ABSTRACT
The exterior of Hagia Sophia is adorned with a wide range of sculptural reliefs. The sculptures are concentrated on the three porches, although one or two pieces are found elsewhere, notably an eagle on the exterior of the main apse. Most of this carving is in the form of decorative panels, generally of interlace ornament, but there is also an extensive array of figural imagery. The figural reliefs are concentrated on the south porch, the largest and grandest entrance to the church (Fig. 29). A number of isolated sculptures appear on this porch, but it is dominated by a long frieze of figures that runs across its full width. These provide the first substantive programme with a clear narrative or interpretative intent that is visible on approaching the church. Whereas the interpretation of the architecture of Hagia Sophia was necessarily tentative, we can be sure that here a meaning was intended. This chapter concentrates on the figural sculpture, and especially on the narrative frieze; the interlace and ornamental plaques are discussed separately in chapter 5.
