Hagia Sophia
Anthemius of TrallesIsidore of MiletusJustinian I
This page delivers no verdict; it presents claims and evidence with their sources. No theory in science is absolute. Method
For everyone
Hagia Sophia was designed by Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus on the orders of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I and opened in 537. Its dome, about 31 metres across, was set on four pendentives and buttressed by semi-domes over a vast interior. The first dome collapsed after an earthquake in 558 and was rebuilt higher in 562. The building became a mosque in 1453, a museum in 1934 and a mosque again in 2020.
For specialists
Anthemius and Isidore were scholars who wrote on mathematics and mechanics, and the building uses the geometry of its time. The 40 windows in the drum make the dome seem to float on light; Procopius described the impression that it hung "from heaven by a golden chain". The building underwent many repairs and reinforcements, including buttresses added by Mimar Sinan in the Ottoman period. Its earthquake resistance is still studied today.
Views on dating
No single date is given because the date is not documented with certainty; the views of different sources are listed.
| Changes in the building's use | 537 church, 1453 mosque, 1934 museum by cabinet decree (opened 1935), 2020 mosque[3][1] |
|---|
Claims
- A large dome can be set over a square plan with pendentives and buttressed by semi-domes to cover a vast, uninterrupted interior.[1]
Evidence
Supporting
The contemporary Procopius describes in detail the building's completion in 537 and its light-filled interior.[2]
Challenging
—
Connections
Sources
- Book (1988). Hagia Sophia: Architecture, Structure and Liturgy of Justinian's Great Church. Thames & Hudson, London
- Book (1940). Buildings. Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press
- WebHistoric Areas of Istanbulwhc.unesco.orgarchive
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Cite this page
Athena contributors. (2026). Hagia Sophia. Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/ayasofya/
@misc{athena_ayasofya,
title = {Hagia Sophia},
author = {{Athena contributors}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/ayasofya/}},
note = {Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Accessed: 2026-11-01}
}Added: September 28, 2026 · Last changed: September 28, 2026 · Page history