Hagia Sofia was built in Constantinople.

• A. It was built in Rome
• B. It was built in Constantinople
• C. It was built in Jerusalem
• D. It was built in Athens

Answer: (B)

Hagia Sophia’s location in the capital of the Byzantine Empire is the key point. It was constructed under Emperor Justinian I in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) in the 6th century, becoming a symbol of imperial power and Byzantine architectural achievement. The city was the empire’s political and religious center, not Rome, Jerusalem, or Athens, so the cathedral was built there rather than in those other cities. Rome was the Western Empire’s center, Jerusalem sits in the Levant with a different religious history, and Athens was an ancient Greek city not the capital of Byzantium. So, the statement that Hagia Sophia was built in Constantinople is the accurate reflection of its origins.