Church of Agia Sophia (Hagia Sophia)

What I can see

The Church of Hagia Sophia is one of the most important monuments of Christianity. It is a cruciform church with an unusual dome which belongs to the second construction phase and rests on four large and other smaller marble columns. The capitals of the northern colonnade date to the 5^th-6^th century AD and come from the earlier basilica that stood on the site. The capitals of the southern colonnade were destroyed in an 1890 fire and were replaced with plaster ones. Both the northern and southern aisles are roofed with barrel vaults, while the dome’s drum is square-shaped on the outside, with three windows on each side. The mosaics and frescoes date to different periods: the 8^th century (sanctuary arch, large cross in a starry circle, monograms of Emperor Constantine XVI, his mother Irene and Metropolite Theophilus), the 9^th century (the mosaic composition of the dome depicting the Ascension of Christ, one of the most important works of Byzantine art, thanks to its colours and realistic features that were influenced by the prolific classicism of the Macedonian dynasty), and the 11^th and 12^th centuries (the Enthroned Virgin part and the depictions of monks and Saints on the windows of the outer narthex).

What I can't see

It was built during the 7^th century AD on the ruins of the five-aisled early Christian basilica, which was erected on top of Roman buildings and probably destroyed by an earthquake in 620. The creator of the church took the foundations of the previous church seriously and adapted his initially ambitious design. As a result, this type of sanctuary was the result of a technical solution and does not fit into any architectural tradition. The church is dedicated to wisdom (in Greek: sophia) and to the Word of God and is the first example of Thessaloniki’s transition into a Byzantine city by copying the design of the homonymous church (Hagia Sophia) of Constantinople (Istanbul). The earlier basilica of the 5th century was the first Episcopal Church in the city. Then, Agia Sophia became the metropolis of the co-reigning Thessaloniki (to the reigning Constantinople/Istanbul) and was also called the “Great Church” before it became a mosque in the 16th century. In this church and its adjacent square, the city’s biggest national and religious events have taken place, including doxologies, demonstrations, funerals of public figures, and more. Also inside the church, tombs of leading ecclesiastical figures have been found. Nowadays, along with the church of Αgios Dimitrios and the cathedral of Agios Grigorios, the church is at the heart of the city’s faithful.

Info

• Address: Agias Sophias Sq.

Bibliography