Hagia Sophia: Istanbul's Ancient Mystery | Full Documentary | NOVA | PBS

How has this unique structure, built on a seismic fault, survived centuries of quakes? (Aired February 25, 2015) Official Website: https://to.pbs.org/4652uU4 | #novapbs Whether serving as Christian church, Islamic mosque, or secular museum, Hagia Sophia and its soaring dome have inspired reverence and awe. For 800 years, it was the largest enclosed building in the world—the Statue of Liberty can fit beneath its dome with room to spare. How has it survived its location on one of the world's most active seismic faults, which has inflicted a dozen devastating earthquakes since it was built in 537? As Istanbul braces for the next big quake, a team of architects and engineers is urgently investigating Hagia Sophia's seismic secrets. Follow engineers as they build a massive 8-ton model of the building's core structure, place it on a motorized shake table, and hit it with a series of simulated quakes, pushing it collapse—a fate that the team is determined to avoid with the real building. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 06:01: The Structure of Hagia Sophia and Potential Earthquake Threats 10:48 Why Was Hagia Sophia Built? 14:36 Global Influences on the Structure of Hagia Sophia 21:36 Hagia Sophia Damage and Change Over the Years 30:45 How Does Hagia Sophia Survive Earthquakes? 35:35 Searching for Hidden Byzantine Mosaics in Hagia Sophia 41:11 Recreating the Core Structure of Hagia Sophia for a Shake Table Test 51:04 Conclusion © 2015 WGBH Educational Foundation All rights reserved This program was produced by GBH, which is solely responsible for its content. This program is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station here: https://pbs.org/donate/ Enjoy full episodes of your favorite PBS shows anytime, anywhere with the free PBS App: https://to.pbs.org/2QbtzhR Stay up to date on the latest science discoveries, full episodes, articles, videos, and more by signing up for NOVA's newsletter here: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/newslet... FOLLOW US: NOVA YouTube:    / novaonline   Facebook:   / novapbs   ​ Twitter:   / novapbs   ​ Instagram:   / novapbs   TikTok:   / novapbs   PBS Facebook:   / pbs   Twitter:   / pbs   Instagram:   / pbs   YouTube:    / pbs   TikTok:   / pbs   Shop: https://shop.pbs.org/ #hagiasophiagrandmosque #hagiashopia #hagia_sophia #hagiashopia #instanbul #hagiasophiamosque #mosquedesign #hagia #turkeyearthquake #earthquakeengineering #earthquake