Hagia Sophia, Cathedral of

[ (hah-gee-uh soh-fee-uh) ]

A magnificent cathedral (see also cathedral), sometimes called Santa Sophia or Saint Sophia, in Istanbul, Turkey. Once the central church building of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Hagia Sophia is now a museum. It has an enormous, magnificent dome, and the inside walls are decorated with mosaics.

Notes for Hagia Sophia, Cathedral of

Hagia Sophia means “Holy Wisdom,” an Eastern Orthodox title for Jesus.

Words Nearby Hagia Sophia, Cathedral of

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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