The structural configuration of the first dome of Justinian's Hagia Sophia (A.D. 537–558): An investigation based on structural and literary analysis

In this study we address the question that concerns the shape of the original dome of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, built by the two great architects, through two approaches. The first is through tests performed on the structural model. By means of this computer model we can study the structural integrity of the various shapes suggested for the first dome and compare their predicted behaviors. Second, we look at literary descriptions of Hagia Sophia's vaulting by Procopius, Agathias, Paul the Silentiary, and Malalas, paying particular attention to the evidence of what collapsed, what was taken down, and finally what was rebuilt. Based on both the technical studies and a careful reinterpretation of the available sources, we propose a new reconstruction of the first dome of Hagia Sophia, which is compatible both with the results of our scientific studies and with the original sources.