transported from the temple in Heliopolis.
That’s true, creation of the new needed destruction of the old – several pagan temples were taken to pieces and ruined… Construction took only five years and cost “a pretty penny”. But mind that this was not just a church, but a symbol of the empire’s might and the triumph of the new belief – Christianity. The result surpassed all expectations – December 27th , 537 the great Byzantine construction was revealed to people. Rather simple outside, Hagia Sophia impressed with its interior – even now, when little is left from its initial decoration.
The history of Hagia Sophia is dramatic – in 1453, almost 900 years after its construction, Constantinople was conquered by the Turks, sultan Mehmed II entered the building, but, luckily, it was not destroyed. Instead, the sultan ordered to convert it into a mosque. Images of the Christian saints were replaced with Islamic symbols, mihrab, minbar, four minarets and other constructions were added.
In the 20th century the mosque was converted into a museum. Thanks to this, the extant mosaics were cleaned, marble floor decorations were reconstructed and are now available to the public.
Get inside, and you will be impressed with marble works, gold mosaics, including the one depicting Christ and Emperor Leo VI the Wise, its huge hall, numerous windows… The magnificent building helps you forget about the heat and the fuss of the city streets. This is truly a temple of God’s wisdom.
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