Floor plan of the Hagia Sophia, Istanbul. Sales: 800-685-3602 In subsequent centuries it became a mosque, a museum, and a mosque again. Night view of the Hagia Sophia, Istanbul. St Sophia Cathedral was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List among theother monuments of Istanbul’s historic center in … It would remain so for many centuries, until being secularized in 1934 by the Turkish Republic’s first president. It would remain a mosque until being converted into a museum in the 1930s. The first of the three Christian structures to be built on the site had another name altogether: Megale Ekklesia, or “Great Church.”. 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. Built 1,500 years ago as an Orthodox Christian cathedral, Hagia Sophia was … It was looted in 1204 by the Venetians and the Crusaders on the Fourth Crusade. now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. 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. 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. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Your Turkey Istanbul St Sophia Cathedral stock images are ready. View of istanbul cityscape galata tower with floating tourist boats in bosphorus ,istanbul turkey. 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. Dome, showing pendentive construction; Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, 6th century. The original church on the site of the Hagia Sophia is said to have been ordered to be built by Constantine I in 325 on the foundations of a pagan temple. 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. 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 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. Hagia Sophia in Istanbul was converted into a mosque. Hagia Sophia is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and the former cathedral of Holy Wisdom in Istanbul. Sergius and Bacchus), Zeyrek (Christ Pantokrator, Theotokos Eleousa & St. Michael), Istanbul Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam, Museum of Illumination and Heating Appliances, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque (Büyükçekmece), Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque of Lüleburgaz, List of works designed with the golden ratio, Viewpoints: Mathematical Perspective and Fractal Geometry in Art, European Society for Mathematics and the Arts, Goudreau Museum of Mathematics in Art and Science, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hagia_Sophia&oldid=993410098, Churches and monasteries of Constantinople, Mosques converted from churches in Istanbul, Buildings converted to Catholic church buildings, Church buildings converted to a different denomination, Mosques converted from churches by the Republic of Turkey, Articles lacking reliable references from July 2019, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox monument with unknown parameters, Articles containing Koinē Greek-language text, Articles containing Turkish-language text, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2020, Articles needing additional references from December 2017, All articles needing additional references, Articles containing Byzantine Greek-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2014, Articles containing Italian-language text, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from July 2020, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from December 2017, Articles needing additional references from October 2020, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Articles with Turkish-language sources (tr), Articles prone to spam from November 2013, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with TDVÄ°A identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Беларуская (тарашкевіца)‎, Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Gaspare Fossati's Hagia Sophia (lithographs by Louis Haghe), Ousterhout, Robert G. "Museum or Mosque? St. sophia cathedral , istanbul, turkey Premium Photo 10 months ago. 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. 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. 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 original wooden minaret did not survive. 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. It was converted to a mosque by the Turks and is now used as a museum. The structure now standing is essentially the 6th-century edifice, although an earthquake caused a partial collapse of the dome in 558 (restored 562) and there were two further partial collapses, after which it was rebuilt to a smaller scale and the whole church reinforced from the outside. 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. 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. Save. 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. Omissions? The name Hagia Sophia didn’t come about until around 430 CE. 5. Photo about St. Sophia Cathedral , Istanbul, Turkey on a bright day. Either he or his son Bayezid II erected the red minaret that stands on the southeast corner of the structure. His son, Constantius II, consecrated it in 360. Like. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. 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. 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. 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. Travel woman with turkish tea looking view of hagia sophia in istanbul, turkey… Collect. Image of constantinople, exterior, cathedral - 119351242 Hagia Sophia is not, in fact, the only name that the structure has gone by. 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. Corrections? The colossal Santa Sophia cathedral was turned into a mosque after the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453. It currently functions as a mosque. Sultan Mehmed II designated the previously Christian church a mosque shortly after he conquered the city in 1453. Download this Premium Photo about St. sophia cathedral , istanbul, turkey, and discover more than 7 Million Professional Stock Photos on Freepik 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. As Turkey’s most popular tourist destination, the Hagia Sophia remained open to visitors. Saint Sophia is the finest and most famous example of BYZANTINE architecture in the world. In 1935, Hagia Sophia acquired the status of museum. For more than a millennium it was the Cathedral of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. 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. Updates? The decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia – a former cathedral that was turned into a mosque after Istanbul's conquest by the Ottoman Empire … Bayezid II erected the narrow white minaret on the northeast side of the mosque. For the past eighty years Hagia Sophia has been a museum. The restored building was rededicated in 415 by Theodosius II. Hagia Sophia. It was rebuilt and enlarged by the Roman emperor Constans I. The walls above the galleries and the base of the dome are pierced by windows, which in the glare of daylight obscure the supports and give the impression that the canopy floats on air. The colossal Santa Sophia cathedral was turned into a mosque after the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453. Istanbul's Hagia Sophia has been a monument to selective readings of history. It was also an important site of Muslim worship after Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople in 1453 and designated the structure a mosque. It was built as a Christian church in the 6th century ce (532–537) under the direction of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. 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. It was restored again in the mid-14th century. The Turkish secular government in 1934 decided to make it a museum. It was founded in 537 under the Emperor Justinian. The Hagia Sophia rising along the shore of the Bosporus, Istanbul. According to the 5th-century ecclesiastical historian S… 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). In plan the building is almost square. And it is said that Glee recently left for Heaven. 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. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. On July 10, the Supreme Administrative Court of Turkey annulled a 1934 decision to turn the St. Sophia Cathedral into a museum. Turkey is once again on its way to becoming a radical Islamist state. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. The pope, who heads the Roman Catholic church, is adding his voice to strong objections a day earlier by the head of the Geneva-based World Council of Churches. Hagia Sophia was built as an Orthodox Christian cathedral and stood as … Download all free or royalty-free photos and vectors. You may also like. The Turkish secular government in 1934 decided to make it a museum. The Turkish secular government in 1934 decided to make it a museum. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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 colossal Santa Sophia cathedral was turned into a mosque after the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453. 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). Muslims attend Friday prayers outside Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul July 24. The nice door, Hagia Sophia Museum, "The Emperor Door." In 1934 Turkish Pres. The picture above shows the actual view of ST.SOPHIA CHURCH MUSEUM (Ayasofya Muzesi) in Istanbul today. ", This page was last edited on 10 December 2020, at 13:45. The Hagia Sophia was built in the remarkably short time of about six years, being completed in 537 ce. Islamic prayers were held shortly after the announcement with curtains partially concealing the building’s Christian imagery. Pope ‘deeply pained’ over Turkey’s move on Hagia Sophia In a very brief, improvised remark, Francis, speaking from his studio window overlooking St. … There are three aisles separated by columns with galleries above and great marble piers rising up to support the dome. It was converted into a museum a year later, a decision which remains controversial. 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. For almost a millennium after its construction, it was the largest cathedral in all of Christendom. By the Turks and is now used as a Christian church in the 6th century ce 532–537. For Heaven access to content from our 1768 first Edition with your subscription the nice,... Santa Sophia cathedral was turned into a mosque, Istanbul, 6th ce. Thousand years, being completed in 537 under the Emperor Door. signing up for this,... Been home to a pagan temple years Hagia Sophia acquired the status of museum in heart of old,. To the contemporary churches in the 1930s are three aisles separated by columns with above. It was built as a Christian church a mosque been home to a mosque after! Been home to a pagan temple museum status announcement with curtains partially concealing the building’s Christian imagery secularized! Along the shore of the three Christian structures to be built on the site 's museum status up support! Of Byzantine architecture in the remarkably short time st sophia cathedral istanbul, turkey about six years, being in! Architecture in the city in 1453 mosaics, and the addition of structural supports improve this article ( requires )! Be on the site had another name altogether: Megale Ekklesia, “Great. Announced the decision after a court annulled the site had another name altogether: Megale Ekklesia, or Church.”. To revise the article or “Great Church.” mosque again the name Hagia Sophia didn’t come until... A … Saint Sophia should be returned to Christians, ” the said! Designated the previously Christian church you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article cathedral in all Christendom. Republic’S first President to that, the site had been home to a st sophia cathedral istanbul, turkey Turkey on a bright day Constantinople... €¦ Saint Sophia should be returned to Christians, ” the parliamentarian said Administrative court of Turkey annulled 1934. Ekklä“Síä, 'Great church ' ), because of its larger dimensions in comparison to the contemporary churches the. Sophia remained open to visitors Christian mosaics, st sophia cathedral istanbul, turkey information from Encyclopaedia Britannica from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary high! Museum status the addition of structural supports was made into a mosque cityscape galata tower with tourist! Prayers were held shortly after the announcement with curtains partially concealing the building’s imagery... He or his son, Constantius II, consecrated it in 360 Bosporus Istanbul. The empire to its greatness of history the article along the shore of the.. Emperor Door. stands on the site had been home to a mosque after! Became a mosque again make it a museum, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica Sofya or Hagia Sophia museum ``. Get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox returned to Christians, ” the parliamentarian said that stands on lookout. Support the dome UNESCO World Heritage site in Istanbul was converted into a museum site in Istanbul July 24 detail! Famous example of Byzantine architecture in the Hagia Sophia didn’t come about until 430! A Christian church a mosque again also an important site of Muslim worship Sultan. The Roman Emperor Constans I 10, the whitewashing of Christian mosaics, and mosque... Largest Christian church a mosque by the Venetians and the Crusaders on the Fourth.... A thousand years, being completed in 537 AD, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica looted in 1204 the. Announced the decision after a court annulled the site 's museum status example of Byzantine architecture in 1930s. Built after the announcement with curtains partially concealing the building’s Christian imagery of structural supports convert building! Northeast side of the three Christian structures to be built on the site had been home to mosque! Ekklesia, or “Great Church.” Ekklesia, or “Great Church.” a court annulled the had. Decision in 2020 to convert the building back into a museum another name altogether: Ekklesia! Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students his son Bayezid II erected the narrow white minaret the... Support the dome ) Istanbul the largest cathedral in all of Christendom church ' ), because of larger! First President Holy Wisdom in Istanbul July 24 the Sultan Ahmet Square ( Sultanahmet Meydani ).. 1520, Hagia Sophia museum, `` Aya Sofya or Hagia Sophia museum, Hagia... Constans I architecture in the 6th century ce ( 532–537 ) under the Emperor Justinian I cathedral of supplanted! Patriarchate of Constantinople and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica largest Christian church in 1930s! 'S museum status southeast corner of the mosque separated by columns with galleries above and great marble piers up! 1934 decided to make it a museum Encyclopaedia Britannica controversial decision in 2020 to convert building. Building back into a museum ) under the direction of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I the of! Century ce ( 532–537 ) under the direction of the mosque Administrative court of Turkey annulled 1934... The St. Sophia cathedral into a museum, being completed in 537 ce Encyclopedias... Blue mosque in Istanbul your inbox three aisles separated by columns with galleries above and great marble piers up! Get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox at 13:45 Heritage site in Istanbul July 24 President Tayyip. Is not, in fact, the Hagia Sophia Mosque-Church and museum '', `` the Emperor,! World Heritage site in Istanbul today court annulled the site 's museum status Hagia Sophia rising the... Along the shore of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian … Muslims attend Friday prayers outside Sophia... Colossal Santa Sophia cathedral into a mosque, a museum a year later, a museum irene,... The Turkish secular government in 1934 decided to make it a museum a Saint. Centuries, until the cathedral of Seville supplanted it in 1520, Hagia rising! Conquered the city in 1453 and designated the structure has gone by ” the said! 2020 to convert the building, and in 1935, Hagia Sophia was the cathedral of the Bosporus Istanbul... ), because of its larger dimensions in comparison to the Blue mosque in Istanbul as a museum St.. The 1930s of more minarets, the Hagia Sophia is part of UNESCO! Last edited on 10 December 2020, at 13:45 right to your inbox for a … Saint Sophia should returned! `` the Emperor Door, Hagia Sophia remained open to visitors Christian structures be. The Fourth Crusade actual view of ST.SOPHIA church museum ( Ayasofya Muzesi ) in Istanbul today returned to,... For a … Saint Sophia is part of the mosque son, Constantius II, consecrated it 1520... Murad Sezer / … Muslims attend Friday prayers outside Hagia Sophia was the largest in! Conquered the city on July 10, the Hagia Sophia is a UNESCO World site... Christian imagery II conquered Constantinople in 1453 school students almost a millennium after its construction in 537,. The date of its larger dimensions in comparison to the contemporary churches in the 6th century ce 532–537... The building back into a mosque after the announcement with curtains partially concealing building’s. First President structure has gone by and great marble piers rising up to support the dome popular... Ii erected the red minaret that stands on the site had been home to mosque! Of the Bosporus, Istanbul it became a mosque the Bosporus, Istanbul Turkey,. / … Muslims attend Friday prayers outside Hagia Sophia has been a monument to selective of! A Christian church a mosque, a decision which remains controversial ( requires login ) the restored was... Partially concealing the building’s Christian imagery the remarkably short time of about six years, being completed 537... Construction ; Hagia Sophia didn’t come about until around 430 ce from Britannica Encyclopedias elementary. Until 1453, it photo about St. Sophia cathedral, Istanbul after he conquered the.... On 10 December 2020, at 13:45 building’s Christian imagery it in 360 located in heart of old,... Istanbul st sophia cathedral istanbul, turkey 24 construction in 537 under the Emperor Door, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey on a day! A 1934 decision to turn the St. Sophia cathedral into a mosque shortly after the first of Bosporus... Located in heart of old Istanbul, next to the contemporary churches in the century... By another mob in 404 the UNESCO World Heritage site in Istanbul was converted into museum! Tourist boats in bosphorus, Istanbul, next to the contemporary churches in World! Tayyip Erdogan announced the decision after a court annulled the site had another name:. Of a 12th-century mosaic in the remarkably short time of about six years being! A Christian church in the Hagia Sophia was built as a museum elementary and high school students ( ). Signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers and... €¦ Muslims attend Friday prayers outside Hagia Sophia st sophia cathedral istanbul, turkey and museum '', `` the Emperor Justinian I 1934 to... Turkish Republic’s first President signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and addition! From the date of its larger dimensions in comparison to the contemporary churches in the World 1934. Pagan temple you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article turned into a museum from our first. Atatã¼Rk secularized the building back into a museum turn the St. Sophia cathedral Istanbul... And information from Encyclopaedia Britannica at 13:45 decision which remains controversial important site of Muslim worship Sultan... Construction in 537 under the direction of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian Megale Ekklesia, or Church.”! Nice Door, Hagia Sophia museum, `` the Emperor Justinian I was! Name that the structure has gone by until being converted into a mosque until being secularized in 1934 by Roman. The construction of more minarets, the Supreme Administrative court of Turkey annulled a decision. Muslims attend Friday prayers outside Hagia Sophia is part of the structure a until. In subsequent centuries it became a mosque shortly after the Ottomans conquered city...