Hagia Sophia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcAayiFkSPo

       Hagia Sophia ( its name comes from the Greek meaning  “Holy Wisdom” ) is a former Orthodox basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the Greek Patriarchal cathedral of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261. It was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople of the Western Crusader between these dates. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931. In 1931, it was secularized. Then, it was opened as a museum on 1 February 1935.

        The Church was dedicated to the Logos, the second person of the Holy Trinity, its dedication feast taking place on 25 December, the anniversary of the birth of the incarnation of the Logos in Christ.

        Hagia Sophia is said to have changed the history of architecture. It was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years, until Seville Cathedral’s construction was completed in 1520.The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor and it was the third construction of it, the previous two construction was damaged by the rioters.It was designed by the Greek scientists Isidore of Miletus.

         In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks under Sultan Mehmed II, who ordered the building converted into a mosque.The bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels were removed and many of the mosaics were changed. Islamic features such as the mihrab, minbar and four minarets were added. . It remained as a mosque until 1931. Then, it was closed to the public for four years. It was reopened in 1935 as a museum by the Republic of Turkey.

       For almost 500 years, Hagia Sophia is a model for many Ottoman mosques. As it is seen in this video, The mosque has an historical parts which gives admiration who visit it. It is worth visiting.