Hagia Sophia, Thessaloniki

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UNESCO World Heritage Site
Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessalonika
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
The Hagia Sophia
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, iv
Reference	456
UNESCO region	Europe and North America
Coordinates	40°37′58″N 22°56′49″E / 40.632865°N 22.946818°E / 40.632865; 22.946818
Inscription history
Inscription	1988 (12th Session)

The Hagia Sophia (Greek: Ἁγία Σοφία, Holy Wisdom) in Thessaloniki, Greece, is one of the oldest churches in that city still standing today. It is one of several monuments in Thessaloniki included as a World Heritage Site on the UNESCO list.

History

Since the 3rd century, there was a church in the location of the current Hagia Sophia. In the 8th century, the present structure was erected, based on the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul, Turkey). In 1205, when the Fourth Crusade captured the city, the Hagia Sophia was converted into the cathedral of Thessaloniki, which it remained after the city was returned to the Byzantine Empire in 1246. After the capture of Thessaloniki by the Ottoman Sultan Murad II on 29 March 1430, the church was converted into a mosque.^[1] It was reconverted to a church upon the liberation of Thessaloniki in 1912.

Its ground plan is that of a domed Greek cross basilica. Together with the Gül and the Kalenderhane Mosques in Istanbul and the destroyed Church of the Dormition in Nicaea, it represents one of the main architectural examples of this type, typical of the Byzantine middle period.^[2]

Interior view of Hagia Sophia.

In the Iconoclastic era, the apse of the church was embellished with plain gold mosaics with only one great cross, similarly to the Hagia Irene in Constantinople and the Church of the Dormition in Nicaea. The cross was substituted with the image of the Theotokos (God-bearer, or Mary) in 787-797 after the victory of the Iconodules. The mosaic in the dome now represents the Ascension of Jesus Christ with the inscription from Acts 1:11 "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?". The dome is ringed by the figures of all Twelve Apostles, the Virgin Mary and two angels.

Much of the interior decoration was plastered over after the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917. The dome was not restored until 1980.^[3]

Gallery

The dome with the impressive mosaic (9th century)
The mosaic of the arch (11th century)
View from the back

References

↑ UNESCO, Advisory Body Evaluation, World Heritage List No. 456
↑ Krautheimer,317
↑ Ayía Sofía

Bibliography

Krautheimer, Richard (1986). Architettura paleocristiana e bizantina (in Italian). Einaudi, Turin.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Church of Holy Wisdom, Thessaloniki.

v t e Landmarks of Thessaloniki

Roman period	Arch of Galerius Navarinou Square Roman Forum

Paleochristian and Byzantine	Agias Sofias Square Byzantine Bath Church of the Acheiropoietos Church of the Holy Apostles Church of Hosios David Church of Panagia Chalkeon Church of Saint Catherine Church of Saint Nicholas Orphanos Church of Saint Panteleimon Church of Prophet Elijah Hagios Demetrios Hagia Sophia Rotunda Walls of Thessaloniki

Ottoman period	Alaca Imaret Mosque Upper City Bey Hamam Fountain Square Karipeion Melathron Konak New Mosque White Tower of Thessaloniki

Modern period	Alexandreio Melathron Aristotelous Square Gregory Palamas Metropolis Ladadika Modiano Market National Theatre of Northern Greece OTE Tower Port of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki Concert Hall

Streets	Egnatia Street Nikis Avenue Tsimiski Street Vasilissis Olgas Street

Villas	Palataki Villa Allatini Villa Bianca Villa Kapanji Villa Modiano Villa Mordoch

Museums	Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki Atatürk Museum Balkan Wars Museum Museum of Byzantine Culture Cinema Museum Museum of Ancient Greek, Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Instruments Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki Museum for the Macedonian Struggle NOESIS Museum of Photography Railway Museum State Museum of Contemporary Art War Museum

v t e Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki

Churches	Church of the Acheiropoietos Church of Hagios Demetrios Church of St. Catherine Hagia Sophia Church of St. George Church of the Holy Apostles Vlatadon Monastery Church of St. Nicholas Orphanos Church of Panagia Chalkeon Church of St. Panteleimon Church of the Saviour Church of Prophet Elijah Church of Hosios David (Latomos Monastery) Cemetery Basilica

Other structures	Arch of Galerius Baptistery of St. John the Baptist Byzantine Bath Heptapyrgion Rotunda (Kamara) City Walls

Museums	Museum of Byzantine Culture Museum of Byzantine Instruments

v t e World Heritage Sites in Greece

North	Aigai Mount Athos Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki City Walls Rotunda Church of the Acheiropoietos Church of Saint Demetrios Latomou Monastery Church of Hagia Sophia Church of Panagia Chalkeon Church of Saint Panteleimon Church of the Holy Apostles Church of Saint Nicholas Orphanos Church of Saint Catherine Church of the Saviour Blatades Monastery Church of Prophet Elijah Byzantine Bath

Central	Delphi Epidaurus Hosios Loukas Meteora Mycenae and Tiryns Mystras Old Town of Corfu Olympia Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae

Attica	Acropolis of Athens Daphni Monastery

Aegean Islands	Delos Medieval city of Rhodes Monastery of Saint John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse Nea Moni of Chios Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos

Coordinates: 40°37′58.24″N 22°56′49.54″E / 40.6328444°N 22.9470944°E / 40.6328444; 22.9470944

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