Little Hagia Sophia

Lore & Background

According to later legend, during the reign of Justin I, his nephew Justinian was accused of plotting against the throne and sentenced to death. He was freed after Saints Sergius and Bacchus appeared before Justin and vouched for his innocence. In gratitude, Justinian vowed to dedicate a church to the saints once he became emperor. Construction began between 527 and 536 AD, possibly under his predecessor Justin, and the church lay at the border between the First and Third Regio of the City, near the Palace of Hormisdas and the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. The new church became the center of the complex, and a monastery bearing the same name was built nearby.

Reader's Guide

The Little Hagia Sophia mosque is significant as one of the most important early Byzantine buildings in Istanbul, with a central dome plan erected in the sixth century by Justinian. Despite its Turkish name, it likely was not a model for Hagia Sophia, with which its construction was contemporary, but it is nonetheless ranked second only to Hagia Sophia in architectural originality and carved decoration. The building's central plan was consciously repeated in the basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna and served as a model for the Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan in the construction of the Rüstem Pasha Mosque. After the Ottoman conquest, it remained untouched until the reign of Bayezid II, when it was transformed into a mosque by Hüseyin Ağa. The building suffered from humidity, earthquakes, and damage from railway construction, and was added to the UNESCO watch list of endangered monuments. After extensive restoration ending in September 2006, it was reopened for worship and public access.

Did You Know?

• The church's construction date is disputed, with some scholars favoring a mid-520s date with groundbreaking by 527 and others preferring 532 to 536.
• The building was recognized by Procopius as an adornment to the entire city.
• During the Ottoman period, the church was transformed into a mosque between 1506 and 1513 by Hüseyin Ağa, the Chief Black Eunuch.
• The interior features an elegant inscription in twelve Greek hexameters dedicated to Emperor Justinian, his wife Theodora, and Saint Sergius, but Saint Bacchus is not mentioned.