Publisher's description:
Hagia Sophia's soaring dome and arches, adorned with luminous gold mosaic-work and gleaming marbles, have inspired awe among generations of visitors. This fully illustrated guide traces the building's development from its foundation as the principle church of Constantinople in the 6th century to its present role as a museum.

Contents:
page 7 Foreword, Professor Engin Akyürek
9 The Church of Justinian, W. Eugene Kleinbauer
9 The Nika Revolt
9 Amthemius and Isidore the Elder
12 The Imperial Programme
14 Hagia Sophia before Justinian
17 Justinian's First Church
29 The Justinianic Rebuilding of Hagia Sophia
33 Interior Decoration
38 Liturgical Furnishings
42 Teh Building Materials
44 Justinian's Second Dome
47 Conclusion
49 Mosaic Decoration of the Bizantine Period, Antony White
49 Introduction
53 Mosaics in the South Vestibule
59 The Imperial Door
62 Mosaics in the North Tympanum and the Pendentives
65 Mosaics in the Apse
67 Mosaic of Emperor Alexander
69 Mosaic of John II Comnenus and Irene
77 The Deesis Mosaic
81 From the Fifteenth Century to the Present Day, Henry Matthews
81 Introduction
81 Muslim Ambitions and Desires for the Possession of Hagia Sophia
84 Conversion of Hagia Sophia to a Mosque
88 Covering the Mosaics
88 The Minarets
90 Mimar Sinan's Improvements in the Reign of Selim II
93 The Tombs
100 The Additions of Murat III and Mahmut I
106 The Fossati Restoration
117 The Calligraphy
118 Hagia Sophia Declared a Museum
121 The Current Restoration
121 The Influence of Hagia Sophia on Ottonian Mosques
123 Further Reading
124 Index
127 Acknowledgments