The Hagia Sophia ( el, Ἁγία Σοφία, ''Holy Wisdom'') in

Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

. With its current structure dating from the 7th century, the church is one of the oldest churches in the city still standing today. Because of its outstanding

Byzantine art Byzantine art comprises the body of Christian Greek artistic products of the Eastern Roman Empire, as well as the nations and states that inherited culturally from the empire. Though the empire itself emerged from the decline of Rome and lasted u ...

and architecture, in addition to its importance in early Christianity, it is one of several monuments in Thessaloniki listed as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

in 1988.

History

Since the 3rd century, there was a church in the location of the current Hagia Sophia. In 620, that church collapsed most likely because of an earthquake. Later in the 7th century, the present structure was erected, based on the

Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia ( 'Holy Wisdom'; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque ( tr, Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi), is a mosque and major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The cathedral was originally built as a Greek Ortho ...

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

(present-day

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

). In 1205, when the

Fourth Crusade The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...

captured the city, the Hagia Sophia was converted into the

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...

of Thessaloniki, which lasted until 1224, the year when the battalions of the

Despotate of Epirus The Despotate of Epirus ( gkm, Δεσποτᾶτον τῆς Ἠπείρου) was one of the Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire established in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204 by a branch of the Angelos dynasty. It clai ...

, under

Theodore Komnenos Doukas Theodore Komnenos Doukas ( el, Θεόδωρος Κομνηνὸς Δούκας, ''Theodōros Komnēnos Doukas'', Latinized as Theodore Comnenus Ducas, died 1253) was ruler of Epirus and Thessaly from 1215 to 1230 and of Thessalonica and most ...

, liberated the city. After the capture of Thessaloniki by the Ottoman Sultan

Murad II Murad II ( ota, مراد ثانى, Murād-ı sānī, tr, II. Murad, 16 June 1404 – 3 February 1451) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1421 to 1444 and again from 1446 to 1451. Murad II's reign was a period of important economic deve ...

on 29 March 1430, the church was converted into a

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

,UNESCO, Advisory Body Evaluation, World Heritage Lis
No. 456
/ref> called Ayasofya Camii, keeping its old name. It was reconverted to a church upon the liberation of Thessaloniki in 1912. Its ground plan is that of a

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

Greek cross The Christian cross, with or without a figure of Christ included, is the main religious symbol of Christianity. A cross with a figure of Christ affixed to it is termed a ''crucifix'' and the figure is often referred to as the ''corpus'' (La ...

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its nam ...

. Together with the

Gül Gul is a common name in Persian ( ) and Turkish () languages, meaning ''rose''. Gul is used as a family name in Europe, Central and South Asia. It is also a Nordic given name, used in Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian languages as a short fo ...

and the Kalenderhane Mosques in

and the destroyed Church of the Dormition in

Nicaea Nicaea, also known as Nicea or Nikaia (; ; grc-gre, Νίκαια, ) was an ancient Greek city in Bithynia, where located in northwestern Anatolia and is primarily known as the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea (the first and s ...

, it represents one of the main architectural examples of this type, typical of the Byzantine middle period.Krautheimer,317 In the

Iconoclastic Iconoclasm (from Ancient Greek, Greek: grc, wikt:εἰκών, εἰκών, lit=figure, icon, translit=eikṓn, label=none + grc, wikt:κλάω, κλάω, lit=to break, translit=kláō, label=none)From grc, wikt:εἰκών, εἰκών + wi ...

era, the

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...

of the church was embellished with plain gold

mosaics A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...

with only one great cross, similarly to the

Hagia Irene Hagia Irene ( el, Αγία Ειρήνη) or Hagia Eirene ( grc-x-byzant, Ἁγία Εἰρήνη , "Holy Peace", tr, Aya İrini), sometimes known also as Saint Irene, is an Eastern Orthodox church located in the outer courtyard of Topkapı Palac ...

in Constantinople and the Church of the Dormition in Nicaea. The cross was substituted with the image of the

Theotokos ''Theotokos'' ( Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or '' Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations a ...

(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 The Acts of the Apostles ( grc-koi, Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων, ''Práxeis Apostólōn''; la, Actūs Apostolōrum) is the fifth book of the New Testament; it tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of its message ...

1:11 "''Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?''". The dome is ringed by the figures of all

Twelve Apostles In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

and two angels. Between 1907 and 1909 Byzantine historian

Charles Diehl Charles Diehl (; 19 January 1859 – 1 November 1944) was a French historian born in Strasbourg. He was a leading authority on Byzantine art and history. Biography He received his education at the École Normale Supérieure, and later taught ...

restored the whole building that underwent many damages during a fire in 1890. Much of the interior decoration was plastered over after the

Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917 250px, The fire as seen from the quay in 1917. 250px, The fire as seen from the Thermaic Gulf. The Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917 ( el, Μεγάλη Πυρκαγιά της Θεσσαλονίκης, 1917) destroyed two thirds of the city of ...

. The dome was not restored until 1980.

Gallery

File:Hagiasophiathessa.jpg, View from

Agias Sofias Square Agias Sofias Square ( el, Πλατεία Αγίας Σοφίας) is a square in the city of Thessaloniki in Greece. History The square dates back to the Byzantine period of the city and took its name from the church of Hagia Sophia (''Holy Wisdom ...

File:Holy Wisdom Salonica 4.jpg, Backside view File:Saint Sophia Church, Thessaloniki (3).jpg, Entrance 07Thessaloniki Agia Sophia09.jpg, Interior view File:Angle nord ouest 00479.JPG, Interior File:Hagia Sophia Dome.png, The dome with the mosaic (9th century) File:Thessaloniki Agia Sophia13.jpg, Mosaic (9th) File:07Thessaloniki Agia Sophia07.jpg, A view File:Abside Coupole 00498.jpg, Iconostasis File:07Thessaloniki Agia Sophia05.jpg, Iconostasis, close view File:Peinture sainte sophie 00448.jpg, Icon of the church File:Peinture sainte sophie 01566.jpg, Painting

References

Cathedral church of Holy God's Wisdom of ThessalonikiAgia Sofia Thessaloniki

Bibliography

External links

Agia Sofia of ThessalonikiHellenic Ministry of Culture
{{Authority control World Heritage Sites in Greece Christianity in Roman Macedonia Roman Thessalonica Byzantine church buildings in Thessaloniki Church buildings with domes Former mosques in Greece Mosques converted from churches in Ottoman Greece

History

Gallery

See also

References

Bibliography

External links