The Earthquake Engineering Online Archive - (Nisee e-library)

William G. Godden Collection: GoddenE7.1

Title: Hagia Sophia (exterior view)
Creator(s): unknown
Date:
Source: Courtesy University of California, Berkeley Architecture Slide Library and Prof. Dell Upton. Copyright Keskin Color.
Location: Western Asia/Turkey/ASIA/Istanbul
Structure: Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya)

Description: Exterior view of the Hagia Sophia, built 532-537 AD under the direction of Justinian I, and considered a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. It was the first large rectangular building with crossing to be covered with a dome. The 107-ft. square crossing has four massive stone piers supporting four semi-circular arches and four pendentives upon which the dome rests. The apex of the dome is 180 ft. above the floor. The large half dome seen on the side ofs the building acts as a buttress. (Istanbul, Turkey)