Description of the attraction
The Hagia Sophia, or Hagia Sophia, is one of the oldest Christian churches in the Greek city of Thessaloniki (under the jurisdiction of the Thessaloniki metropolis.). The cathedral is located in the historic center of the city on the square of the same name and is rightfully considered one of its most interesting sights, as well as an important historical and architectural monument.
Hagia Sophia was built on the site of an early Christian basilica destroyed in the early 7th century, which was part of a huge religious complex. The exact date of the construction of the temple is not known for certain, but most historians agree that the cathedral was erected in the late 7th - early 8th centuries. The very first written records of Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki date back to the end of the 8th century.
In 1430, Thessaloniki became part of the Ottoman Empire, but Hagia Sophia remained a Christian temple until 1523, after which it suffered the fate of most Christian shrines on the territory of modern Greece - the famous cathedral turned into a mosque. The facade of the cathedral was decorated with a traditional Turkish portico, and the bell tower became a minaret (a little later, another minaret was added).
In 1890, the cathedral building was severely damaged by fire. Some of the repair work was carried out by the Turks, while the main work began after Thessaloniki was liberated and the cathedral was returned to Christians. At the same time, the minarets were removed, and the elegant Turkish portico was destroyed during the Italian bombing in 1941. The dome was restored only in 1980. In 1988, among other early Christian and Byzantine monuments in Thessaloniki, Hagia Sophia was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Hagia Sophia is a beautiful and rather rare example of a Byzantine temple that combines elements of a three-nave basilica and a cross-domed church. Of particular interest are the magnificent ancient mosaics (including mosaics of the iconoclastic period in the form of crosses, stars and liturgical texts) and frescoes (11th century) that adorn the interior of the cathedral and are perfectly preserved to this day largely due to the fact that during the Ottoman period the dominions were hidden under a thick layer of plaster.
