Hagia Sophia

The history of the Hagia Sophia begins around 325 AD with a first church building under Emperor Constantine I, completed under Constantius II and named the “Great Church.” This burned down in 404 during an uprising and was rebuilt under Theodosius II, only to fall victim to flames again in 532 during the Nika revolt. Shortly thereafter, on February 23, 532, construction of the current church began at the command of Emperor Justinian I. Justinian invested enormous sums and personally participated in the planning. The construction was overseen by Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus. Despite cracks due to rapid construction, the shell was consecrated on December 27, 537. After the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the Hagia Sophia was converted into the main mosque, with Christian elements removed. The sultans of the 16th and 17th centuries were architecturally inspired by it. The original, extremely flat dome collapsed in earthquakes in 553 and 558 and was rebuilt in its current, elevated form between 558 and 562 by Isidore the Younger of Miletus. Later earthquakes also caused damage, requiring reconstructions, such as in 989 and 1346. Only after that were buttresses added.

The Hagia Sophia is located in Istanbul, in the İstanbul district of the Marmara region, Turkey, at an elevation of approximately 51 m above sea level.

The church can be visited today and is accessible to visitors.

• Topkapı Palace (residence), approx. 0.6 km away
• Dolmabahçe Palace (residence), approx. 3.9 km away
• Çırağan Palace (residence), approx. 5.1 km away
• Beylerbeyi Palace (residence), approx. 6.3 km away