What was the Hagia Sophia and why was it built?

What was the Hagia Sophia and why was it built?

The Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya in Turkish) was originally built as a basilica for the Greek Orthodox Christian Church. At the time of the first church’s construction, Istanbul was known as Constantinople, taking its name from Constantius’ father, Constantine I, the first ruler of the Byzantine Empire.

What does the Hagia Sophia symbolize?

Hagia Sophia is a symbol of harmony, peace and tolerance in Turkey. It is an important symbol in Istanbul because it is a meeting point of the world’s religions. The walls of Hagia Sophia represent a blend between Islamic arts and symbols of Christianity. Hagia Sophia was a Church, a Mosque and today it’s a museum.

What is the story behind Hagia Sophia?

Hagia Sophia, or the Church of Holy Wisdom, was built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I on the site of a destroyed basilica of the same name. Completed in 537, it was among the world’s largest domed structures and would serve as the foremost Orthodox Christian church for some 900 years.

Who made Aya Sophia mosque?

Isidore of Miletus

Who burned Hagia Sophia?

The first church structure was destroyed during riots in 404; the second church, built and dedicated in 415 by Emperor Theodosius II, burned down during the Nika revolt of 532, which caused vast destruction and death throughout the city. Immediately after the riots, Emperor Justinian I (r.

How many times was the Hagia Sophia destroyed?

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.

Why is the Hagia Sophia important to Christians?

For more than 900 years, Hagia Sophia was the most important building in the Eastern Christian world: the seat of the Orthodox patriarch, counterpart to Roman Catholicism’s pope, as well as the central church of the Byzantine emperors, whose palace stood nearby. “For Greeks, it symbolized the center of their world.