Exterieur van de Hagia Sophia te Istanbul c. 1875 - 1900

Curator: This gelatin-silver print, taken by Maison Bonfils between 1875 and 1900, presents an exterior view of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Editor: My first thought is, the silence in this image is deafening. There's a stillness, a grand solemnity about it. Curator: Yes, the photograph freezes a moment in time, long before the age of mass tourism. The almost bleached tonality adds to that sense of removed, historical weight. It invites us to consider not just the architecture, but the material reality of its construction. The workers, the sourcing of the stone, the very labor that went into creating this marvel. We must also not forget the orientalist gaze framing it. Editor: The symbolic presence of the Hagia Sophia itself is almost overwhelming, a palimpsest of cultural meaning. First a Byzantine cathedral, then an Ottoman mosque – it embodies the complex interplay between Christianity and Islam, East and West. Each minaret a testament to that transformation. Curator: Absolutely. And each change leaves its mark, materially layered onto the structure. I’m struck by the ways in which Bonfils has chosen to depict this; focusing our attention on the external. He captures how stone and form come to define a place. Editor: For centuries, the dome has stood as a visual embodiment of heaven and earthly power, wouldn’t you agree? Look how the photograph positions the building at eye level, allowing us to appreciate the building's sheer scale and dominance in the cityscape. The play of light and shadow across the facade accentuates the symbolic drama of the building. Curator: Light becomes an interesting aspect of its production as well. As a gelatin silver print, its very production depended on certain colonial access to silver mines as much as skilled labor needed to produce such a large print. This reminds us that the distribution of materials is also a symbol of cultural memory. Editor: Indeed. So, while the photograph captures a particular moment, it also transmits enduring cultural narratives. We're reminded how an edifice becomes much more than the sum of its materials. Curator: Exactly. By considering both the construction and the cultural context, the materials and memory, we get a richer understanding of this striking image. Editor: A potent blend of visual statement and historic, symbolic presence—food for thought.