What is underneath the Hagia Sophia?

The underground tunnels covered the city of Constantinople. The huge cistern that a galley may sail was beneath earth. The tunnels under Hagia Sophia were reaching to Crypto rooms and the rooms for secret writings….HAGIA SOPHIA.

What does Hagia Sophia literally mean?

Holy Wisdom
The church of Hagia Sophia (literally “Holy Wisdom”) in Constantinople, now Istanbul, was first dedicated in 360 by Emperor Constantius, son of the city’s founder, Emperor Constantine.

What is Hagia Sophia controversy?

A Turkish court revoked the site’s status as a museum while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered the space open for Muslim prayer. The move effectively claimed Hagia Sophia as a mosque and is seen as part of Erdogan’s push to assert his version of an exclusionary religious Islamic identity in Turkey.

Why Hagia Sophia was built?

The Hagia Sophia that stands today was originally built as the cathedral for the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire in the sixth century, and became a mosque in 1453 with the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople.

What is the origin of the name Sophia?

Origin: Sophia is a Greek name meaning “wisdom.”

What happened to the artwork in the Hagia Sophia during the time of the Ottoman Empire?

Renovations to the Hagia Sophia As Islam was the central religion of the Ottomans, the Hagia Sophia was renovated into a mosque. As part of the conversion, the Ottomans covered many of the original Orthodox-themed mosaics with Islamic calligraphy designed by Kazasker Mustafa İzzet.

Why was Hagia Sophia converted to the mosque?

The 1934 decree was ruled to be unlawful under both Ottoman and Turkish law as Hagia Sophia’s waqf, endowed by Sultan Mehmed, had designated the site a mosque; proponents of the decision argued the Hagia Sophia was the personal property of the sultan.

Why is the Hagia Sophia an important landmark in world history?

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 also an important site of Muslim worship after Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople in 1453 and designated the structure a mosque.

What was the purpose of the Byzantine art?

Byzantine Christian art had the triple purpose of beautifying a building, instructing the illiterate on matters vital for the welfare of their soul, and encouraging the faithful that they were on the correct path to salvation.

Why is the Hagia Sophia important landmark in world history?

What is the significance of the Hagia Sophia?

Hagia Sophia is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site. For more than a millennium after the construction, the building was the largest cathedral in all of Christendom. It served as the center of religious, political, and artistic life for the Byzantine world.

Is the Basilica Cistern below Hagia Sophia?

Though not directly beneath the Hagia Sophia, the well-known Basilica Cistern lies underground just 150 meters southwest of the ancient church and was built by the Byzantine emperor, Justinian I, in A.D. 532.

What happened to the water under Hagia Sophia?

In 1945, it was decided that the water under Hagia Sophia was to be removed for research purposes. The water level did not go down, and the pump’s motor burned out, thus bringing the undertaking to an end. Exploring the underground tunnels beneath the Hagia Sophia.

How big is the Hagia Sophia underground?

The Underground World of the Hagia Sophia. This cistern is 138 m in length and 64.6 m in width, covering an area of almost 1,000 square metres. An incredible work effort went into its construction, with 336 marble columns supporting the structure, each measuring 9m in height, and arranged in 12 rows of 28 columns.