
Exterior view of the Hagia Sophia, built 532-537 AD under the direction of Justinian I, and considered a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. It was the first large rectangular building with crossing to be covered with a dome. The 107-ft. square crossing has four massive stone piers supporting four semi-circular arches and four pendentives upon which the dome rests. The apex of the dome is 180 ft above the floor. The large half dome seen on the side ofs the building acts as a buttress.

Inside the Hagia Sophia looking upward into the dome. One of the world's great domes, built in 563, it has a diameter of 107 ft, a rise of 50 ft at the crown, and covers a 107-ft. square crossing. It is constructed of bricks 27 in square at the base and 24 in square at the apex, all 2 in thick, with approximately 2 in thick mortar joints. and the apex is 180 ft above the floor. The 40 radial curved ribs terminate through the 40 windows at the base of the dome. This dome replaced the original and flatter dome, with a rise of approximately 41 ft, which collapsed in an earthquake in 558.
| period | description |
|---|---|
| 532–537 | planning and construction period |
Hagia Sophia (Church of the Holy Wisdom) was built in Constantinople (now Istanbul) between 532 and 537 under the auspices of Emperor Justinian I. Innovative Byzantine technology allowed architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus to design a basilica with an immense dome over an open, square space, pictured. The original dome fell after an earthquake and was replaced in 563. The church became a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of 1453, and is now a museum.