| The Church of the Holy Wisdom, variously known as Hagia Sophia ( in Greek) Sancta Sophia in Latin or Ayasofya in Turkish, is a former Greek Orthodox church converted to a mosque, now a museum, in Istanbul formerly Constantinople. It is universally acknowledged as one of the great buildings of the world and sometimes even considered as the eighth wonder of the world. Church of Hagia Sophia, associated with one of the greatest creative ages of man, was also the Cathedral of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and a principal setting for Byzantine imperial ceremonies for more than one thousand years. |
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Originally known as the Great Church, because of its large size in comparison with the other churches of the then Christian World, it was later given the name of Hagia Sophia, the Holy Wisdom of Christ, the second person of the Holy Trinity.
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Its most remarkable feature is the huge dome with a diameter of 31 meters (102 feet) and 56 metres high supported by four massive piers, each measuring approximately 100 square, m, at the base. The dome is supported by pendentives which had never been used before the building of this structure.So it holds great interest for architects and historians.
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Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture. The structure has been severely damaged several times by earthquakes.
Due to its long history as both a church and a mosque, a particular challenge arises in the restoration process. The Christian iconographic mosaics are being gradually uncovered. However, in order to do so, important, historic Islamic art would have to be destroyed. Restorers have attempted to strike a balance between both Christian and Islamic cultures. In particular, much controversy rests upon whether the Islamic calligraphy on the dome of the cathedral should be removed, in order to permit the underlying Pantocrator mosaic of Christ as Master of the World.
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Allwondersoftheworld.com describes the superb architecture about the unique dome of the Hagia Sophia which still attracts pilgrims and tourists all over the world.
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