Codrul Cosminului (Dec 2012)
Haghia Sophia in Trabzon
Abstract
Haghia Sophia is a small Church located to the North East of Turkey. Because of its dimensions when compared with Haghia Sophia in Istanbul it is called also “Small Haghia Sophia”. When Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror added Trabzon in the Ottoman Borders, He converted the main cathedral of city into a Mosque. However, he did not converted Haghia Sophia into a Mosque though it was the most beautiful building of Comnens. About one hundred years after the conquest, Haghia Sophia was converted into a mosque after it served as a church over 300 years and used as a mosque until the Russian occupation in 1916. The period of usage as a mosque was longer than that as a church. After the foundation of modern Turkish Republic, Haghia Sophia continued to be used as a mosque for a while, and all frescos during this time were under white wash except some cleaned by Russian Archeologist Uspensky during Russian Occupation. The most beautiful carvings of Haghia Sophia are placed on the southern narthex, the frizzes showing the creation of Adam and Eva. The Bell Tower about 200 years younger than the main complex also includes elaborate paintings in the small cell at the middle.
