Facts and History
The Hagia Sophia is a structure in Istanbul, Turkey. The current rendition of the structure was built between 532 and 537 AD, although the site existed as a cathedral for some time before the current structure was erected. Historical records indicate that the structure was commissioned by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, who wanted the site to be home to an Orthodox patriarchal basilica. When the previous cathedral was destroyed by rioters, Justinian employed a physicist and a mathematician-- Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles, respectively-- to design the Hagia Sophia. Initially designed as an Orthodox patriarchal basilica, the basilica was initially ...
