Hagia Sophia (Άγια Σοφία in Greek), the Church of Holy Wisdom, known variously as Sancta Sophia in Latin or Ayasofya in Turkish, is an ancient cathedral of the Church of Constantinople located in modern-day Istanbul, Turkey. Muslims attend Friday prayers outside Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul July 24. As Turkey’s most popular tourist destination, the Hagia Sophia remained open to visitors. Dome, showing pendentive construction; Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, 6th century. The colossal Santa Sophia cathedral, an iconic structure that now attracts visitors from the world over, was turned from a place of Christian worship … St. Sophia was itself the second church of that name, built after the first one was destroyed by another mob in 404. The church was burned again in the Nika insurrection of January 532, a circumstance that gave Justinian I an opportunity to envision a splendid replacement. Download this Premium Photo about St. sophia cathedral , istanbul, turkey, and discover more than 7 Million Professional Stock Photos on Freepik Pres. From the date of its construction in 537 AD, and until 1453, it. Built 1,500 years ago as an Orthodox Christian cathedral, Hagia Sophia was … The Virgin Mary and Child between Justinian I (left), holding a model of Hagia Sophia, and Constantine (right), holding a model of the city of Constantinople. The Turkish secular government in 1934 decided to make it a museum. The structure originally erected on the site of the Hagia Sophia was a Christian cathedral called the Megale Ekklesia, which was commissioned by the first Christian Roman emperor, Constantine I. Even now it’s known by several different monikers: Ayasofya in Turkish, Sancta Sophia in Latin, and Holy Wisdom or Divine Wisdom in English (alternate English translations of the Greek words Hagia Sophia). After the Turkish conquest of Constantinople in 1453, Mehmed II had it repurposed as a mosque, with the addition of a wooden minaret (on the exterior, a tower used for the summons to prayer), a great chandelier, a mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca), and a minbar (pulpit). There are three aisles separated by columns with galleries above and great marble piers rising up to support the dome. It was built as a Christian church in the 6th century ce (532–537) under the direction of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. Hagia Sophia in Istanbul was converted into a mosque. Either he or his son Bayezid II erected the red minaret that stands on the southeast corner of the structure. In 1985 the Hagia Sophia was designated a component of a UNESCO World Heritage site called the Historic Areas of Istanbul, which includes that city’s other major historic buildings and locations. For nearly a thousand years, until the cathedral of Seville supplanted it in 1520, Hagia Sophia was the world’s largest Christian church. Prior to that, the site had been home to a pagan temple. The picture above shows the actual view of ST.SOPHIA CHURCH MUSEUM (Ayasofya Muzesi) in Istanbul today. Like. Murad Sezer / … The first of the three Christian structures to be built on the site had another name altogether: Megale Ekklesia, or “Great Church.”. Art historians consider the building’s beautiful mosaics to be the main source of knowledge about the state of mosaic art in the time shortly after the end of the Iconoclastic Controversy in the 8th and 9th centuries. Travel woman with turkish tea looking view of hagia sophia in istanbul, turkey… Hagia Sophia or Saint Sophia may also refer to: The Greek for Holy Wisdom, a concept in Christian theology The Emperor Door, Hagia Sophia Museum, "Aya Sofya or Hagia Sophia Mosque-Church and Museum", "Hagia Sophia. Omissions? His son, Constantius II, consecrated it in 360. Jörg Drauschke (Hrsg.) It was built in 537 as the Greek Orthodox patriarchal cathedral, later becoming a Roman Catholic cathedral, then a Sunni mosque, then a museum. jomnichapa. Nova PBS program; originally aired 2/25/2015", "Influence of the Infiltrated Rainwater on the Degradation of the Inner Wall in Hagia Sophia, Istanbul", "The Image of the Virgin on the Sinai Hexaptych and the Apse Mosaic of Hagia Sophia, Constantinople", "The Apse Mosaics of St. Sophia at Istanbul. Report on Work Carried out in 1964", "Documentary Evidence on the Apse Mosaics of St. Sophia", "Hagia Sophia, Constantinople: Religious images and their functional context after iconoclasm", "Interpreting the Mosaics of S. Sophia at Istanbul", "Images of the Mother: When the Virgin Mary Became "Meter Theou, "Some Remarks on the Apse Mosaic of St. Sophia", "The Representation of Virgin and Child on a "Thokos" on Seals of the Constantinopolitan Patriarchs (pl. Image of constantinople, exterior, cathedral - 119351242 Nearly half of the capital, Constantinople, lay in smoldering ruins, including the most important cathedral, St. Sophia – Church of the Holy Wisdom. Your Turkey Istanbul St Sophia Cathedral stock images are ready. Save. Hagia Sophia, Turkish Ayasofya, Latin Sancta Sophia, also called Church of the Holy Wisdom or Church of the Divine Wisdom, an important Byzantine structure in Istanbul and one of the world’s great monuments. 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"Museum or Mosque? It served as a center of religious, political, and artistic life for the Byzantine world and has provided us with many useful scholarly insights into the period. St. sophia cathedral , istanbul, turkey Premium Photo 10 months ago. Later modifications included the construction of more minarets, the whitewashing of Christian mosaics, and the addition of structural supports. For the past eighty years Hagia Sophia has been a museum. Much of the Hagia Sophia’s edifice evident today was completed in the 6th century (primarily from 532–537), during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. It was damaged in 404 by a fire that erupted during a riot following the second banishment of St. John Chrysostom, then patriarch of Constantinople. Pope Francis says he is “deeply pained” over the decision by Turkey to change the status of Istanbul's Hagia Sophia — built as a Christian cathedral — from a museum to a mosque. Updates? σία, Megálē Ekklēsíā, 'Great Church'), because of its larger dimensions in comparison to the contemporary churches in the city. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the decision after a court annulled the site's museum status. It was built as a Christian church in the 6th century ce (532–537) under the direction of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Sales: 800-685-3602 It would remain so for many centuries, until being secularized in 1934 by the Turkish Republic’s first president. Download all free or royalty-free photos and vectors. During Mehmed’s rule, a wooden minaret (no longer standing), a mihrab (niche positioned in the direction of Mecca), a minbar (pulpit), a madrasah (school), and a grand chandelier were added. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made the controversial decision in 2020 to convert the building back into a mosque. Unusual for the period in which it was built, the names of the building’s architects—Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus—are well known, as is their familiarity with mechanics and mathematics. Questions and answers about the Hagia Sophia. Hagia Sophia is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and the former cathedral of Holy Wisdom in Istanbul. For almost a millennium after its construction, it was the largest cathedral in all of Christendom. Saint Sophia is the finest and most famous example of BYZANTINE architecture in the world. It was converted to a mosque by the Turks and is now used as a museum. St. Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul, Turkey, is also a popular tourist destination, but Glee, the cat's mascot, has been loved for a long time with more than 110,000 social media followers. 5. But Emperor Justinian had a plan to restore the empire to its greatness. It would remain a mosque until being converted into a museum in the 1930s. Collect. The colossal Santa Sophia cathedral was turned into a mosque after the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453. The nice door, Hagia Sophia Museum, "The Emperor Door." Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Since then, mosaics were added throughout the Byzantine period, structural modifications were made in both the Byzantine and Ottoman periods, and features important to the Islamic architectural tradition were constructed during Ottoman ownership of the structure. Islamic prayers were held shortly after the announcement with curtains partially concealing the building’s Christian imagery. The name Hagia Sophia didn’t come about until around 430 CE. Until 1453, when the Ottoman Turks took the city and renamed it Istanbul, Hagia Sophia served as a cathedral, the seat of the patriarch of Constantinople. It currently functions as a mosque. The Turkish secular government in 1934 decided to make it a museum. Hagia Sophia is not, in fact, the only name that the structure has gone by. 54-61)", "The Medieval Russian Account of the Fourth Crusade – A New Annotated Translation", Age of spirituality: late antique and early Christian art, third to seventh century, "History of Hagia Sophia - the Church of Holy Wisdom", "A Monumental Struggle to Preserve Hagia Sophia", 360 Degree Virtual Tour of Hagia Sophia Mosque Museum, Gigapixel of Hagia Sophia Dome ( 214 Billion Pixel ), Hagia Sophia Museum, Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Culture & Tourism, The Most Visited Museums of Turkey: Hagia Sophia Museum, Governorship of Istanbul, Hagia Sophia Mosque, Istanbul Directorate of Culture & Tourism, Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar Literature Museum Library, Holy Martyrs Menodora, Metrodora, and Nymphodora, Spain (Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands), Kefeli (Monastery of Manuel / St. Nicholas), Koca Mustafa Pasha (St. Andrew in Krisei), Little Haghia Sophia (SS. Sultan Mehmed II designated the previously Christian church a mosque shortly after he conquered the city in 1453. Pope ‘deeply pained’ over Turkey’s move on Hagia Sophia In a very brief, improvised remark, Francis, speaking from his studio window overlooking St. … Hagia Sophia | "Hagia Sophia Cathedral" Turkey Islamic History Hagia Sophia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Istanbul, Turkey. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. It is located in heart of old Istanbul, next to the Blue Mosque in the Sultan Ahmet Square (Sultanahmet Meydani) Istanbul. Immediately after that, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he signed a decree on turning the cathedral into a mosque and starting Muslim worship services there. On July 10, the Supreme Administrative Court of Turkey annulled a 1934 decision to turn the St. Sophia Cathedral into a museum. You may also like. It was restored again in the mid-14th century. Hagia Sophia, Turkish Ayasofya, Latin Sancta Sophia, also called Church of the Holy Wisdom or Church of the Divine Wisdom, an important Byzantine structure in Istanbul and one of the world’s great monuments. The Hagia Sophia combines a longitudinal basilica and a centralized building in a wholly original manner, with a huge 32-metre (105-foot) main dome supported on pendentives and two semidomes, one on either side of the longitudinal axis. Istanbul's Hagia Sophia has been a monument to selective readings of history. Byzanz – das Römerreich im Mittelalter Teil 2, 1 Schauplätze, Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Forschungsinstitut für Vor- und Frühgeschichte", "Die Hagia Sophia Justinians – Mathematischer Raum als Bühne des Kaisers", "pendentive (architecture) – Britannica Online Encyclopedia", "The Nice Door." In 1934 Turkish Pres. Pope Francis says he is 'deeply pained' over Turkey's decision on Hagia Sophia The Hagia Sophia was built in Istanbul as a Christian cathedral before it became a museum in 1934 ", This page was last edited on 10 December 2020, at 13:45. Muslims offer evening prayers outside the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia, one of Istanbul's main tourist attractions, following the decision to reconvert it into a mosque on July 10. The colossal Santa Sophia cathedral was turned into a mosque after the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453. The Hagia Sophia was built by Christians and was an Eastern Orthodox Cathedral from 537 until 1453 until Muslims conquered Constantinople changed its name to Istanbul and turned the historic cathedral into a mosque. St Sophia Cathedral was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List among theother monuments of Istanbul’s historic center in … In plan the building is almost square. The move came hours after Turkey's highest court issued a landmark ruling that unanimously annulled the 1934 cabinet decision to renovate the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul into a museum. For more than a millennium it was the Cathedral of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Istanbul, Turkey - Buy this stock photo and explore similar images at Adobe Stock View of St. Sophia Cathedral (Mosque, Hagia Sofia) in January on a cloudy day. Hagia Sophia was built as an Orthodox Christian cathedral and stood as … Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was a Byzantine cathedral before being converted into a mosque and is now a museum in Turkey's capital Istanbul. Photo about St. Sophia Cathedral , Istanbul, Turkey on a bright day. Bayezid II erected the narrow white minaret on the northeast side of the mosque. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hagia-Sophia, History Learning Site - The Balfour Declaration of 1917, The Met - Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History - Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey, LiveScience - Hagia Sophia: Facts, History and Architecture, Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism - Hagia Sophia Museum, Hagia Sophia - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Hagia Sophia - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The ancient cathedral of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul – the former seat of eastern Christianity – could now be dedicated to use as a mosque after Turkey’s high court on Friday ruled its conversion into a museum in 1934 was unlawful. The Hagia Sophia is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site in Istanbul. In subsequent centuries it became a mosque, a museum, and a mosque again. Saint Sophia should be returned to Christians,” the parliamentarian said. For a … According to the Chronicon Paschale, the church was consecrated on 15 February 360, during the reign of the emperor Constantius II (r. 337–361), by the Arian bishop Eudoxius of Antioch, it was built next to the area where the Great Palace was being developed. The two identical minarets on the western side were likely commissioned by Selim II or Murad III and built by renowned Ottoman architect Sinan in the 1500s. The building reflects the religious changes that have played out in the region over the centuries, with the minarets and inscriptions of Islam as well as the lavish mosaics of Christianity. In a very brief, improvised remark, Pope Francis, speaking from his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square, said he is “deeply pained” over the decision by Turkey to change the status of Hagia Sophia, which had originally been built as a Christian cathedral, from that of a museum in Istanbul to a mosque. The Hagia Sophia was built in the remarkably short time of about six years, being completed in 537 ce. The decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia – a former cathedral that was turned into a mosque after Istanbul's conquest by the Ottoman Empire … After a lapse of half a century, Islamic religious services are to be held once more in the former Byzantine cathedral of St Sophia in Istanbul. The Hagia Sophia rising along the shore of the Bosporus, Istanbul. The original church to occupy the site (called the Megale Ekklesia) was commissioned by Emperor Constantine I in 325, razed during a riot in 404, later rebuilt, and destroyed once again in 532 before Justinian commissioned the building that exists today. The Turkish secular government in 1934 decided to make it a museum. Hagia Sophia. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Mosaic from Hagia Sophia, 9th century. Corrections? According to the 5th-century ecclesiastical historian S… Pope Francis said on Sunday that he is 'deeply pained' over the decision by Turkey to change the status of Hagia Sophia - which was originally built in Istanbul as a Christian cathedral -- … It was converted into a museum a year later, a decision which remains controversial. It was looted in 1204 by the Venetians and the Crusaders on the Fourth Crusade. The restored building was rededicated in 415 by Theodosius II. It was also an important site of Muslim worship after Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople in 1453 and designated the structure a mosque. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. They will begin on July 24. Bringing the structure in line with the Islamic tradition called for a series of other modifications, not all of which were undertaken during the reign of Mehmed II. 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