Little Hagia Sophia (Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus)

History

The Little Hagia Sophia is a former Greek Orthodox church dedicated to Saints Sergius and Bacchus, built in the sixth century under Emperor Justinian I and Empress Theodora. The exact construction date is disputed: some scholars favour a mid-520s start (groundbreaking c. 527); others date it between 532 and 536. According to Procopius, the church was raised next to the Hormisdas Palace, where Justinian had lived before ascending the throne. Its dedication is linked to a dream — the saints appeared to Justinian to save him from execution when he was accused of plotting against Emperor Anastasius I. Under Theodora's patronage, the adjoining palace hosted Miaphysite (Syriac anti-Chalcedonian) communities. Between 1506 and 1513, during the reign of Sultan Bayezid II, the building was converted into a mosque by the Chief White Eunuch (Kapıağası) Hüseyin Ağa. The Turkish name 'Küçük Ayasofya' (Little Hagia Sophia) reflects a visual resemblance to Hagia Sophia, not chronological priority. A major restoration in 2002–2007 stabilised the fabric after damage from adjacent railway vibration and rising damp.

Architecture

The Little Hagia Sophia is a landmark of early Byzantine architecture: a centralised plan with a dome over an irregular octagon inscribed in a rectangle. The scheme combines the longitudinal bi-axial symmetry of a basilica with the centralised logic of a domed church — a rare and experimental composition for the first quarter of the 6th century. Eight massive piers define the octagon; between them, alternating straight and curved (exedra) colonnades carry arcades of coloured marble (green and rose antique spolia). The column capitals are openwork 'basket' capitals incised with the intertwined monograms of Justinian and Theodora. The interior's greatest treasure is an original carved entablature bearing a 12-line Greek dedicatory inscription to Justinian, Theodora, and Saint Sergius — one of the rarest surviving in-situ imperial inscriptions of the 6th century. The dome is an 'umbrella' or pumpkin dome of 16 segments alternating between concave sides, which rest on the piers, and flatter ones; only the eight flatter segments are pierced by windows. The diameter is not precisely recorded in accessible sources. After the Ottoman conversion a mihrab, minbar, minaret (NW corner) and a small madrasa in the forecourt were added. No 6th-century source names the architects: the attribution to Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus is a modern conjecture resting on the plan's resemblance to Hagia Sophia. The idea that the church was a dress rehearsal for Hagia Sophia is now largely rejected — the detailing of the two buildings differs markedly.

Facts

• Dedicated to Saints Sergius and Bacchus — the saints who appeared in a dream to Justinian when he was accused of plotting against Emperor Anastasius I and awaiting execution. thebyzantinelegacy.com
• Built on the site of the Hormisdas Palace, Justinian's residence before his accession in 527. en.wikipedia.org
• The interior entablature carries a 12-line Greek dedicatory inscription to Justinian, Theodora, and Saint Sergius — one of the rarest in-situ imperial inscriptions of the 6th century. smarthistory.org
• Converted into a mosque 1506–1513 by the Chief White Eunuch Hüseyin Ağa during the reign of Sultan Bayezid II. en.wikipedia.org
• The name 'Little Hagia Sophia' is a 16th-century Turkish nickname based on visual resemblance — scholars dispute that the building was a prototype or 'model' for Hagia Sophia (the two were built in roughly overlapping years c. 532–537). smarthistory.org

Photographs

Part of the walks

• The Heart of Sultanahmet

Sources

• en.wikipedia.org
• thebyzantinelegacy.com
• smarthistory.org
• islamiclandmarks.com
• turkeytravelplanner.com
• Google Maps