Hagia sophia

Hagia sophia is one of the most important monumental structure of art history and architectural world which survived in years and still stands  today.

Structure fascinates every each visitor with it is greatness, architecture, inner decorations , size etc. Used as a church , mosque in past and today continue serving the humanity as a living museum.

 The first Church was dedicated to Logos and churched known as the Church of the Holy Wisdom of God. In Greek, Hagia means "Holy". "Sofia" means "wisdom". So the structure names as “hagia sophia”

The first church built over the same land dedicated to the holy peace was burned in ground during a revolt in 404 .

Theodosius the second got a new church with a bigger size built over the burned church however this structure also had the same end with previous one. It is  demolished and burned during the Nika revolt.

Justinien the first decides to built a one of a kind , great , unique , fascinating , strong  basilica over the burned church . physicist Isidore of Miletus and mathematician Anthemius of Tralles were chosen the be the architects of this basilica.

The budget given to these architects were unlimited by the Byzantine empire. Church was made with basilica ground plan and covered with a dome having 30 mt diameter and a height of 56 mt from ground.

Many marble pieces, stones, columns, pedestals etc. were brought from different cities of byzantine empire to be used in the constructure of the church.

The outer part of the church is looking simple though inner part is vice versa  maginificent and fascinating and resembles a palace with it is mosaics, motifs , gilded walls .

Hagia sophia was completed in 537 however technics were used was not very effective,  good and detailed so the dome of the church was collapsed several times untill ottoman empire.

When Turks captured Istanbul in 1453 hagia sophia was in a really worse condition .

Church was converted to a mosque renovated , repaired and structural deficits were removed by new supporting buttresses by Mimar sinan ( Sinan the architect)

Huge script plates with diameter of 7.50 mt was made and added the mosque in 19th century. brothers Gaspare and Giuseppe Fossati had brought from switzerland in 19 century for the restoration of the buiding.

Mousoles ( tombs ) of Sultan II.Selim, Sultan III. Mehmet, Sultan III.Murat  and some sons of sultans , fountain of Sultan Mahmud , schools , library  etc. are the classic ottoman style structures built in and around Hagia sophia square.

Mosque was turned in museum by founder of  the republic of turkey  in 1935. hagia sophia used as  museum since Since  1935  .

How to go Hagia Sophia ? How to visit hagia sophia ? what to see in hagia sophia ?