Justinian I is the patron of Hagia Sophia and created this version to serve as a basilica for the Greek Orthodox Christian Church. This version of the Hagia Sophia, built under the order of Justinian I, was used to replace the previous version that had been burned during the Nika riots. Before that version there was another, which was also burned during the clashes. Both versions had a wooden roof, so when building this version, this was taken into consideration to help solve the problem. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the Hagia Sophia, there are places designated for the faithful, where the faithful can speak, and for those who lead the ceremonies or worship. When you first approach the Hagia Sophia as a worshipper, you enter the outer narthex and then the inner narthex. Both are on the west end. In these places, the faithful can talk to each other and interact. After passing through here, once you enter the church itself, as a worshiper you should use the side aisles to find your way to a place. The side aisles are used so that the faithful do not get in the way of those conducting the ceremony when they come down from the center. The faithful sit in the central nave, which is located in the center of the church and, entering from the back, precedes the apse. The nave also served as a place for the coronation ceremony of new emperors. Those celebrating or conducting ceremonies and the faithful cross the center of the nave to reach the apse. The apse of the Hagia Sophia consists of a mosaic called the Theotokos mosaic. The apse is located towards the east and is where the altar is located. It must not be used by the faithful, but by the highest levels. The Hagia Sophia was created by combining a central and axial plan. In this way, the nave has the shape of an eclipse which may have been made on purpose to show how the state and church are interconnected with each other. The Hagia Sophia has a central dome made of a rose-colored stone and is carved at the base to create a skylight to let in light. The skylight on the dome makes it possible to lighten the dome and allow light to pass onto the naos which is the central area where the faithful are found during the ceremonies. By letting light shine on them, a sort of "celestial" effect is created. The central dome of the Hagia Sophia also has spandrels which are used to help support the weight of the dome and to direct where the weight falls so that the dome does not crumble due to the weight it has. In the apse there is also a skylight at the base of what appears to be a semi-dome. This was done to shed light on those who led the faithful. The floor and lower walls of the Hagia Sophia were polychrome, and there were numerous mosaics depicting Christ around the building. The church also has an internal and external narthex which allows church goers to have a place to talk before entering. Throughout the Hagia Sophia, there are various mosaics depicting well-known scenes and showing well-known figures from the Christian gospels. By including these brightly colored mosaics, the Hagia Sophia was able to solidify its original purpose as a basilica for the Greek Orthodox Christian Church. One such mosaic is the Theotokos mosaic which depicts the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. The central dome of the Hagia Sophia was also created to contain a skylight that illuminates the faithful to create a heavenly effect. The orientation of the Hagia Sophia reflects.