The Hagia Sophia Is the Third (And Final) In- Carnation of a Church Located in Constantin

Hagia Sophia

•The Hagia Sophia is the third (and final) in- carnation of a church located in Constantin- ople. The name ‘Hagia Sophia’
means ‘holy wisdom’ in Greek,

and was meant to illustrate the
wisdom of God.
•The Hagia Sophia is important
for both religious and architectural reasons. The church is renown for its massive dome, and it remained the largest cathedral in the world until the 1500s.

•Hagia Sohpia was also the religious center of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. After the Great Schism split the Christian Church into Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox sects, Hagia Sophia became the Vatican of the East.

The Dome

•The dome of Hagia Sophia is its most prominent and celebrated feature. The dome that was originally constructed in 537 was almost immediately cracked and destroyed by an earthquake in 558.
•It was reconstructed by 562, but was again destroyed by earthquake in 989. (It was again reconstructed.)
•The dome is approxi-
mately 102 feet in di-
ameter, and has ex-
tensive windowing
around the base — not
only to cut the weight of the structure, but also to allow significant amounts of light into the interior.
•The dome is supported by four massive pil- lars which weigh more than 70 tons each.

•Two previous churches existed on the site of the Hagia Sophia. Both were largely wooden structures and fell victim to fire.

Two previous churches existed on the site of the Hagia Sophia. Both were largely wooden structures and fell victim to fire. The second church was destroyed during the Nika revolts.

•Emperor Justinian ordered the construction of Hagia Sophia in 532. It was completed by 537. At its completion Justinian was quoted as saying, “Solomon, I have outdone thee” (a reference to the grandeur of Solomon’s tem- ple in Jerusalem).

•The new cathedral was
built entirely of stone, in-
cluding marble and gran-
ite, and more than 10,000 people were in- volved in the construction.

•The church has been renovated several times over the last 1500 years, often be- cause of damage caused by earthquakes.

Modern History

•In 1453, the city of Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks. Sultan Mehmet II ordered Hagia Sophia converted into a mosque.

•The interior was altered to accommodate a minbar (Muslim altar) and a mihrab (a niche indicating the direction of Mecca). Many of the mosaics were plastered over, and all of the Christian imagery was removed.

•On the exterior of the prop-
erty, four minarets (tall slender
towers used to announce the
Muslim call to worship) were
constructed.
•It remained a mosque until 1935, when the Turkish government made it a museum.