Archaeologists believe they have discovered a library in the ancient world’s largest Christian cathedral

The largest cathedral in the world still amazes the world in new ways as new secrets about the building’s construction have come to light. Originally built in 537 CE, the Hagia Sophia has been a Christian cathedral, a mosque, and is now a tourist attraction in the city of Istanbul. However, studies into the architecture have yielded a fascinating history surrounding the building, and some new information has just come to light.

A group of archaeologists led by Ken Dark and Jan Kostenec, both archaeologists, have come forth with new information that seems to indicate there is even more to the Hagia Sophia than ever before. The team began to study the architecture of the building and the surrounding area during a period of restoration that was taking place in the tourist attraction. What they found was amazing as they managed to discover new frescos, tiles, mosaics, and even graffiti that were from the ancient and medieval periods of the building’s lifespan.

The information gleaned from these pieces of art and history provides a new interesting background from when the building was a Christian church. Specifically, the researchers believe they have evidence there is a building that was once the site of baptisms. As the city was once home to various emperors and rulers, it seems likely the baptistery could have been the place where the upper echelon of the society had their children baptized.

I've always been fascinated by the Hagia Sophia!#archeology #hagiasophia #writinginspiration

Archaeologists Uncover More Secrets at Ancient World’s Largest Christian Cathedral https://t.co/m6IjJOn9Qm — Abigail Falanga (@AbigailFalanga) May 7, 2019

The archaeologists also believe they discovered a large library that was built underneath a hall. The size of the structure seems to indicate it would have been home to thousands of texts, adding to the significance of the Hagia Sophia in the world at the time as a place of learning.

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