Little Hagia Sophia
Little Hagia Sophia, formerly the Church of the Saints Sergius and Bacchusis, is a former Eastern Orthodox church dedicated to Saints Sergius and Bacchus in Constantinople, later converted into a mosque during the Ottoman Empire.
This Byzantine building with a central dome plan was erected in the 6th century and was a model for the Hagia Sophia, the main church of the Byzantine Empire. It is one of the most important early Byzantine buildings in Istanbul.
Database entry
The Ottomans called that one “Kucuk Ayasofya”, or Little Hagia Sophia. It was a Byzantine church initially, built sometime around 500, and many believe it served as an early prototype for the larger Hagia Sophia cathedral built a few decades later.
But I have my doubts. The two buildings may share some salient aesthetic features, but their structural elements are vastly different. It’s obvious, right? I mean, if you bother to look closely.
Gallery
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Little Hagia Sophia Mosque.
