The Hagia Sophia Built around the 6th century AD, the Hagia Sophia which; meaning "Holy Wisdom", was originally a cathedral in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) during the Byzantine Empire. At first, it served as Constantine's cathedral. The original was built of wood. During the riots of 404 AD, Hagia Sophia was largely destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 405 AD. The second church was destroyed during a revolt in 532 AD. The construction of Hagia Sophia was a challenge at that time. The domed roof required a lot of support. Ultimately, it rested on pendants: spherical triangles that arise from the enormous pillars that support the weight of the dome. The Byzantines had decorated the interior with Iconoclasm meaning the rejection or destruction of religious images as heretical. “In 726, all icons, religious images and statues were removed from Hagia Sophia by order of Emperor Leo the Isaurian, as he was against the veneration of images.” (Hagiasophia.com) With its vaulted and domed ceilings, artists were able to use the curved surfaces for dramatic effect or to complement narratives. Hagia Sophia was filled with frescoes and mosaics depicting religious and royal events from the Byzantine period. Many of the mosaics were destroyed and the frescoes were covered with several layers of materials, starting with the wooden construction of the domed ceiling, to the current marble and rock structures throughout the building. “The church has a rectangular shape and the square nave measuring 102 feet is covered by a central dome supported by four pendants. The arcade around the dome is continuous with 40 arched windows to bring light into the interior. Excluding the two narthexes and the large atrium, the basilica measures 229 x 245 feet. The atrium measures 157 x 106 feet and the total length of the building measures 442 feet. (http://www.hagiasophia.com). Later, vestibules were constructed to provide privacy and protection of royalty during services and meetings. Works of art such as the marble jars on the ground floor were imported from other countries to decorate the church. Mosaics were made depicting royalty and their signatures of the time. The library established during the time of Mahmut I for schoolchildren and other scholars boasted of an exhibition of his calligraphic signature called “Tugra”. The facade of the library has six columns, between which there are bronze grilles which closed the