Sophia: Did you mean...?

The city of Mystras (or Mistras) in southern Greece was the provincial capital of the Byzantine Despotate of the Morea from the 13th through the 15th centuries CE. It was founded in 1249 CE by William II of Villehardouin, and it served as...

Located across the Hagia Sophia Museum, Yerebatan Sarayi is also known as the Basilica Cistern because of a basilica that was once located nearby as a cultural centre. It is the largest surviving underground cistern of Istanbul. Fatih Cistern...

The lives of women in the Middle Ages were determined by the Church and the aristocracy. The medieval Church provided the 'big picture' of the meaning of life and one's place while the aristocracy ensured that everyone stayed in their respective...

The city of Constantinople (modern Istanbul) was founded by Roman emperor Constantine I in 324 CE and it acted as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, or Byzantine Empire as it has later become known, for well over 1,000 years. Although...

The Grand Embassy was the name given to the long Western European tour that Tsar Peter I of Russia (aka Peter the Great, r. 1682-1725) undertook during 1697-1698. Peter was joined by hundreds of people, including noblemen, his friends, volunteers...

The ancient city of Byzantium was founded by Greek colonists from Megara around 657 BCE. According to the historian Tacitus, it was built on the European side of the Strait of Bosporus on the order of the “god of Delphi” who said to build...

The vector version of the iconic calligraphy of the founder of the Rashidun Caliphate, Abu Bakr (c. 573 CE – 634 CE), which is prominent in the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey.

Depiction of Byzantine Empress Irene, the wife of Emperor John II (r. 1118-1143 CE) as found in the Hagia Sophia in modern-day Istanbul (previously Constantinople), Turkey.

A medallion with the phrase "Allah Jalla Jalaluhu" ("May His glory be glorified"), in Arabic calligraphy. The medallion was installed in the Hagia Sophia between 1847 and 1849 CE when the building was restored by Ottoman sultan Abdulmejid...

Mosaic from the Hagia Sophia in modern-day Istanbul (previously Constantinople), Turkey, depicting Zoe, empress of the Byzantine Empire from 1028-1050 CE. She was the daughter of Constantine VIII (r. 1025-1028 CE).