This view of Istanbul, Turkey, includes the Hagia Sophia, the largest
building on the left.
A CHURCH MUSEUM
If you become a famous soldier, you might have a city named for you.
That’s what happened to a great warrior named Constantine. When he was
crowned emperor of the Roman Empire long ago, he left Rome and built a
new city called Constantinople. In Constantinople, he built a church
called Hagia Sophia which means “Holy Wisdom.” Later, another emperor
built another church with the same name.
Hagia Sophia was a cathedral of the Eastern Orthodox Church. “Orthodox”
comes from the Greek words “orthos” and “doxa” meaning “true belief.”
Constantinople, today, is called Istanbul, and Elagia Sophia, which has
been both a cathedral and a mosque, is now a museum that overlooks the
city. On one wall, you can see a picture of the great Emperor
Constantine.
The Greek Orthodox Cathedral called Saint Sophia in Los Angeles,
California, resembles the ancient Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.
Some of the walls inside the Hagia Sophia are decorated with colored
tiles.
