Who you are?

   Hi, My name is Nagihan Sema KUDU , I am artist at HS Art Gallery. I‘ve been painting when I was twelve. I’ve been working three years as a professionel artist at HS Art Gallery.

Could you tell us about the artwork?

   Today I’ll tell about Hagia Sophia Big Wall Art is a landscape in the heart of of historical peninsula, contains Hagia Sophia Mosque. Fountain of Ahmed III. , Hurrem Sultan Bathouse , some parts of Topkapı Palace and city view of İstanbul. The art work width is 150cm and it’s height is 100 cm.

Could you tell us history of Hagia Sophia?

   Hagia Sophia mean Holly Wisdom not Saint Sophia as commonly behaved. It was first build by Constantine in the February 15th 360 AD and it was called Megale Ekklesina the Great Church. A rebellion in Istanbul occured and part of the Church burns down.

   Restoration of the church by Thedousius II. İs compeleted on October 10th 415 but this second church is also pillaged and destroyed by Nika Rebellion of January 13th. 532.

   It is Justinian who had the church erected in its present magnificent. Finally it is reconstructed in 5 years with administration of famous architectures Anthemios and Isidoros unser the order of the Emperor Justinianos. Hagia Sophia is completed open its doors to Emperor Justinianos in December 27th 537 and he contemplating the magnifience of the church compares it with the Temple of Jehovah built by the prophet Suleiman and extimas : ”Suleiman I have surpassed you!”.

   In 29th May 1453 Mehmet II. conquered the Constantiople and Hagia Sophia converted into a mosque.

   Hagia Sophia is also part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been labelled by some historians the eight wonder of the world.

And How about architecture of Hagia Sophia?

   Hagia Sophia represents a brilliant moment in Byzantine architecture and art. The grand dome represents the heavens. Reaching over 50 meters hight and over 30 meters in diameter and ringed by 40 windows around its base. The golden dome appears suspended from heaven light reflefcting through its interior. The original dome was partially destoreyed by an earthquake in 558.

   Hagia Sophia has 107 column from different cicities , beautiful marbels, amazing mosaics. Unfortuentaly during Latin Occupation in the Fourth Crusade Hagia Sophia was damaged, haunted, mosaics were stolen.

   Following the conquest of Istanbul during restoration works minarets and Islamic figures were added by the famous architect Mimar Sinan.

How did you start paint of Hagia Sophia big wall art and how did it continue?

   First of all I have imagined the composition , I’ve researched and looked many pictures of Hagia Sophia. Then I started painting with draft of composition via Impiramatura technique. When I completed the first layer of artwork I pass into blocking step and I paint first colors of objects. Then it continued with painting details. It is not easy there  are many objects must to drawing or painting so painting it takes nearly two month of my time.

What kind of jobs have been done about Hagia Sophia after conquest of Istanbul?

   After conquest of Istanbul, Mehmed the Conqueror was sad when he first saw Hagia Sophia because building was disorderly. He restorated building and established a foundation spending income for Hagia Sophia’s expense like: maintenance, lighting. He is always respectfull to the public and Hagia Sophia so he also see and described himself as Eastern Roman Emperor.

What is the hardest part when you painting the artwork ?

   I think the hardest part of paintig is painting windows of Hagia Sophia and Sultans’ Tombs because you have to draw straight horizontal and vertical lines for windows’s grate.