Editing Hagia Sophia (section)

===Narthex and portals===
The Imperial Gate, or Imperial Door, was the main entrance between the exo- and esonarthex, and it was originally exclusively used by the emperor.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Teteriatnikov |first=Natalia |title=Devotional Crosses in the Columns and Walls of Hagia Sophia |date=1998 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44172340 |journal=Byzantion |volume=68 |issue=2 |pages=419–445 |jstor=44172340 |issn=0378-2506}}</ref><ref name="Opstall-2018">{{Cite book |last=Opstall |first=Emilie M. van |date=2018-06-28 |chapter=On the Threshold: Paul the Silentiary's Ekphrasis of Hagia Sophia |url=https://brill.com/view/book/9789004369009/BP000010.xml |title=Sacred Thresholds: The Door to the Sanctuary in Late Antiquity |language=en |pages=31–65 |doi=10.1163/9789004369009_003 |isbn=9789004369009|s2cid=201516637|oclc=1037899166}}</ref> A long ramp from the northern part of the outer narthex leads up to the upper gallery.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-10 |title=Hagia Sophia Imperial Gate {{!}} Visit & Explore The Iconic Landmark |url=https://hagiasophiatickets.com/imperial-gate |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=Hagia Sophia Tickets |language=en}}</ref>[[File:Istanbul.Hagia Sophia055.jpg|thumb|right|West side of the upper gallery]]