The Church we know today as Hagia Sophia - or Divine Wisdom, its true name - was dedicated by the Emperor Justinian in 537AD. Through many vicissitudes Justinian's cathedral church of Constantinople still stands, its soaring vaults and amazing dome are a testaments to the human spirit, the engineering talents of its builders and divine inspiration.
Justinian's church was not the first on the site. The original was built by the Emperor Constantius in 360. This church burned in 404 and was rebuilt by the Emperor Theodosius II in 415. Just over 100 years later this second church was suffered the same fate as the first, being burned in the famous Nike riot of January 532.
The destruction of Hagia Sophia allowed Justinian to build a church like none other ever seen before. The scale of the building exceeded any domed building attempted before and tested the abilities of the Emperor's architects and emptied the state treasury. Hagia Sophia was - and is - justly celebrated for the luxuriousness and opulence of it's decoration which included rare and costly marbles, acres of gold mosaic and rich liturgical furnishings.
Throughout the centuries Justinian's masterpiece has undergone many changes including earthquakes, sacking by foreign armies, conversion to Islamic usage and finally its conversion to a museum. The amazing survival of Hagia Sophia is due to the love and care of centuries of believers who have made it a home of prayer, history and art.
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