Abstract The Great Church of St. Sophia in Istanbul was built during the period 532–537 AD by the Byzantine Emperor Justinianus and dedicated to Divine Wisdom – thus its Greek name Hagia Sophia . The St. Sophia has an imposing structure, with a main dome that has not been surpassed in size and height by any other church or mosque in the world (Figure 7.0-1). During the earthquake in 557 AD, the dome partially collapsed, but was quickly repaired back to its original grandeur. The current building is the third structure built at the site; the two previous structures were destroyed by fire and riots.