Church at Istanbul
Preserved but no longer current.
It was built by Justinian (532-7), but since the capture of the city by the Turks (1453) has been used as a mosque. It was not dedicated to a saint named Sophia, but to the "Logos," or Second Person of the Trinity, called Hagia Sophia (Sacred Wisdom).
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Church at Istanbul” mean?
It was built by Justinian (532-7), but since the capture of the city by the Turks (1453) has been used as a mosque. It was not dedicated to a saint named Sophia, but to the "Logos," or Second Person of the Trinity, called Hagia Sophia (Sacred Wisdom).
Is “Church at Istanbul” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.