Hagia Sophia, Trabzon

41°00′12″N 39°41′46″E / 41.00333°N 39.69611°E / 41.00333; 39.69611

Hagia Sophia
Ἁγία Σοφία (Greek)
Ayasofya (Turkish)
A view of the Hagia Sophia of Trabzon
Map
LocationFatih, Ortahisar, Trabzon, Turkey
Type
MaterialRoman brick
Beginning date1238; 786 years ago (1238)
Completion date1263; 761 years ago (1263)
Dedicated toThe Holy Wisdom, a reference to the second person of the Trinity, or Jesus Christ
Websitetrabzon.gov.tr

Hagia Sophia (Greek: Αγία Σοφία, meaning 'the Holy Wisdom'; Turkish: Ayasofya) is a formerly Greek Orthodox church that was converted into a mosque following the conquest of Trabzon by Mehmed II in 1461. It is located in Trabzon, northeastern Turkey. It was converted into a museum in 1964[1] and back into a mosque in 2013.[2] The building dates back to the thirteenth century, when Trabzon was the capital of the Empire of Trebizond. It is located near the seashore and two miles west of the medieval town's limits. It is one of a few dozen Byzantine sites extant in the area and has been described as being "regarded as one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture".[3]

  1. ^ Eden, Caroline (2017-10-25). "Turkey's other Hagia Sophia, in Trabzon". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
  2. ^ "Restoration of the Church of Saint Sophia at Trabzon | Research at the BIAA | BIAA". biaa.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 2016-11-07. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
  3. ^ "Religion in Turkey: Erasing the Christian past." The Economist. July 25, 2013.