After less than six years of construction, Justinian I consecrated the Hagia Sophia, a building whose massive dome seemed to float above the nave without visible support. It served as the seat of Orthodox Christianity for over 900 years, was converted to a mosque after the Ottoman conquest in 1453, became a museum in the 20th century, and was reconverted to a mosque in 2020.
Justinian reportedly exclaimed upon entering the finished building, 'Solomon, I have outdone thee,' comparing his achievement to the biblical Temple in Jerusalem. The cathedral replaced an earlier church on the site that had burned down during the Nika riots of 532, a revolt that nearly cost Justinian his throne.
The architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus achieved something unprecedented: a dome 105 feet in diameter resting on pendentives, curved triangular sections that transferred its weight to four massive piers rather than continuous walls. Forty windows ringed the dome's base, filling the interior with a diffuse light that made the dome appear to hover.
The building's dome partially collapsed in an earthquake in 558 and was rebuilt slightly higher and more stable. For nearly a thousand years it remained the largest cathedral on Earth, unsurpassed until Seville Cathedral was completed in the 16th century. Its transformations across three religions and multiple empires make it one of architecture's most politically charged structures.
Key people: Justinian I