Hagia Sophia: From Byzantine Church to Ottoman Mosque

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the extraordinary transformation of Hagia Sophia, from its consecration as a Byzantine cathedral in 537 AD to its conversion into an Ottoman mosque after Mehmed II's conquest of Constantinople in 1453. They discuss the architectural innovations of Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus, the theological and political symbolism of the building, and how the Ottomans preserved and adapted it. The conversation covers the addition of minarets, the covering of mosaics, and the building's influence on Ottoman architecture, including the Süleymaniye Mosque. They also touch on Hagia Sophia's status as a museum in the 20th century and its reconversion to a mosque in 2020. Specific terms include Hagia Sophia, Mehmed II, Anthemius, Isidorus, Mimar Sinan, Süleymaniye, ayasofya, and the Byzantine Empire. The episode avoids repeating topics from prior episodes, focusing instead on the building's physical and cultural metamorphosis. #HagiaSophia #ByzantineEmpire #OttomanEmpire #MehmedII #Constantinople #MimarSinan #Suleymaniye #ArchitectureHistory #ReligiousConversion #Ayasofya #ByzantineArt #IslamicArchitecture #Justinian #Anthemius #Isidorus #History #FexingoHistory #MiddleEast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo