Hagia Sophia (Trebizond)

Hagia Sophia, built between 1238 and 1263 by Emperor Manuel I, is the best conserved church of the city of Trebizond, capital of a Byzantine Empire of Trebizond where the dynasty founded by Alexius I the Great Comnenus (1204–22)[1] reigned until 1461. It is a slightly elongated building topped by a dome. Built of stone and not of brick, the church already reveals its local colour. The Armenians and the Georgians only built their churches in stone, like the Seljuq mosques of the Anatolian plateau. The most remarkable architectural feature is comprised of the three open porches that project from the north, south and west sides of the church. The porches modified the exterior of Hagia Sophia, distancing it from the Byzantine tradition. They were probably borrowed from Georgia where they were a common feature. The blend of different traditions, which gives the building its own character, is evident in the sculpted decoration, which was relatively common in Anatolia and the Caucasus. It covers the porches and comprises ornamental decoration and figurative reliefs concentrated on the south porch, the largest of the three. An eagle and two mythical animals (centaur, griffin) appear on the south porch. Under a quatrefoil oculus inspired by the West, a long sculpted frieze depicting scenes from Genesis related to the expulsion from Paradise decorates the pediment. Two long carved inscriptions allow us to identify these scenes: the creation of Eve, the temptation of Eve, Adam tasting the forbidden fruit, the closed gate of Eden, the lamentation of Adam and Eve, and Cain and Abel. It is possible that the choice of theme hides a political message, the expulsion from Paradise symbolising the exile of the Comneni from Constantinople. The story unfolds from east to west – that is, from right to left. Is this a reference to Islamic culture? The importance of the frieze is demonstrated by its location on the largest porch.

Four columns under the dome were reused; they were of much earlier Byzantine origin (fifth–sixth centuries). Two columns on the Western porch are topped with Seljuq-style honeycomb capitals. The two niches flanking this porch are decorated with muqarnas. A large number of circles with chased interlacing, and plant and geometric motifs are also in the Seljuq style.

The church’s architecture, its decorative sculptures blending Christian and Muslim artistic elements, and its Genesis frieze demonstrate its ties to local and neighbouring cultures. The Empire of Trebizond maintained close relations with its Georgian, Seljuq and Armenian neighbours and was a melting pot of coexisting nationalities under a thin veneer of Greek government. The elements described were part of Byzantine practice. It may be said that Trebizond was part of Anatolian culture, whether Christian or Islamic.