History of mediæval art . ? 1 a 5 10 soMtr* Fig. 32.—Plan of the Church of St. Sergius in Constantinople. ST. SOPHIA. 57 mere chance that both the architects to whom the task was in-trusted were Asiatics by birth—Isidoros of Miletos and Anthemiosof Tralles. In five years after the fire the new church was readyfor consecration. Soon after this it was much injured by an earth-quake, but was restored with even greater splendor, according tothe plans of the younger Isidoros, a nephew of the first is well known that, after having served as a Christian church fornearly a thousand years,
History of mediæval art . ? 1 a 5 10 soMtr* Fig. 32.—Plan of the Church of St. Sergius in Constantinople. ST. SOPHIA. 57 mere chance that both the architects to whom the task was in-trusted were Asiatics by birth—Isidoros of Miletos and Anthemiosof Tralles. In five years after the fire the new church was readyfor consecration. Soon after this it was much injured by an earth-quake, but was restored with even greater splendor, according tothe plans of the younger Isidoros, a nephew of the first is well known that, after having served as a Christian church fornearly a thousand years, the building has become the chief mosque. Fig- 33-—Plan of the Church of St. Sophia in Constantinople. of the Turks, and under them has not only been disfigured, but hasbeen left in such a state of neglect that the ruin of this wonderfulmonument is reported to be imminent. The general plan of St. Sophia {Fig. 33) is a cross, over thecentre of which is a majestic dome, 30 m. in span and almost 54 height, this being supported upon arches rising from four arms of the cross in the long axis are formed by two enormousapses, the conches of which exercise their thrust against the maincupola; hence the chief piers only required strengthening by but- 58 EARLY CHRISTIAN AND BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE. tresses upon the sides. The central dome is united with the twogreat apses to a single nave, 72 m. in length, which is further en-larged by three subsidiary niches at either end, the one in the middleof the western side forming the entrance, while that opposite to itwas reserved for the altar. The enclosure of the whole in a
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