‘’ … a building in which twenty-four small doors open, each (measuring) one span square; there is one for each of the hours of the day and night. When an hour ends, a door opens by itself…’’

The Horologion was also used as a ceremonial entrance used as a change room by the emperor before he entered the church. The emperor would also use it as a shortcut entrance from Chalke Gate (the entrance hall of the Great Palace) to Hagia Sophia. He is said to have observed the Construction process through Horologion of Hagia Sophia. There would lie Augustaion between the Chalke and the Horologion.

By the way, there was also a shorter and more confidential way of reaching Hagia Sophia: the Holy Well Gate. Justinian would use the Holy Well Gate on special days like Easter Saturdays, other days he would use the Horologion Gate.

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Constantine had been a pagan before he converted to the Christianity. After Constantine died, his successor Constantinus decided that Byzantine needed his own Pantheon. It was Hagia Sophia, Sophia of God, Holy Wisdom; that is the second person of Trinity: Christ.

The first name of the Church was ‘’Megale Ekklesia’’ which means ‘’the Grand Church’’. The first Hagia Sophia was built in 360. It was a wooden-roofed basilica, built on the site of a pagan temple. On the contrary to the popular belief, it was donated by Constantinus II not by Justinian. When the church was built, severe conflicts arose between the Pagans & new Christians.

When its roof was burned by a fire in 404 and destroyed mostly in a second fire in 414, a great believer of orthodoxy Theodisius II dedicated a church in 415. Among the ruins of Theodisius’ church, you can see the architrave of 12 sheep that represents the twelve apostles of Christ in front of the monumental entrance.

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The Million stone which is thought to be the starting point in the world was outside on the Ausgustaion. In the southwest corner of it, there was a 50 meter high bronze sheated column which would carry the statue of Justinian (column of Justinian) holding a globe on one hand and pointing the east with other hand.

The square was full of statues of the Emperors like Justinian and Theodosius. There was also a statue of Augusta Helena by whose name Augustaion was named after.

The square was destructed firstly by the 4^th Crusaders however it was demolished mostly by the Ottomans.

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Despite his will to be buried in Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Sultan Selim the second was buried in Hagia Sophia because it was respected as a royal tomb. His tomb was designed by Mimar Sinan. With his wifes’ and sons’, there are forty two sarcophagi in the mausoleum.

Decorated with tiles on its walls, the marble mausoleum of Selim II an octagonal layout.

Tomb of Sultan Mehmed III

Built by the architect Dalgic Ahmed Aga on the order of Sultan Ahmed I, the mausoleum of Mehmed III who killed his nineteen brother when he came to the throne, has two domes and an octagonal plan. Inside the tomb, there are twenty six sarcophagi including the tomb of Sultan Ahmed and his family.

Tomb of Sultan Murad III

Built by Davud Aga in 1599, the mausoleum of Sultan Murad III, houses 54 sarcophagi. The hexagonal mausoleum with two domes was completed four years after the death of Sultan Murad III.

The tomb has three rows of windows and ornamented interior walls. The dome is supported by six-free standing columns.

The Tomb of Princes

There are the sarcophagi of four princes of Sultan Murad III and the daughter of Sultan Murad III in the mausoleum. The walls of it is ornamented with plant motifs.

The Tomb of Sultan Mustafa I and Sultan Ibrahim

Baptistery of the Hagia Sophia, was used as a mausoleum of Sultan Mustafa I and Sultan Ibrahim along with 17 other sarcophagi of the members in the dynasty. It has an octagonal internal layout.

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