Justinian's Hagia Sophia
The Architectural Wonder That Changed History (537 AD)
Emperor Justinian I commissioned the current Hagia Sophia in 532 AD after the Nika riots destroyed the previous church. Completed in just five years, it became the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years.
"Solomon, I have outdone thee!"
— Emperor Justinian I, upon the church's completion
The Master Architects
Justinian chose two brilliant minds: Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles. These mathematicians, not traditional architects, brought innovative engineering solutions that made the seemingly impossible dome a reality.
Revolutionary Dome
The 31-meter diameter dome appears to float on a ring of 40 windows
Pendentives
First large-scale use of curved triangular segments to support the dome on a square base
Light Engineering
Strategic window placement creates the illusion of a dome suspended from heaven