{"id":70237,"date":"2025-05-05T01:08:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T05:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/bibleandculture\/?p=70237"},"modified":"2025-04-28T20:11:08","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T00:11:08","slug":"a-fine-article-on-the-hagia-sophia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/bibleandculture\/2025\/05\/05\/a-fine-article-on-the-hagia-sophia\/","title":{"rendered":"A Fine Article on the Hagia Sophia"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><head><meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><\/head><body><p>This article appeared a while back on the CNN website.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-headline x_gmail-headline--has-lowertext\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-headline__wrapper\">\n<h1 id=\"x_gmail-maincontent\" class=\"x_gmail-headline__text x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-headline-text\" data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">Hagia Sophia: Secrets of the 1,600-year-old megastructure that has survived the collapse of empires<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-headline__footer\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-headline__sub-container\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-headline__sub-text\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-byline x_gmail-vossi-byline\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-byline__images\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-byline__names x_gmail-vossi-byline__names\">By Ali Halit Diker, CNN<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-headline__byline-sub-text\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-headline__sub-description\">\u00a09 minute read<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-timestamp x_gmail-vossi-timestamp\">Published 5:19 AM EDT, Mon April 28, 2025<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-headline__options x_gmail-headline__options--has-more\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-social-share\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-social-share__share-links x_gmail-vossi-social-share\"><button class=\"x_gmail-social-share__share\" title=\"Share with Facebook\" aria-label=\"share with facebook\"><\/button><button class=\"x_gmail-social-share__share\" title=\"Share with X\" aria-label=\"share with x\"><\/button><button class=\"x_gmail-social-share__share\" title=\"Copy link to clipboard\" aria-label=\"copy link to clipboard\"><\/button>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-social-share__copied\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"x_gmail-openweb-comment-counter decorated-link\" title=\"Protected by Outlook: https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/travel\/hagia-sophia-istanbul-hidden-history\/index.html#openweb-convo. Click or tap to follow the link.\" href=\"https:\/\/na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2Ftravel%2Fhagia-sophia-istanbul-hidden-history%2Findex.html%23openweb-convo&amp;data=05%7C02%7C%7C701d4e21d2564eb957d908dd86639c40%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638814484587147914%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=YG%2Bu553XwNAc9%2FEEASHQ%2Fuw1Ccgn8DrslYfXlVynAlY%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"1\"><span class=\"x_gmail-openweb-comment-counter__comments-label\">26 comments<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__lede\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image x_gmail-image__hide-placeholder x_gmail-image--eq-extra-small x_gmail-image--eq-small x_gmail-image--eq-large\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__container\"><span class=\"x_gmail-image__picture\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"x_gmail-image__dam-img\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2209821026.jpg?q=w_2000,c_fill\" alt=\"Hagia Sophia was built as a church over a Roman temple, and was subsequently converted into a mosque and then a museum. Since 2020 it is used as a mosque once more.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-imagetype=\"External\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__metadata\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__caption x_gmail-attribution\"><span class=\"x_gmail-inline-placeholder\">Hagia Sophia was built as a church over a Roman temple, and was subsequently converted into a mosque and then a museum. Since 2020 it is used as a mosque once more.<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Yasin Akgul\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-scroll-depth-observer x_gmail-scroll-100\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-scroll-depth-observer x_gmail-scroll-75\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-scroll-depth-observer x_gmail-scroll-50\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-scroll-depth-observer x_gmail-scroll-25\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-article__content-container\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-article__content\">\n<p class=\"x_editor-note x_gmail-vossi-editor-note x_gmail-inline-placeholder\">Editor\u2019s Note: This CNN series is, or was, sponsored by the country it highlights. CNN retains full editorial control over subject matter, reporting and frequency of the articles and videos within the sponsorship, in compliance with\u00a0<a title=\"Protected by Outlook: https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2015\/01\/02\/world\/sponsorships-policy\/index.html. Click or tap to follow the link.\" href=\"https:\/\/na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2015%2F01%2F02%2Fworld%2Fsponsorships-policy%2Findex.html&amp;data=05%7C02%7C%7C701d4e21d2564eb957d908dd86639c40%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638814484587190963%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=U8E9P8GCF0I6r6fM1ETg51g8Y8OfEFLlSajWRJDf0TA%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"2\" class=\" decorated-link\">our policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-source x_gmail-inline-placeholder\"><cite class=\"x_gmail-source__cite\"><span class=\"x_gmail-source__location\">Istanbul, Turkey<\/span><span class=\"x_gmail-source__text\">CNN<\/span>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0<\/cite><\/div>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">Whether you\u2019re a believer or not, visiting Hagia Sophia is a spiritual experience. The architectural genius of this place of worship \u2014 which was built as a church in 537CE before its conversion into a mosque in 1453 \u2014 creates an illusion of vastness. It feels like the space starts to expand when you enter the building.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">Acoustic alchemy transforms visitors\u2019 murmurs into shimmering sounds, suspended weightless in the air, like echoes of a prayer in an ancient language.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">The art inside the building is a testament to coexistence. There is no other place on Earth where Christian mosaics of saints and Byzantine rulers are juxtaposed with Islamic calligraphy, also known as\u00a0<em>H\u00fcsn-i Hat\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 large<em>\u00a0<\/em>roundels displaying the names of Allah (God), the prophet Mohammed and the four caliphs, the leaders of Islam following the death of Mohammed.<\/p>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-teads-inread x_gmail-teads-display x_gmail-sm-screen\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-teads-ui-components-adchoices\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-teads-ui-components-label\">ADVERTISING<\/div>\n<div id=\"x_gmail-teads0\" class=\"x_gmail-teads-player\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">Today, Hagia Sophia is one of the world\u2019s most extraordinary mosques \u2014 but it\u2019s more than that. It\u2019s also a symbol, a cultural phenomenon, and a monument.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">Naturally, like most monumental structures, Hagia Sophia has its own mythology. Of the many stories about the building, some are true, some are exaggerations, and some are outright fantasies.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"x_gmail-bigger-and-better\" class=\"x_gmail-subheader x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-subheader\">Bigger and better<\/h2>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">The current Hagia Sophia was built in the 6th century when Constantinople \u2014 as Istanbul was then called \u2014 was the heart of the Orthodox Christian Byzantine Empire that emerged as Ancient Rome\u2019s domination dwindled and ruled swathes of Europe and northern Africa, as far away as modern-day Spain, Libya, Egypt, and Turkey, until the city fell to the Ottomans in 1453.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">The building we see today isn\u2019t original, having been preceded by two earlier churches at the same location \u2014 which were themselves built over a pagan temple.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">The first was said to have been commissioned by Constantine, the Roman emperor who converted to Christianity and moved the Roman Empire\u2019s center to Constantinople, ushering in the Byzantine era.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">Called \u201cMagna Ecclesia\u201d \u2014 Latin for \u201cGreat Church\u201d \u2014 it was inaugurated by Constantine\u2019s son, Constantius II, in 360 CE. It was later destroyed by followers of Saint John Chrysostom, a former archbishop of Constantinople who was banished from the city. Its second iteration was inaugurated in 415 CE by the emperor Theodosius II, but was burned down again in 532 CE.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">The third church, today\u2019s Hagia Sophia, was built by Justinian I, an ambitious emperor who ordered its construction on 23 February 523 CE.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">If an anonymous historical source quoted in the<a title=\"Protected by Outlook: https:\/\/istanbulansiklopedisi.org\/. Click or tap to follow the link.\" href=\"https:\/\/na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fistanbulansiklopedisi.org%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7C%7C701d4e21d2564eb957d908dd86639c40%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638814484587206262%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=jsA87GhtMEdr%2Fm4s%2FVGrhm3lHuxUj%2BfUg9tXMQCiGTE%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"3\" class=\" decorated-link\">\u00a0\u201cIstanbul Encyclopedia<\/a>\u201d by the 20th-century historian Re\u015fad Ekrem Ko\u00e7u is to be believed, Justinian wanted his church to be larger and more ornate than Jerusalem\u2019s Temple of Solomon, the legendary resting place of the Ark of the Covenant, said to have been built in the 10th century BCE.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">During its five-year construction, Justinian instructed his provincial governors to send the most exquisite artifacts from ancient ruins in their territories to Constantinople<em>\u00a0<\/em>for use in Hagia Sophia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">This, apparently, did the job. That same anonymous source says Justinian was struck by awe when he first entered. He ran to the altar, looked up to thank God for giving him the chance to build such a wonder \u2014 and screamed, \u201cI surpassed you, Solomon!\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-related-content_full-width x_gmail-related-content_full-width--article\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-related-content_full-width__image x_gmail-image__related-content\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image x_gmail-image__hide-placeholder x_gmail-image--eq-extra-small\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__container\"><span class=\"x_gmail-image__picture\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"x_gmail-image__dam-img\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-1169922619.jpg?c=16x9&amp;q=h_144,w_256,c_fill\" alt=\"Lake Salda from Yesilova, Burdur, Turkey\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1499\" data-imagetype=\"External\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__metadata\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-related-content_full-width__headline\"><span class=\"x_gmail-related-content_full-width__title-text\">Related article<\/span><span class=\"x_gmail-related-content_full-width__headline-text\">Why scientists say this stunning ancient lake in Turkey might as well be on Mars<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">It\u2019s a wonderful story \u2014 but one that historian and Hagia Sophia expert Sedat Bornoval\u0131 says is untrue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">That anonymously sourced intel was written roughly 300 years after Hagia Sophia\u2019s construction. The anecdote never appears in the works of Procopius, Justinian\u2019s official historian, who also wrote a critical book about the emperor, \u201cSecret History.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">\u201cIf these claims were true, we would see them either in \u2018Buildings\u2019 or in his \u2018Secret History,\u2019\u201d says Bornoval\u0131, who adds that Procopius would have written something stinging like, \u201cThe presumptuous man compared himself to the prophet Solomon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">However, while his \u201cSecret History\u201d shows the historian\u2019s disdain for Justinian and his wife, Procopius still writes about Hagia Sophia with admiration.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"x_gmail-a-legendarily-expensive-build\" class=\"x_gmail-subheader x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-subheader\">A legendarily expensive build<\/h2>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-gallery-inline\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-gallery-inline__main\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-gallery-inline__container\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-gallery-inline__slides x_gmail-gallery-inline__slides--transitioning\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image x_gmail-image__hide-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__container\"><span class=\"x_gmail-image__picture\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"x_gmail-image__dam-img\" style=\"border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit; box-sizing: inherit; width: auto; object-fit: cover; height: 417px; max-height: 100%; top: 208.5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/shutterstock-editorial-14299395q.jpg?c=original&amp;q=h_447,c_fill\" alt=\"&lt;strong&gt;Views for days:&lt;\/strong&gt; Tourists are still allowed in, but a 25 euro entry fee was introduced in 2024.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-imagetype=\"External\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__metadata\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__caption x_gmail-attribution\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image x_gmail-image__hide-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__container\"><span class=\"x_gmail-image__picture\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"x_gmail-image__dam-img\" style=\"border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit; box-sizing: inherit; width: auto; object-fit: cover; height: 417px; max-height: 100%; top: 208.5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/2020-07-22t190840z-129131550-rc2jyh9ntzsu-rtrmadp-3-turkey-hagiasophia.jpg?c=original&amp;q=h_447,c_fill\" alt=\"&lt;strong&gt;Symbol of a city: &lt;\/strong&gt;1500 years since its construction, Hagia Sophia still dominates the busy Bosphorus strait.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1247\" data-imagetype=\"External\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__metadata\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__caption x_gmail-attribution\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image x_gmail-image__hide-placeholder x_gmail-image--eq-extra-small x_gmail-image--eq-small x_gmail-image--active\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__container\"><span class=\"x_gmail-image__picture\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"x_gmail-image__dam-img\" style=\"border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit; box-sizing: inherit; width: auto; object-fit: cover; height: 417px; max-height: 100%; top: 208.5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/2025-04-14t141628z-1118887563-rc2qxda32zde-rtrmadp-3-turkey-hagia-sophia.jpg?c=original&amp;q=h_447,c_fill\" alt=\"&lt;strong&gt;Layers of history: &lt;\/strong&gt;Today, Hagia Sophia is once more a mosque, though its original Christian imagery is still visible.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-imagetype=\"External\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__metadata\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__caption x_gmail-attribution\"><span class=\"x_gmail-inline-placeholder\"><strong>Layers of history:\u00a0<\/strong>Today, Hagia Sophia is once more a mosque, though its original Christian imagery is still visible.<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Umit Bektas\/Reuters<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image x_gmail-image__hide-placeholder x_gmail-image--eq-extra-small x_gmail-image--eq-small\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__container\"><span class=\"x_gmail-image__picture\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"x_gmail-image__dam-img\" style=\"border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit; box-sizing: inherit; width: auto; object-fit: cover; height: 417px; max-height: 100%; top: 208.5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2209821118.jpg?c=original&amp;q=h_447,c_fill\" alt=\"&lt;strong&gt;Future-proofing: &lt;\/strong&gt;April 2025 saw the beginning of a massive restoration project to protect the structure from earthquakes.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-imagetype=\"External\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__metadata\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__caption x_gmail-attribution\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image x_gmail-image__hide-placeholder x_gmail-image--eq-extra-small x_gmail-image--eq-small\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__container\"><span class=\"x_gmail-image__picture\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"x_gmail-image__dam-img\" style=\"border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit; box-sizing: inherit; width: auto; object-fit: cover; height: 417px; max-height: 100%; top: 208.5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/shutterstock-editorial-15254995j.jpg?c=original&amp;q=h_447,c_fill\" alt=\"&lt;strong&gt;Living history: &lt;\/strong&gt;Visitors can still get up close to the priceless Byzantine mosaics commissioned when Hagia Sophia was a church.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-imagetype=\"External\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__metadata\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__caption x_gmail-attribution\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image x_gmail-image__hide-placeholder x_gmail-image--eq-extra-small x_gmail-image--eq-small\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__container\"><span class=\"x_gmail-image__picture\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"x_gmail-image__dam-img x_gmail-image__dam-img--loading\" style=\"border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit; box-sizing: inherit; width: auto; object-fit: cover; height: 417px; background-color: #e6e6e6; max-height: 100%; top: 208.5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/2021-04-16t000000z-1397804394-rc23xm9f62g1-rtrmadp-3-religion-ramadan-turkey.jpg?c=original&amp;q=h_447,c_fill\" alt=\"&lt;strong&gt;Open to all: &lt;\/strong&gt;Istanbul is known for its resident cat population and Hagia Sophia is no different.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-imagetype=\"External\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__metadata\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__caption x_gmail-attribution\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image x_gmail-image__hide-placeholder x_gmail-image--eq-extra-small x_gmail-image--eq-small\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__container\"><span class=\"x_gmail-image__picture\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"x_gmail-image__dam-img x_gmail-image__dam-img--loading\" style=\"border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit; box-sizing: inherit; width: auto; object-fit: cover; height: 417px; background-color: #e6e6e6; max-height: 100%; top: 208.5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-1258589751.jpg?c=original&amp;q=h_447,c_fill\" alt=\"&lt;strong&gt;Changing religions: &lt;\/strong&gt;The site was originally home to a Roman temple, which was replaced with three successive churches. When the Ottomans arrived in Istanbul, they converted Hagia Sophia to a mosque.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1379\" data-imagetype=\"External\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__metadata\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__caption x_gmail-attribution\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image x_gmail-image__hide-placeholder x_gmail-image--eq-extra-small x_gmail-image--eq-small\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__container\"><span class=\"x_gmail-image__picture\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"x_gmail-image__dam-img x_gmail-image__dam-img--loading\" style=\"border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit; box-sizing: inherit; width: auto; object-fit: cover; height: 417px; background-color: #e6e6e6; max-height: 100%; top: 208.5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2209821119.jpg?c=original&amp;q=h_447,c_fill\" alt=\"&lt;strong&gt;Holy aura: &lt;\/strong&gt;In 2020 the building was turned back into a mosque. Previously it had been a museum, one of the central moves when Turkey was created as a secular state.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-imagetype=\"External\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__metadata\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__caption x_gmail-attribution\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image x_gmail-image__hide-placeholder x_gmail-image--eq-extra-small x_gmail-image--eq-small\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__container\"><span class=\"x_gmail-image__picture\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"x_gmail-image__dam-img\" style=\"border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit; box-sizing: inherit; width: auto; object-fit: cover; height: 417px; max-height: 100%; top: 208.5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/shutterstock-editorial-14299395q.jpg?c=original&amp;q=h_447,c_fill\" alt=\"&lt;strong&gt;Views for days:&lt;\/strong&gt; Tourists are still allowed in, but a 25 euro entry fee was introduced in 2024.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-imagetype=\"External\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__metadata\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__caption x_gmail-attribution\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image x_gmail-image__hide-placeholder x_gmail-image--eq-extra-small x_gmail-image--eq-small x_gmail-image--eq-large\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__container\"><span class=\"x_gmail-image__picture\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"x_gmail-image__dam-img\" style=\"border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit; box-sizing: inherit; width: auto; object-fit: cover; height: 417px; max-height: 100%; top: 208.5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/2020-07-22t190840z-129131550-rc2jyh9ntzsu-rtrmadp-3-turkey-hagiasophia.jpg?c=original&amp;q=h_447,c_fill\" alt=\"&lt;strong&gt;Symbol of a city: &lt;\/strong&gt;1500 years since its construction, Hagia Sophia still dominates the busy Bosphorus strait.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1247\" data-imagetype=\"External\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__metadata\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__caption x_gmail-attribution\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image x_gmail-image__hide-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__container\"><span class=\"x_gmail-image__picture\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"x_gmail-image__dam-img\" style=\"border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit; box-sizing: inherit; width: auto; object-fit: cover; height: 417px; max-height: 100%; top: 208.5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/2025-04-14t141628z-1118887563-rc2qxda32zde-rtrmadp-3-turkey-hagia-sophia.jpg?c=original&amp;q=h_447,c_fill\" alt=\"&lt;strong&gt;Layers of history: &lt;\/strong&gt;Today, Hagia Sophia is once more a mosque, though its original Christian imagery is still visible.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-imagetype=\"External\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__metadata\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__caption x_gmail-attribution\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image x_gmail-image__hide-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__container\"><span class=\"x_gmail-image__picture\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"x_gmail-image__dam-img\" style=\"border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit; box-sizing: inherit; width: auto; object-fit: cover; height: 417px; max-height: 100%; top: 208.5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2209821118.jpg?c=original&amp;q=h_447,c_fill\" alt=\"&lt;strong&gt;Future-proofing: &lt;\/strong&gt;April 2025 saw the beginning of a massive restoration project to protect the structure from earthquakes.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-imagetype=\"External\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__metadata\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__caption x_gmail-attribution\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><button class=\"x_gmail-gallery-inline__prev-overlay\" aria-label=\"view previous image\"><\/button><button class=\"x_gmail-gallery-inline__next-overlay\" aria-label=\"view next image\"><\/button><\/p><\/div>\n<h5 class=\"x_gmail-gallery-inline__headline\">Hagia Sophia\u2019s incredible history<\/h5>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-gallery-inline__counter\">1 of 8<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-gallery-inline__controls\"><button class=\"x_gmail-gallery-inline__prev\" aria-label=\"view previous image\">Prev<\/button><button class=\"x_gmail-gallery-inline__next\" aria-label=\"view next image\">Next<\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">Whatever the motivations behind it, the cost of the project and the hurry to begin the construction of what was one of the megastructures of its time also have almost mythical status.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">The price tag was said to be astronomical. In his book \u201cThe Fall of the Roman Empire, A New History of Rome and the Barbarians,\u201d historian Peter Heather said Justinian paid \u201c15-20,000 pounds of gold.\u201d The \u201cIstanbul Encyclopedia\u201d of 1945 puts it at a more modest, but still breathtaking $75 million, equivalent to\u00a0$1.3 billion today. That\u2019s more than the $1 billion cost to rebuild Notre Dame.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">The construction of the church started only weeks after the Nika Revolt, a devastating rebellion against Justinian that destroyed most of Constantinople, including the second Hagia Sophia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">Bornoval\u0131 thinks it\u2019s possible that Justinian seized the property of his political opponents and collected a vast amount of taxes to finance the construction. \u201cHow it was possible to create such a complex design and resolve the logistical issues within [weeks] remains among the unanswered questions,\u201d he writes in his book, \u201cHistory\u2019s Longest Poem.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">Not least because, he says, it \u201cwould have taken years to deliver the stones and other building materials.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">He thinks the budget and plans were probably ready, and Justinian took advantage of the aftermath of the Nika Revolt to start building Hagia Sophia where it is now.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">\u201cIf the previous Hagia Sophia had not been destroyed, Justinian would have ordered a new version to be built elsewhere anyway,\u201d says Bornoval\u0131.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"x_gmail-a-mosque-with-christian-imagery\" class=\"x_gmail-subheader x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-subheader\">A mosque with Christian imagery<\/h2>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image_large x_gmail-portrait x_gmail-image_large__hide-placeholder x_gmail-image_large--eq-extra-small x_gmail-image_large--eq-small x_gmail-image_large--eq-large\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image_large__container\"><span class=\"x_gmail-image_large__picture\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"x_gmail-image_large__dam-img\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-1660124878.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill\" alt=\"The shimmering mosaics are one of the finest examples of Byzantine artwork.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"3000\" data-imagetype=\"External\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image_large__metadata\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image_large__caption x_gmail-attribution\"><span class=\"x_gmail-inline-placeholder\">The shimmering mosaics are one of the finest examples of Byzantine artwork.<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Saeid Arabzadeh\/Middle East Images\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">Under the Byzantines, Hagia Sophia became the hub of Orthodox Christianity and the last standing symbol of their empire. But in 1453, when Ottoman sultan Mehmed II (a.k.a. Mehmed the Conqueror) captured Constantinople, his victory paved the way for the Ottoman Empire, which would last until 1922.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">To suggest to the world not only Islam\u2019s superiority but also that the Ottomans were the true heirs of the Romans, Mehmed converted Hagia Sophia to a mosque \u2014 but kept its original name. Although \u201cHagia Sophia\u201d sounds as if it was named for a Christian saint, it actually means \u201cHoly Wisdom\u201d in Greek.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">After conquering Constantinople, the young sultan \u2014 he was only 21 \u2014 performed his first Friday prayer here, starting a tradition for all subsequent sultans of the Ottoman Empire.<\/p>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-related-content_full-width x_gmail-related-content_full-width--article\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-related-content_full-width__image x_gmail-image__related-content\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image x_gmail-image__hide-placeholder x_gmail-image--eq-extra-small\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__container\"><span class=\"x_gmail-image__picture\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"x_gmail-image__dam-img\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/04-bees.jpg?c=16x9&amp;q=h_144,w_256,c_fill\" alt=\"04-bees.jpg\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" data-imagetype=\"External\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__metadata\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-related-content_full-width__headline\"><span class=\"x_gmail-related-content_full-width__title-text\">Related article<\/span><span class=\"x_gmail-related-content_full-width__headline-text\">Turkey\u2019s \u2018mad honey\u2019 has been folk medicine for millennia, but there\u2019s a sting in its tail<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">\u201cThere were three steps that defined the reign of the sultans,\u201d says Turkish historian A. \u00c7a\u011fr\u0131 Ba\u015fkurt. \u201cThe first is to take the throne in the palace, the second is to wield a sword in Ey\u00fcp [an historic district in Istanbul], and the third is to perform the first Friday prayer in Hagia Sophia.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">Mehmed also claimed the title \u201cCaesar of Rome\u201d\u00a0<em>(Qaisar-e-Rum\u00a0<\/em>or\u00a0<em>Kaiser-i Rum)<\/em>\u00a0upon taking Constantinople. His successors continued to use the title until Mustafa Kemal Atat\u00fcrk abolished the sultanate in 1922, creating the modern state of Turkey a year later.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"x_gmail-protecting-a-unique-cultural-heritage\" class=\"x_gmail-subheader x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-subheader\">Protecting a unique cultural heritage<\/h2>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image_large x_gmail-portrait x_gmail-image_large__hide-placeholder x_gmail-image_large--eq-extra-small x_gmail-image_large--eq-small x_gmail-image_large--eq-large\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image_large__container\"><span class=\"x_gmail-image_large__picture\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"x_gmail-image_large__dam-img\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-815205834.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill\" alt=\"Mehmet II ended the Byzantine empire and paved the way for the Ottoman one. He converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2731\" data-imagetype=\"External\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image_large__metadata\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image_large__caption x_gmail-attribution\"><span class=\"x_gmail-inline-placeholder\">Mehmet II ended the Byzantine empire and paved the way for the Ottoman one. He converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque.<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Photo 12\/Universal Images Group\/Getty Images<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">Hagia Sofia has withstood many revolutions, occupations, riots, plunderings, and natural disasters (its construction on a base of solid rock is said to have helped it survive earthquakes). Few buildings of its age have been preserved as flawlessly and in such a complete state.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">The Ottoman dynasty, particularly Mehmed II, played a pivotal role in its preservation. \u201c[Mehmed] told his army that if they conquer the city, the city is theirs for three days with the exception of Hagia Sophia,\u201d says editor and urban researcher Hasan Mert Kaya.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">Ko\u00e7u writes in the \u201cIstanbul Encyclopedia\u201d that Mehmed didn\u2019t order the Christian mosaics to be covered despite the fact that Islam bans figurative art in religious contexts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">However, a century later, sultan Suleiman I had them plastered over.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">It\u2019s thanks to the creation of the Turkish Republic created by Atat\u00fcrk, a secularist, that we can see them today. In 1926, the authorities undertook a comprehensive renovation after European media claims that Hagia Sophia was in danger of collapsing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">The building was closed to the public in the early 1930s for restorations, then converted into a museum in 1935 as part of a decree by Atat\u00fcrk. He also commissioned the uncovering and restoration of the Byzantine mosaics.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"x_gmail-from-mosque-to-museum-and-mosque-again\" class=\"x_gmail-subheader x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-subheader\">From mosque to museum\u2026 and mosque again<\/h2>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image x_gmail-image__hide-placeholder x_gmail-image--eq-extra-small x_gmail-image--eq-small x_gmail-image--eq-large\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__container\"><span class=\"x_gmail-image__picture\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"x_gmail-image__dam-img\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-1257974792.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill\" alt=\"The Turkish government controversially converted the building back into a mosque in 2020. Hagia Sophia had previously been deemed a museum when the secular Turkish state was created.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" data-imagetype=\"External\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__metadata\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__caption x_gmail-attribution\"><span class=\"x_gmail-inline-placeholder\">The Turkish government controversially converted the building back into a mosque in 2020. Hagia Sophia had previously been deemed a museum when the secular Turkish state was created.<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Burak Kara\/Getty Images<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">In a controversial move, in 2020, it was converted back into a mosque. The decision, involving one of the city\u2019s most important landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage site, was criticized by international religious and political leaders, with UNESCO, the UN\u2019s cultural agency, and the pope among those voicing concern, though the move did not prompt wide opposition within Turkey.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">However, the second floor has been serving as a museum since 2024. Tourists can buy tickets to enter the gallery and see the prayer floor from up above. The Byzantine mosaics and images are still visible during visiting hours, and are covered with special lighting effects during worship and prayer hours.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_gmail-paragraph x_gmail-inline-placeholder x_gmail-vossi-paragraph\">Whether Hagia Sophia should be a mosque or a museum is still debated. While some argue it should be converted back to a museum and never used for worship, others, like urban researcher Kaya, think it should stay as a place of worship \u2014 though only up to a point.<\/p>\n<div class=\"x_gmail-related-content_full-width x_gmail-related-content_full-width--article\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-related-content_full-width__image x_gmail-image__related-content\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image x_gmail-image__hide-placeholder x_gmail-image--eq-extra-small\">\n<div class=\"x_gmail-image__container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"x_gmail_signature_prefix\">\u2014<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"x_gmail_signature\" dir=\"ltr\" data-smartmail=\"gmail_signature\">\n<div dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>Ben Witherington, III<\/div>\n<p>Amos Professor of NT for Doctoral Studies<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Asbury Theological Seminary<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Doctoral Faculty,\u00a0 St. Andrews University,\u00a0 Scotland<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article appeared a while back on the CNN website. \u00a0 Hagia Sophia: Secrets of the 1,600-year-old megastructure that has survived the collapse of empires By Ali Halit Diker, CNN \u00a09 minute read Published 5:19 AM EDT, Mon April 28, 2025 26 comments Hagia Sophia was built as a church over a Roman temple, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":61415,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[15469],"class_list":["post-70237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-the-basilica-of-holy-wisdomchrist"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A Fine Article on the Hagia Sophia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This article appeared a while back on the CNN website. &nbsp; 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