massive domed structure was built as a Greek
Orthodox cathedral. In 1432, it was converted to
a mosque by the Ottomans. Then in 1935, it was
made into a museum which it remains today.
Hagia Sophia 3.
The dome collapsed in 558 AD and was totally rebuilt
with added stone buttressing. It has survived
massive earthquakes since the reconstruction.
The minarets were added by the Ottomans in the
1400s, one with red brick and the other three with
limestone and sandstone. The building has been
studied consistently over the past five decades
and is constantly being worked on to conserve
the structure.
The interior of the Hagia Sophia is so massive
(180 ft tall) that the copper portion of the Statue
of Liberty would fit inside easily (Fig 4). The construction
is primarily brick faced in stone inside
and out and having stone columns; the added
buttresses are also stone construction
(Fig 5). The initial dome was faulted for having
more mortar than brick which weakened it
and made it susceptible to the earthquake that
destroyed it in 558 AD. The rebuilt dome was
strengthened such that it has been cracked by
subsequent earthquakes, but still stands. Both
Christian and Islamic symbols adorn the walls.
Another astonishing masonry structure in Istanbul
is the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (1616 AD)
is commonly referred to as the Blue Mosque
(Fig 6). The blue reference is to the remarkable
blue tiles of the interior (Fig 7). For a 3D view
of the interior, see http://www.3dmekanlar.com/
blue_mosque.htm. The mosque can hold 10,000
worshippers.
60 | Masonry Design
4.
5.
6.