision of the works involved was that much and it all reflected in each square inch of the structure. During nights the sight of Taj standing bathed in the moonlight is something never could be seen anywhere else in the world. Yes we vote for the Taj!

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal – Agra.

“A tear on the face of eternity” Rabindranath Tagore.

Taj Mahal is the symbol of eternal love, a visitor may often get lost in the memories of the stories he had heard from his child-hood looking at this structure as well as its image reflected in the pool below. The story is that this beautiful structure was built by one of the most powerful emperor in the history of India for the memory of his queen who passed away in her young age. This romantic story along with the rare and beautiful spectacles visible here all combine in to his mind to form a feeling of surprise, nostalgia and a drop of tear for the beautiful queen who passed away early.

20,000 Men; 16 years!

The Taj is an architectural marvel formed of the fusion between Indian, Persian, Turkish and the Islamic styles. Its construction started on 1632 took 16 long years when it was finally completed in 1648! Such a long period was taken not because of any obstruction in the site, but it was such a massive structure involving a lot of precision works that deserved so much man-day involving the service of 20,000 skilled artisans; a good number of them imported from all over Asia. The ramp intended to transport materials for the dome was two mile long!

Mumtaz Mahal.

Shah Jehan (Shahbuddin Mohammed Shah Jehan (5 -1 1502 to 22 -1 1666) the fifth ruler of the Mughal dynasty) wanted was sheer beauty and top class construction. ‘Makrana marble’ (the glittering white marble mined from Rajasthan) silver, gold and the jewels (mostly imported from Persia and Turkey) all were so lavishly used to decorate floral designs. The construction to take place was no ordinary building it was intended for the memory of his dear wife Arjumand Banu Begum popularly known as Mumtaz Mahal. Mumtaz was Shah Jehan’s second wife and she died in child birth.

Symmetry.

The exquisite ‘jalies’ (perforated ornamental designs in wood or stone) and the calligraphy (that adorns the walls with holy verses of Qur’an) lavishly made in perfect symmetry all were all made by human hands; how many man-days would have taken for their work can only be imagined. Skilled workers from as far as Persia were brought in for the work.

Ustad Ahmed Lahauri.

Who was its chief architect is still not confirmed. Gerronimo Verroneo an Italian who was engaged by the Mughals was presumed by some. Yet another opinion (more reliable) is Ustad Istakhan Effendi a Persian architect and his pupil Ustad Ahmed Lahauri were the makers the typical Persian and Islamic style adopted support this view. There are stories doing round that Shah Jehan blinded or dismembered the artisans after the work so that they will not build another structure like this else where!

An integrated complex.

Taj Mahal close up image courtsey: wikipedia.org

The Taj got listed as ‘UNESCO World Heritage Site’ in 1983 as a universally admired master piece of world heritage. The domed marble structure often considered as the Taj, but the Taj is actually an integrated complex of many structures covered on three sides by crenellated wall made of red sand-stone. (Some of the structures like mausoleums of Shah Jehan’s other wives located out side the walls are also coming under the Taj complex; of which that of Mumtaz’s favorite maid is the largest). The side facing the Yamuna River is left open.

The sights..

The structures coming under the Taj complex are mainly the following, The Gateway, The outside buildings and tombs, The Taj-Mosque (Masjid) and the Jawab (served the purpose of a guest-house), The Minarets (on the four corners of the plinth), the garden (in design akin to the Mughal Gardens), The Reflecting Pools, The tomb (iwan – a structure with open front and other three sides enclosed), The dome constructed on the top of the tomb, the finial and many exclusive forms of jalies with intricate floral designs, Calligraphy, bas – reliefs and valuable interior decorations.

The tomb.

The focus of Taj Mahal is the white tomb; its elements are all Persian with symmetrical buildings with iwan (large hall with open front - generally with large arch- and other three sides enclosed). The marble dome (in the shape of onion called amrud or guava dome) that rests upon the tomb is the most spectacular view for a visitor who looks the Taj from outside.

Finial

Finial at the Tajmahal image courtsey: wikipedia.org

The finial is the crown exactly on the top of the dome which catches the immediate attention of the onlooker (originally it was made of pure gold later replaced by bronze). The moon with its horns facing heavenwards and the central point jointly raises the memory of a trident a Hindu symbol.

The Taj-Masjid and the Jawab.

The Masjid is akin in design to the Delhi Jumas Masjid and is decorated with calligraphy (calligraphy here are a script (thuluth language) designed by Amanat Khan of the palace. The Taj Masjid is floored with black marble and covered with expensive Persian carpets.

The Jawab is basically designed for the sake of symmetry and it served as a visitors hall.

The Minarets

Tajmahal image courtsey: traveladventures.org

These minarets are examples of the symmetry –the watch-word- in the construction of Taj. They are constructed on the four corners of the plinth, each exactly 40 meters in height consisting of three portions, with two working balconies that ring the tower. They have been constructed in such a distance that even if by any event they fall the tomb will not be effected.

The Cenotaphs.

Cenotaph at Taj image courtsey: wikipedia.org

The cenotaph of Mumtaz is in the center of the inner chamber on a rectangular marble base (1.5m * 2.5 m). It is decorated with precious stones and calligraphy praising and identifying her. The cenotaph of Shah Jehan is bigger and placed in slightly elevated floor. The casket is with inscriptions praising god.

Royal Prisoner!

Shahjahan who built the Taj Mahal image courtsey: wikipedia.org

Shah Jehan had a cruel fate as the completion of the building he had been put in to house arrest by his own son in a nearby building and till death he had to live as a virtual prisoner. The only favor the dear father received was that he could the view Taj from his ‘prison’ and that sight of the mausoleum of his wife would have given him some consolation in his confinement. A visitor to Taj is enriched (burdened) with a collage of emotions by the rare sights of Taj complex as well as the stories they had to tell, among them he can cherish the image of an emperor who built all these and had to see them until death as a prisoner.

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat Temple image courtsey: impactlab.com

Angkor Wat – the only structure to appear in a national flag.

Suryavarman the great!

Angkor Wat (the largest and best preserved monument of Cambodia) is a typical Hindu temple built by Suryavarman -2 who ruled Cambodia in the early 12^th century. Cambodia takes so pride of this temple as much as it has given the image of this temple in its national flag. Once there was a culture based on Hindu mythologies that spanned from Afghanistan in the west and up to the Indonesian Peninsula in the east. The real name of this temple or the town hosted it is not known (Angkor derived from Nokor the corrupt form of the word Nagar in Sanskrit meaning city)

Legends.

For centuries peasants of Cambodia tell about a legend about the city that became uninhabited and lost in the dense forest and grand parents used to pass the intriguing story about the unknown ghost town lost for ever. It just remained as a nanny’s tale and children alone believed it.

A Fairy tale!

Statues in Angorwat Temple Combodia image courtsey: flickr.com

“Once upon a time there came a Brahmin from distant India (the head office of all mythologies). He stayed in the forests for doing ‘tapas’ (worshipping god observing all the rituals and other paraphernalia). One day an ‘apsaras’ (a form of angel) visited him and they finally became man and wife! When children were born to the couple the Brahmin built a city and made his son its king, thus the Funan kingdom was born.

Legend of Zagab and a foolish king.

Kambuja (old name for Cambodia) was ruled by one young and impetuous king he boasted of cutting out the head of Zagab (king of the neighboring country – Java). News about his prattles reached king Zagab’s ears and he was enraged. Zagab invaded Kambuja got the head of the foolish king and returned, before returning he posted a wise young man as the king of Kambuja. It is this young ruler who became Jayavarman the forerunner of Varman Dynasty to which Suryavarman belonged.

An abrupt end?

The Angkor temple is the old City of Funan that was lost in the forest; as per the legends. It is located about five and a half kilometers from Seam Reap city. Well known for its walls with well decorated and beautiful ‘bas reliefs’ (images which partially project out of a wall or any plain surface as carvings in Indian temples) of goddesses as in almost all ancient Hindu temples. Some of the bas reliefs are incomplete giving suspicions to experts that the king would have died while the works were in progress and would have got stopped at that stage.

Well entrenched.

Angot Wat Temple Combodia image courtsey: hinduwisdom.info

Angkor Wat is construction made as per the typical Khmer style of architecture, was mainly based on sandstone and not on laterite of granite. This temple has a moat (a deep trench dug around as a measure of protection) within it comes the outer wall 1025 meter long and 802 meter broad and a height of 4.5 meters! Entry to inside restricted through a sand-bank from the east and stone causeway from the west. It is a pity that no inscription could be found anywhere regarding the temple.

Antonia da Magdalene a Portuguese traveler of 1586 has written “It is such an extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world. It has towers and decoration and all refinements which the human genius can conceive of”. From 14^th century this structure was converted for Theravada Buddhist use (Theravada Buddhism is an ancestral school of Buddhism that existed many parts of the world).

Oriented to west.

Angkorwat temple image courtsey: wayfaring.info

This temple is oriented towards west and there are opinions among scholars that Suryvarman has built it as his funerary temple, some tray with ash recovered also added credence to this theory, the bas reliefs were preceding in anti-clockwise direction is said to indicate with funeral ceremonies. There are other schools of thought that in Cambodia there are several temples with western orientation.

Finely balanced elements.

Angkor Wat has many praises to its credit it has been compared to ancient structures of Greece and Rome “Angkor Wat temple attain classic perfection by the restraint monumentality of its finely balanced elements and the precise arrangement of its proportions, it is a work of power, unity and style” Maurice Glaize conservator of Angkor Wat.

Of the style.

Angor Wat Combodia image courtsey: allposters.com

Architecturally the style include the ogival (curved surface like edge of a bullet), towers shaped like lotus buds; half galleries broaden passage-ways; axial galleries connecting enclosures. Most of the visible structures made of sand-stones, laterite used only for outer wall or parts not visible. The binding material not yet identified; may be some resin or soaked lime.

All Epics!

Angkor Wat Temple arieal view image courtsey: wikipedia.org

The outer wall of the temple encloses 203 acres, in it the temple proper stands on a terrace with three rectangular galleries rising to a central tower. The inner wall bears a series of bas reliefs depicting scenes from Hindu Epics like Ramayana and Maha Bharata. The Battle between Sri Ram and Ravana, The Kurukshetra war are only some of the scenes.

The masterpeice!

The Southern Gallery shows the procession led by Suryavarman -2 along with the 32 hells and the 37 heavens as per the Hindu Myths. Where are eastern gallery bears the most beautiful sculpture the churning of the ocean of milk (Palazhi, Pal = milk and azhi = sea), in which 92 demons (assuras) on and 88 demigods (devas) wait on both parts of Vishnu who churn the sea using Vasuki (a giant mythical snake) as rope, while Indra (the chief of the demigods) watches from the top.

Restoration.

Angkor wat image courtsey: earthportals.com

The present government of Cambodia has recognized the value of this structure and its power to attract tourists from all over the world. Hence massive restoration works with experts in the field is being undertaken as previous half hearted attempts with the engagement of poorly skilled agencies have done more damages than repair to those invaluable structures.

A German hand.

At present the ‘German Apsara Conservation Project’ is engaged in the conservation project (Angkor Wat is part of the World Heritage Site established in 1992). As twenty percent of the sculptures is in bad shape their restoration is a daunting task. While the Japanese team has completed the work on the library building on the outer skirts in 2005 creditably. The world has only just begun to recognize the potential of this magnificent temple structure and the influx of tourists has exceeded millions filling the coffers of the government. Let Angkor Wat remain as long as there are the oceans and the mountains!

Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower –The pride of Paris.

Eiffel Tower image courtsey: perso.orange.fr

The crowd puller.

Towering as the face of Paris beside River Seine this steel structure still remains as the magnet which attracts maximum number of visitors for years. The idea of such a tower with a so far unheard height of 324 meters (inclusive of the antennae with 24 meter) was born in the mind of Gustav de Eiffel the architect who designed it for the entrance arch for a world-fare (Exposition Universelle) to be held in Barcelona.

To see his baby born!

Gustav Eiffel image courtsey: ce.jhu.edu

Gustav Eiffel was a dejected man when his design was rejected by the committee and there were few buyers for his work on which he had poured out his heart. Most scoffed it off as ugly and lacking aesthetics! At last the corporation of Paris agreed to its construction on rigid terms ‘the structure is sanctioned only for a period of twenty years after it will be dismantled and the scrap metal will be the corporation’s property. Poor Eiffel had to agree as he was eager to see his baby born.

The vital stats.

Eiffel Tower at night image courtsey: 3dphoto.net

The work of this tower with 300.65 meters in height (excluding antennae) and a weight of 7300 tons started in 1887. Metal pieces were cast in special ‘puddle iron’ (special quality pure wrought iron) 300 workers were engaged in assembling 18038 of them. More than 2.5 million were the number of rivets to be fixed. Extra safety arrangements were to be provided to the workers as unlike a floored structure this tower offered no safety nets. Yet there were one casualty as one worker who died due to fall.

Educating Eiffel!

There were protests against this ‘towering inferno’ it was a real test of patience on the part of this acclaimed architect to be tried by laymen, they were teaching Eiffel about architecture! Somehow the tower could be completed in 31^st March, 1889. Then it became the tallest structure in the world replacing Washington Monument to number two in height. Eiffel remained number one until 1930 when the Chrysler building of New York was built with a height of 319 meters.

An eye-sour so dear!

As per the conditions this structure had to be dismantled on 1909 as the twenty year agreement was due to expire, by that time the initial antipathy of the officials died down and the use of this tower as an efficient carrier of communication instruments was all in its favour. The glamour it added to the city also was a stumbling block to move against it. Those who blamed it as ‘eye-sour’ (the famous French writer Guy de Maupassaunt), later became daily visitor to the tower! (To queries about this change he answered that was the only place in Paris where the eye-sore is not visible!)

This tower that has celebrated its centenary in has met with many crises in this long period 1940 – 1944 was marked by German occupation they used this tower as their communication centre; mainly exchanging news about wounded soldiers etc. 1902 saw a massive lightening that struck this tower causing extensive damages, this has necessitated the replacements of about hundred meters length along with all costly electrical equipments.

Yet another tragedy!

There is one more ‘tragedy’ Eiffel Tower had to face when it was sold as scrap by one master con artist arranged a meeting of six scrap dealers in Hotel de Crillon and discussed a secret deal of auctioning the tower as it was a financial liability to the corporation! One dealer (Andre Poisson) actually fell in his trap he had to shell out the prize of the tower as well as extra bucks as kickbacks to the ‘official’. The official (Victor Lusting a Czechoslovakian) did the same trick on one more occasion

The present status.

Eiffel as a magnet for attracting tourists and thereby having a money-spinner status, all arrangements have been made to make conveniences for the tourists (of course making some money in that way). There is a 230 * 230 meters temp controlled scuba diving pool with facility arranged for beginners located near the north pillar of the tower. There are yet another attractions like underwater picture gallery for those who have the spirit to venture (this facility is denied for children and un-escorted minors).

Inside attractions.

Feroscope at the Eiffel Tower image courtsey: tour-eiffel.fr

The Eiffel Tower is open to visitors round the year from 9.30 AM till midnight, security check up is a bit tight (large baggage or animals not allowed inside) on the grounds of growing insurgency and terror threats. Visitors can either climb stairs or use elevators. First elevator allowed only up to 2^nd floor (115 meter height), and visitors have to catch the next. The whole building is equipped with handicapped friendly arrangements. The first floor which is largest in area offers large collection of exhibits, there is good dining places as well as shopping facilities.

Second floor

Animated Window Scenes at the Eiffel Tower image courtsey: tour-eiffel.fr

The perfect floor to view Paris from here visitors can take elevator to the top or din in restaurants with exquisite food, go shopping on souvenirs and fancy item gift packing is available. Animated window scenes for visitors to understand the history of the structure the technologies utilized for its upkeep for the last century etc. visitors can simply scroll with a feeling that they are on the top of the world!

The top floor

Gustave Eiffel's Office image courtsey: tour-eiffel.fr

Can be reached by the help of escalator it has two floors; out-door and the indoor. The very escalator ride is enough to give the visitor the massive nature of the construction and reaching at the top the city of Paris can be viewed from here as if from an aircraft in 360 degrees. The engineer’s office is the masterpiece where Gustav Eiffel along with his daughter Claire and American inventor Thomas Edison sitting in life-size!

From a white elephant to a money spinner.

Illuminated Eiffel Tower image courtsey: world-city-photos.org

Visitors to this tower has exceeded two billion and still counting! The authorities walk all the way to the banks, no one dares to talk of scrapping it anymore, not just it makes money but it has been come to the status of a world monument and Parisians just love to have it as their own; and may not spare anyone who suggest of scrapping it! The sixty tons of paint required to coat it is no more a waste. Let Eiffel Tower rise to greater heights day by day!

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia or Aya Sofya

Hagia Sophia image courtsey: treakearth.com

Hagia Sophia or Aya Sofya

‘The most beautiful building ever made’.

A phoenix among structures!

In Istanbul Turkey there stands the most beautiful building the ‘Aya Sofya’ with many old names by which it was known and many old roles it had made to play in the centuries that passed after its construction. It in its course has been burned down to ashes, crumbled down in earth quakes and got vandalized by rioters but each time it literally rose from its ashes to be the most beautiful human construction ever happened.

Against all odds.

Hagia Sopia image courtsey: nato.int

Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia – meaning Holy wisdom) was constructed in 360 AD by Emperor Constantius-2 (son of Constantine), it remained as the ‘Great Church’ (Megala Ekklassia) until 404 AD when it was burned down to ashes in riots when people took part in a tussle between the emperor Arcadius and the Arch Bishop John Chrisostom (who criticized the empress and was exiled for that). The fury of the mob did not even spare a trace of the original structure.

Nika Revolt.

Aya Sofya image courtsey: es.tldp.org

In 405 AD Thodosius -2 rebuilt it in far larger dimensions; this too has another tragic end as in the ‘Nika Revolt’ in AD 532 this building along with half the city of Istanbul was burnt down. (The Nika Revolt is believed to have originated with the dispute rose from a chariot race held in the city, comparable to the recent events of riots by foot-ball fans related with games!)

Justinian.

Justinian image courtsey: wikipedia.org

The next role of reconstruction was on the shoulders of Justinian who managed the whole work under his direct supervision, in this process Justinian brought eight Corinthian columns from Baalbek to Constantinople for the construction of Hagia Sophia. He entrusted Isidore a physicist from Miletus and Anthemeus a mathematician the design and planning. It is said looking at the completed structure Justinian exclaimed “Solomon! I have surpassed thee”.

The mega church.

Hagia Sofya image courtsey: webstylus.net

In its prime time being the largest cathedral in the world it enjoyed the service of 80 priests, 150 Deacons, 60 Sub-Deacons, 160 readers, 25 Cantors and 75 door-keepers!

The earth quake.

In 989 AD the devastating earth quake had its death-dance all through the region and Hagia Sophia was not spared as its beautiful dome crumbled down along with many other damages. The Byzantine government invited the famous Architect from Armenia ‘Trdat’ for the reconstruction of the church.

Adding value.

Centuries passed by and Istanbul come under the rule of Turkey in 1453, the Islamic rulers did not lag behind in protecting and improving Hagia Sophia (they converted in to a mosque), Mehmud 1 (who established a Koranic school, social kitchen and a library in the complex (known as ‘Kulliye’) , Sultan Abdulla Mecid (1847 -49 who did extensive modification works), Mustaffa Kemal Pasha (known as the Athathurk- father of Turky- who is well known for his reformist policies in that nation and who converted Hagia Sophia in to a Museum) all are prominent names associated with this history-rich “temple church mosque museum” who have added value in their tenure as rulers.

Sinan the architect.

Sinan image courtsey: wikipedia.org

Selim has played a major role (during his tenure the building was showing signs of weakness due to ageing) he engaged the great Turkish architect Sinan (who was the most famous architect who built the Ani and Agino churches) for the restoration and strengthening of the structure.

Sinan completed the work creditably and in addition he built two minarets by the sides of the main structure. The construction of these minarets is considered to dampen the seismic energy of the earth quakes thereby protecting the main structure. This theory has been approved by the modern seismologists and hence Sinan is considered as the first ‘engineer in the world who built building that can combat a quake with architectural changes.

Present status.

Hagia Sophia image courtsey: peraair.net

The modern day restoration works are done by the American Byzantine Institute under Thomas Whitemore as the restorers advance more and more Christian mosaics get uncovered and removal of the Islamic calligraphy remains a sensitive issue. Hence a balanced policy is being adopted giving presence of both style and texture to co-exist.