537 CEReputable sourceWell documented
The Hagia Sophia
On the timeline · around 537 CE ·
What happened
After the old cathedral was burned in the Nika Riots, Justinian rebuilt it on a scale never seen before. Completed in 537, the Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) was crowned by an enormous dome that seemed to float on light. On entering it, the emperor is said to have exclaimed, 'Solomon, I have outdone you.' For nearly a thousand years it was the largest enclosed space in the world.
Why it matters
The Hagia Sophia was the supreme masterpiece of Byzantine architecture and the greatest church in Christendom, its floating dome a triumph of engineering that awed visitors for centuries and influenced architecture from mosques to cathedrals.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Hagia Sophia · Reputable source
Related timelines
- History of Architecture → — One of the greatest domes ever built