Church of the Holy Wisdom-Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia under a cloudy sky in Istanbul, Turkey

Hagia Sophia, also known as the “Church of the Holy Wisdom”, is located in Istanbul, Turkey. The church has been turned into a museum now. The church was made by the first Christian Emperor – Constantine the Great, who is also known as the founder of Constantinople. This church is the greatest church out of the many churches he built in many cities. The church which stands today is nothing of the original one due to the destruction that occurred through time. When the original Hagia Sophia was destroyed, it was rebuilt by Theodosius the Great, but sadly it was burnt down again in the Nika riots of 532. Some of the remains can still be seen after deep excavations.

Hagia Sophia is the greatest example of Byzantine architecture built with beautiful mosaics, galleries and pillars. Many of it mosaic paintings are great samples of the Byzantine’s culture and artisitic levels. The building is an architectural wonder and survived many earthquakes. The church has great influence on Muslim, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox worlds.

The church has been destroyed and restored many a times. The most notable restoration was done by Abdulmecid II, who called upon Swiss architects to restore the damaged dome, pillars and other exterior work. In 1934, the church was turned into the Ayasofya Museum by the Turkish President – Kemal Ataturk. The change involved removal of prayer rugs, and some of the calligraphic panels were moved to other mosques. In today world, Hagia Sophia still stands strong, thanks to UNESCO, which has taken the task of preserving the site by cleaning and restoring the great church.