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Taking a Look at Hagia Sophia

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The Hagia Sophia which is the place of worship located in Constantinople, is one of the most prestigious churches of history. The dome of this Cathedral is made out of all gold and with a height of 180 feet ("Byzantium (330-1453”). The geographic features of the Byzantine Empire had helped them become a prestigious empire throughout their reign. With three bodies of water surrounding them,it allowed easy access for trade and transportation of materials and soldiers throughout their land.The Bosphorus Strait, a waterway connecting to the Black Sea, allowed trade to occur with many other civilizations, such as Russia and China. Since the capital of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople, was located on this waterway it allowed wealth to come into the city, and let cultural diffusion to take place. There are many geographic features that has impacted the development of the Byzantine Empire. The capital of this vast empire, Constantinople was located on a strait called the Bosphorus, “ a narrow connection between the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea” (Wood 177). This allowed trade and wealth to come into the city, making it one of the most powerful empires in history. With three bodies of water surrounding this empire, they were able to transport materials and troops throughout their lands. Along the shores of the Bosphorus strait, it was dense with trees which allowed them for the use of building and fire wood (Kayaalp). The Bosphorus strait had a width of 2.3 miles and depth

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