Monuments revealed

Monuments Revealed is an ambitious collection on great constructions that bear witness to an amazing scientific knowledge and a rich cultural heritage from the past. These buildings are the physical incarnation of great civilizations of antiquity.

What were the artistic and cultural intentions of the architects? How did they manage to overcome the incredible technical and engineering challenges of the time? How have these monuments evolved throughout the times?

In this episode, we will discover the secrets and the fascinating history of Hagia Sophia. Built in 537, it was the largest Christian basilica in the world for 1,000 years and was the religious and symbolic center of the Byzantine Empire. it was then converted into a mosque and was the symbol of a triumphant Islam for five centuries. In 1923, The Turkish Republic replaced the Ottoman Empire, and the Hagia Sophia was desanctified and transformed into a museum.

Today, the survival of Hagia Sophia seems to be due to a miracle. Hagia Sophia is built on a seismic fault and experts have forecast a large earthquake in the next twenty years.

An international team of architects, seismologists and engineers are working to discover the secrets of the building’s extraordinary resistance to earthquakes.