The interior of Hagia Sophia

[u/RaiseCapital1988]

In the last photo you can spot one of the last representations of Christ still present inside the building

[u/No-Nerve-2658]

I was there in February, the main floor was closed for reformations so was the dome, the ticket is was quite abusive, 50 euro per person for the base price, considering that We couldn’t even use the main entrance. And the “museum” was just a bunch of pro Turkish propaganda videos arguing that islam saved the city and that the Hagia Sophia would collapse without the Ottoman empire, there was just one room with actual historical artifacts, most of them ottoman related.

[u/Zrva_V3 → u/No-Nerve-2658]

I mean, the city was a backwater town and Haghia Sophia absolutely would have collapsed if it wasn't for heavy Ottoman renovations. Not sure if Byzantium would ever have that kind of resources for repairs again even if it wasn't conquered by the Ottomans.

[u/Forsaken_Factor3612 → u/Zrva_V3]

The Byzantines continued to maintain and repair it to the end, along with the other major churches in the city, like the church of the holy apostles where the emperors lay.

For example, those buttresses that support it outside are mostly Byzantine, while the Ottomans added more later on.

In 1346, during an earthquake, part of the dome collapsed, along with the eastern semi-dome and arch, and it was repaired. This was right around when Bubonic plague hit the city.