UNESCO World Heritage Site in Greece
The
Hagia Sophia
(
Greek
:
?γ?α Σοφ?α
,
Holy Wisdom
) is a church located in
Thessaloniki
,
Greece
. With its current structure dating from the 7th century, it is one of the oldest churches in the city still standing today. Because of its outstanding
Byzantine art
and architecture, in addition to its importance in early Christianity, it is one of
several monuments in Thessaloniki
listed as a
UNESCO
World Heritage Site
in 1988.
[1]
History
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Since the 3rd century there has been a church in the location of the current Hagia Sophia. In 620, that church collapsed, most likely because of an earthquake.
[2]
Later in the 7th century, the present structure was erected, based on the
Hagia Sophia
in
Constantinople
(present-day
Istanbul
,
Turkey
). In 1205, when the
Fourth Crusade
captured the city, the Hagia Sophia was converted into the
cathedral
of Thessaloniki, which lasted until 1224, the year when the battalions of the
Despotate of Epirus
, under
Theodore Komnenos Doukas
, liberated the city.
[2]
After the capture of Thessaloniki by the Ottoman Sultan
Murad II
on 29 March 1430, the church was converted into a
mosque
,
[3]
called
Ayasofya Camii
, keeping its old name.
[4]
It was reconverted to a church upon the liberation of Thessaloniki in 1912.
Its ground plan is that of a
domed
Greek cross
basilica
. Together with the
Gul
and the
Kalenderhane Mosques
in
Istanbul
and the destroyed Church of the
Dormition
in
Nicaea
, it represents one of the main architectural examples of this type, typical of the
Byzantine middle period
.
[5]
In the
Iconoclastic
era, the
apse
of the church was embellished with plain gold
mosaics
with only one great cross, similarly to the
Hagia Irene
in Constantinople and the Church of the Dormition in Nicaea. The cross was substituted with the image of the
Theotokos
(God-bearer, or Mary) in 787-797 after the victory of the
Iconodules
. The mosaic in the dome now represents the
Ascension
with the inscription from
Acts
1:11 "
Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?
". The dome is ringed by the figures of all
Twelve Apostles
,
Mary
and two angels.
Between 1907 and 1909 Byzantine historian
Charles Diehl
restored the whole building, which had experienced significant damage during a fire in 1890. Much of the interior decoration was plastered over after the
Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917
. The dome was not restored until 1980.
Gallery
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See also
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References
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Bibliography
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External links
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]
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