The Hagia Sophia collapsed

by Kris   ⋅   May 7, 2007   ⋅   Comment now   ⋅    RSS

The Hagia Sophia, otherwise filed in a space in my collegiate brain under “Christ, another thing I half memorized and forgot”, may not need such a big space anymore. The immense gorgeously sunlit Byzantine dome (31 meters/102 feet diameter, 56 meters/184 feet high) of the Hagia Sophia crumpled early this morning following an earthquake. Well, it did 1450 years ago today.

The Hagia Sophia or Church of the Holy Wisdom in Istanbul Turkey is a Christian Church turned Eastern Orthodox church turned Turkish mosque turned museum. Like most large ancient architectural designs, it was an impulsive display of religious fervor and wealth. Unlike most gigantic feats of architecture, it was built in five years (from 532 to 537), adding to its questionable structural soundness. The dome collapsed in an earthquake in 557 and was replaced in 563 with a new 40-rib bracing. It took five years just to replace the dome that time. It also partially collapsed due to earthquakes in 859 and 989. The Hagia Sophia’s ornate interior covered with crazy elaborate mosaics, gold and marble. You can revel in its glory by touring for about $4.50, quite the bargain!

Film related trivia (source Wikipedia): Hagia Sophia is featured in the 1963 James Bond film From Russia with Love where Bond’s lover Tatiana Romanova slips Bond small blueprints of Istanbul’s Russian consulate where Bond needs to steal the Lektor communication device. The Hagia Sophia is also seen in background shots in the 1999 James Bond film The World is not Enough.