Emperor Justinian I (r. 527–565) built Hagia Sophia as an imperial Christian church following the Nika Revolt in Constantinople in January 532. The revolt had damaged much of the city, including the fourth-century church on the site, erected by the first Christian emperor, Constantine the Great (r. 306–337), and subsequently rebuilt and rededicated in 415. Justinian’s new church was dedicated to the concept of Holy Wisdom in December 537, and it served from the outset as a symbol of imperial power in Constantinople, throughout the Byzantine Empire, and across the world.
The Great Church's architecture
The architect-engineers () Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus ingeniously designed Hagia Sophia as a unique and monumental structure. The interior layout measures 70 by 76 metres. The engineering feat successfully juxtaposed a
