Church of Holy Wisdom

UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Hagia Sophia
Location	Thessaloniki, Greece
Part of	Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki
Criteria	Cultural: (i), (ii), (iv)
Reference	456-006
Inscription	1988 (12th Session)
Area	0.82 ha (2.0 acres)
Coordinates	40°37′58″N 22°56′49″E / 40.63278°N 22.94694°E / 40.63278; 22.94694
Location of Hagia Sophia, Thessaloniki in Greece

The Hagia Sophia (Greek: Ἁγία Σοφία, Holy Wisdom) is a church located in Thessaloniki, Greece. With its current structure dating from the 7th century, it is one of the oldest churches in the city still standing today. Because of its outstanding Byzantine art and architecture, in addition to its importance in early Christianity, it is one of several monuments in Thessaloniki listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.^[1]

Since the 3rd century there has been a church in the location of the current Hagia Sophia. In 620, that church collapsed, most likely because of an earthquake.^[2] Later in the 7th 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 lasted until 1224, the year when the battalions of the Despotate of Epirus, under Theodore Komnenos Doukas, liberated the city.^[2] After the capture of Thessaloniki by the Ottoman Sultan Murad II on 29 March 1430, the church was converted into a mosque,^[3] called Ayasofya Camii, keeping its old name.^[4] 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.^[5]

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 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, Mary and two angels.

Between 1907 and 1909 Byzantine historian Charles Diehl restored the whole building, which had experienced significant damage during a fire in 1890. Much of the interior decoration was plastered over after the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917. The dome was not restored until 1980.

• 
  View from Agias Sofias Square
• 
  Backside view
• 
  Entrance
• 
  Interior view
• 
  Interior
• 
  The dome with the mosaic (9th century)
• 
  Mosaic (9th)
• 
  A view
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  Iconostasis
• 
  Iconostasis, close view
• 
  Icon of the church
• 
  Painting

• History of Roman and Byzantine domes

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

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saint Sophia Church, Thessaloniki.

• Agia Sofia of Thessaloniki
• Hellenic Ministry of Culture

v t e Landmarks of Thessaloniki
Macedonian period	Agios Athanasios tombs
Roman period	Arch of Galerius and Rotunda Las Incantadas Navarinou Square Roman Forum Palace of Galerius Catacombs of Thessaloniki
Paleochristian and Byzantine	UNESCO 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 the Saviour Church of Prophet Elijah Heptapyrgion Hagios Demetrios Hagia Sophia Vlatades Monastery Walls of Thessaloniki
Ottoman period	Alaca Imaret Mosque Bey Hamam Church of Saint Gregory Palamas Immaculate Conception Cathedral Government House Lazarist Monastery White Tower of Thessaloniki Yahudi Hamam Yeni Mosque
Modern period	Agias Sofias Square Alexandreio Melathron Aristotelous Square Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Kaftanzoglio Stadium Ladadika Stoa Modiano Thessaloniki railway station National Theatre of Northern Greece OTE Tower Port of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki Concert Hall
Jewish sites	Monastir Synagogue Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki Allatini Mills Eleftherias Square Holocaust Museum of Greece Stoa Hirsch
Streets	Egnatia Street Nikis Avenue Tsimiski Street Vasilissis Olgas Avenue
Villas/Mansions	Villa Allatini Villa Bianca Villa Mehmet Kapanci Villa A. Kapanci Villa Modiano Villa Mordoch Villa Petridi Gategno-Florentin Mansion Longos Mansion Moskof Mansion Stein Mansion Palataki State Conservatory of Thessaloniki Centre for Byzantine Research
Gardens/Parks	Seih Sou Nea Paralia Pedion tou Areos Pasha's Gardens [el]
Marinas	Marina Aretsou
Other	Labbatoir Ano Poli Stoa Malakopi Mikra British Cemetery Church of Taxiarches
Museums	Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki Atatürk Museum Museum of Byzantine Culture Cinema Museum French Museum of Zeitenlik Museum for the Macedonian Struggle NOESIS Macedonian Museum of Modern Art Museum of Photography State Museum of Modern Art Teloglion Foundation of Art War Museum
Events	Thessaloniki International Film Festival Thessaloniki International Fair Thessaloniki International Book Fair

v t e Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki
UNESCO	Arch of Galerius and Rotunda Byzantine Bath Church of the Acheiropoietos Church of Hagios Demetrios Church of St. Catherine Hagia Sophia Church of the Holy Apostles Vlatades 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) City Walls
Other	Baptistery of St. John the Baptist Cemetery Basilica Heptapyrgion Church of the Archangels Church of Taxiarches
Museums	Museum of Byzantine Culture

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 Vlatades Monastery Church of Prophet Elijah Byzantine Bath Philippi
Central	Delphi Temple of Athena Pronaia Tholos Athenian Treasury Gymnasium Stoa of the Athenians Temple of Apollo Hosios Loukas Meteora Old Town of Corfu
Attica	Acropolis of Athens Daphni Monastery
South	Epidaurus Mycenae and Tiryns Lion Gate Tomb of Aegisthus Treasury of Atreus Tomb of Clytemnestra Grave Circle A Grave Circle B Mystras Olympia Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae
Aegean Islands	Delos Medieval City of Rhodes Grand Master's Palace Fortifications Monastery of Saint John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse Nea Moni of Chios Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos

v t e Churches and monasteries in Greece
Aegean Islands	Hagios Spyridon Holy Trinity Panagia Episkopi Panagia tou Kastrou Saint Ignatius Saint Irene Nea Moni of Chios Our Lady of Tinos Panagia Gremniotissa Panagia Kanala Saint Francis of Assisi Saint George Saint John the Baptist Therapon Three Bells of Fira
Central Greece	Daphnion Hagia Triada Holy Apostles Holy Trinity Holy Trinity Hosios Loukas Little Metropolis Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens Omorfoklissia Panagia Kapnikarea Panagia Pantobasilissa Pantanassa church Saint Dionysius the Areopagite Saint Gregory the Illuminator Saint Irene Saint Panteleimon
Crete	Agia Triada Agios Minas Arkadi Assumption Cathedral Panagia Kera Presentation of Virgin Mary Saint Mark Saint Nicholas Saint Titus
Epirus	Panagia Molybdoskepastos Panagia Paregoretissa Red Church Saint Paraskevi
Ionian Islands	Saints James and Christopher Saint Mark Saint Spyridon
Macedonia	Baptistery of John the Baptist Acheiropoietos Hagia Sophia, Drama Hagia Sophia, Thessaloniki Hagios Demetrios Holy Apostles Hosios David Immaculate Conception Old Metropolis, Veria Pammegistoi Taxiarches Panagia Chalkeon Prophet Elijah Protaton Saint Gregory Palamas Saint Catherine Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas Orphanos Saint Panteleimon Saint Paraskeva Savior church Vlatades
Peloponnese	Brontochion Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia Makelaria Panagia Trypiti Pantanassa Pantocrator Patapios Peribleptos Saint Andrew
Thessaly	Holy Trinity Makrinitissa Panagia Olympiotissa Porta Panagia
Thrace	Theotokos Kosmosoteira
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