Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sofia, Istanbul, Turkey, June 1994 The Church of the Holy Wisdom , variously known as Hagia Sophia (Άγια Σοφία) in Greek , Sancta Sophia in Latin or Ayasofya in Turkish , is a former Greek Orthodox church converted to a mosque , now a museum , in Istanbul , formerly Constantinople . It is universally acknowledged as one of the great buildings of the world.

Another interior view of the Hagia Sophia, showing Islamic elements in the ceiling. Interior view of the Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia (from the , " Holy Wisdom "; or Sancta Sapientia ) is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica , later a mosque and now a museum in Istanbul , Turkey . From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the cathedral of Constantinople , except between 1204 and 1261, when it was the cathedral of the Latin empire . The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1934, when it was secularized . It was opened as a museum on 1 February 1935. Famous in particular for its massive dome , it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have "changed the history of architecture." It was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years, until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520. The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and was the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site, the previous two having both been destroyed by rioters. It was designed by Isidore of Miletus , a physicist, and Anthemius of Tralles , a mathematician. The church contained a large collection of holy relics and featured, among other things, a 49 feet (15 m) silver iconostasis . It was the seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople and the religious focal point of the Eastern Orthodox Church for nearly one thousand years. It was the church in which Cardinal Humbert in 1054 marched up to the altar and excommunicated Michael I Cerularius , which is commonly considered the start of the Great Schism . In 1453 , Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks and Sultan Mehmed II ordered the building to be converted into a mosque. The bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels were removed and many of the mosaics were eventually plastered over. The Islamic features — such as the mihrab , the minbar , and the four minarets outside — were added over the course of its history under the Ottomans. It remained as a mosque until 1935, when it was converted into a museum by the Republic of Turkey . Although it is sometimes referred to as Sancta Sophia, as though it were named after a saint named Sophia ( sophia being the phonetic spelling in Latin of the Greek word for wisdom), the full name in Greek is , Church of the Holy Wisdom of God, the church being dedicated to Jesus Christ , in Eastern Orthodox theology , the Holy Wisdom of God. An Introduction to the Christian Orthodox Churches .

Hagia Sophia (from the , " Holy Wisdom "; or Sancta Sapientia ; ) is a former Christian patriarchal basilica ( church ), later an imperial mosque , and now a museum (Ayasofya Müzesi) in Istanbul , Turkey . From the date of its construction in 537 until 1453, it served as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral and seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople , except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire . The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931. It was then secularized and opened as a museum on 1 February 1935. The church was dedicated to the Wisdom of God , the Logos , the second person of the Holy Trinity , its patronal feast taking place on 25 December, the commemoration of the birth of the incarnation of the Logos in Christ. Although sometimes referred to as Sancta Sophia (as though it were named after Saint Sophia ), sophia being the phonetic spelling in Latin of the Greek word for wisdom, its full name in Greek is Ναός τῆς Ἁγίας τοῦ Θεοῦ Σοφίας , "Shrine of the Holy Wisdom of God". Famous in particular for its massive dome , it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have "changed the history of architecture". It remained the world's largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years, until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520. The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I and was the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site, the previous two having both been destroyed by rioters. It was designed by the Greek scientists Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles . The church contained a large collection of holy relics and featured, among other things, a 15-metre (49 ft) silver iconostasis . The focal point of the Eastern Orthodox Church for nearly one thousand years, the building witnessed the excommunication of Patriarch Michael I Cerularius on the part of Pope Leo IX in 1054, an act which is commonly considered the start of the Great Schism . In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks under Sultan Mehmed II , who ordered this main church of the Orthodox Christianity converted into a mosque. By that point, the church had fallen into a state of disrepair. Nevertheless, the Christian cathedral made a strong impression on the new Ottoman rulers and they decided to convert it into a mosque. The bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels and other relics were removed and the mosaics depicting Jesus, his Mother Mary, Christian saints and angels were also removed or plastered over. Islamic features —such as the mihrab , minbar , and four minarets —were added. It remained a mosque until 1931, when it was closed to the public for four years. It was re-opened in 1935 as a museum by the Republic of Turkey . Hagia Sophia is currently (2014) the second-most visited museum in Turkey, attracting almost 3.3 million visitors annually. From its initial conversion until the construction of the nearby larger Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque of Istanbul) in 1616, it was the principal mosque of Istanbul. The Hagia Sophia served as inspiration for many other Ottoman mosques, such as the Blue Mosque , the Şehzade Mosque , the Süleymaniye Mosque , the Rüstem Pasha Mosque and the Kılıç Ali Paşa Mosque . An Introduction to the Christian Orthodox Churches .

Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey Several terms redirect here. Hagia Sophia ( lit. ' Holy Wisdom '; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Mosque ( ), is a mosque and a major cultural and historical site in Istanbul , Turkey . The last of three church buildings to be successively erected on the site by the Eastern Roman Empire , it was completed in 537 AD. It was an Eastern Orthodox church until the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, then a mosque until 1935, then a museum and then from 2020 a mosque again, as well as being a Catholic cathedral for some decades after the Fourth Crusade of 1204. The current structure was built by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I as the Christian cathedral of Constantinople for the Byzantine Empire between 532 and 537, and was designed by the Greek geometers Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles . It was formally called the Church of the Holy Wisdom ( ) and upon completion became the world's largest interior space and among the first to employ a fully pendentive dome. It is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have "changed the history of architecture". The present Justinianic building was the third church of the same name to occupy the site, as the prior one had been destroyed in the Nika riots . As the episcopal see of the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople , it remained the world's largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years, until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520. Beginning with subsequent Byzantine architecture , Hagia Sophia became the paradigmatic Orthodox church form , and its architectural style was emulated by Ottoman mosques a thousand years later. It has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world " and as an architectural and cultural icon of Byzantine and Eastern Orthodox civilization . The religious and spiritual centre of the Eastern Orthodox Church for nearly one thousand years, the church was dedicated to the Holy Wisdom . It was where the excommunication of Patriarch Michael I Cerularius was officially delivered by Humbert of Silva Candida , the envoy of Pope Leo IX in 1054, an act considered the start of the East–West Schism . In 1204, it was converted during the Fourth Crusade into a Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire , before being returned to the Eastern Orthodox Church upon the restoration of the Byzantine Empire in 1261. Enrico Dandolo , the doge of Venice who led the Fourth Crusade and the 1204 Sack of Constantinople , was buried in the church. After the Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453, it was converted to a mosque by Mehmed the Conqueror and became the principal mosque of Istanbul until the 1616 construction of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque . Upon its conversion, the bells , altar , iconostasis , ambo , and baptistery were removed, while iconography , such as the mosaic depictions of Jesus, Mary , Christian saints and angels were removed or plastered over. Islamic architectural additions included four minarets , a minbar and a mihrab . The Byzantine architecture of the Hagia Sophia served as inspiration for many other religious buildings including the Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki , Panagia Ekatontapiliani , the Şehzade Mosque , the Süleymaniye Mosque , the Rüstem Pasha Mosque and the Kılıç Ali Pasha Complex . The patriarchate moved to the Church of the Holy Apostles , which became the city's cathedral. The complex remained a mosque until 1931, when it was closed to the public for four years. It was re-opened in 1935 as a museum under the secular Republic of Turkey, and the building was Turkey's most visited tourist attraction as of 2019 . In July 2020, the Council of State annulled the 1934 decision to establish the museum, and the Hagia Sophia was reclassified as a mosque. The 1934 decree was ruled to be unlawful under both Ottoman and Turkish law as Hagia Sophia's waqf , endowed by Sultan Mehmed, had designated the site a mosque; proponents of the decision argued the Hagia Sophia was the personal property of the sultan. The decision to designate Hagia Sophia as a mosque was highly controversial and drew condemnation from the Turkish opposition, UNESCO , the World Council of Churches and the International Association of Byzantine Studies , as well as numerous international leaders. Great Events in Religion: An Encyclopedia of Pivotal Events in Religious History [3 volumes] . Hagia Sophia was consecrated on December 27, 537, five years after construction had begun. The church was dedicated to the Wisdom of God, referring to the Logos (the second entity of the Trinity) or, alternatively, Christ as the Logos incarnate. The Fourth Crusade and the sack of Constantinople . Hagia Sophia, or the Church of Holy Wisdom, is one of the world's most spectacular churches, representing not only great beauty, but also masterful engineering. The New York Times . An Introduction to the Christian Orthodox Churches . "Hagia Sophia still Istanbul's top tourist attraction" . hurriyet.

Mosque and former church in Istanbul, Turkey Several terms redirect here. Hagia Sophia ( Turkish : Ayasofya ; Ottoman Turkish : آیا صوفیا ; Greek : Ἁγία Σοφία , romanized : Hagía Sophía ; Latin : Sancta Sapientia ; lit. ' Holy Wisdom ' ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque ( Turkish : Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi ; Ottoman Turkish : آیا صوفیه کبیر جامع شریفى ), is a mosque and former church serving as a major cultural and historical site in Istanbul , Turkey . The last of three church buildings to be successively erected on the site by the Eastern Roman Empire , it was completed in AD 537, becoming the world's largest interior space and among the first to employ a fully pendentive dome. It is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have "changed the history of architecture". From its dedication in 360 until 1453 Hagia Sophia served as the cathedral of Constantinople in the Byzantine liturgical tradition , except for the period 1204–1261 when the Latin Crusaders installed their own hierarchy . After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, it served as a mosque, having its minarets added shortly later. The site became a museum in 1935, and was redesignated as a mosque in 2020. In 2024, the upper floor of the mosque began to serve as a museum once again. The current structure was built by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I as the Christian cathedral of Constantinople between 532–537 and was designed by the Greek geometers Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles . It was formally called the Church of God's Holy Wisdom , (Greek: Ναὸς τῆς Ἁγίας τοῦ Θεοῦ Σοφίας , romanized: Naòs tês Hagías toû Theoû Sophías ) the third church of the same name to occupy the site, as the prior one had been destroyed in the Nika riots . As the episcopal see of the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople , it remained the world's largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years, until the Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520. Hagia Sophia became the quintessential model for Eastern Orthodox church architecture , and its architectural style was emulated by Ottoman mosques a thousand years later. The Hagia Sophia served as an architectural inspiration for many other religious buildings including the Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki , Panagia Ekatontapiliani , the Şehzade Mosque , the Süleymaniye Mosque , the Rüstem Pasha Mosque and the Kılıç Ali Pasha Complex . As the religious and spiritual centre of the Eastern Orthodox Church for nearly one thousand years, the church was dedicated to Holy Wisdom . The church has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world ", and as "an architectural and cultural icon of Byzantine and Eastern Orthodox civilization". It was where the excommunication of Patriarch Michael I Cerularius was officially delivered by Humbert of Silva Candida , the envoy of Pope Leo IX in 1054, an act considered the start of the East–West Schism . In 1204, it was converted during the Fourth Crusade into a Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire , before being restored to the Eastern Orthodox Church upon the restoration of the Byzantine Empire in 1261. Enrico Dandolo , the doge of Venice who led the Fourth Crusade and the 1204 Sack of Constantinople , was buried in the church. After the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453, it was converted to a mosque by Mehmed the Conqueror and became the principal mosque of Istanbul until the 1616 construction of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque . The patriarchate moved to the Church of the Holy Apostles , which became the city's cathedral. The complex remained a mosque until 1931, when it was closed to the public for four years. It was re-opened in 1935 as a museum under the secular Republic of Turkey, and the building was Turkey's most visited tourist attraction as of 2019 . In 2020, the Council of State annulled the 1934 decision to establish the museum, and the Hagia Sophia was reclassified as a mosque. The decision was highly controversial, sparking divided opinions and drawing condemnation from the Turkish opposition, UNESCO , the World Council of Churches and the International Association of Byzantine Studies , as well as numerous international leaders, while several Muslim leaders in Turkey and other countries welcomed its conversion. Great Events in Religion: An Encyclopedia of Pivotal Events in Religious History [3 volumes] . Hagia Sophia was consecrated on December 27, 537, five years after construction had begun. The church was dedicated to the Wisdom of God, referring to the Logos (the second entity of the Trinity) or, alternatively, Christ as the Logos incarnate. The New York Times . The Fourth Crusade and the sack of Constantinople . Hagia Sophia, or the Church of Holy Wisdom, is one of the world's most spectacular churches, representing not only great beauty, but also masterful engineering. An Introduction to the Christian Orthodox Churches . "Hagia Sophia still Istanbul's top tourist attraction" . hurriyet.