# Archaeologists Clear 300 Tons of Debris to Map 5.6 Miles of Tunnels Beneath Hagia Sophia · Mercy Herald

> Excavations beneath the atrium of the ancient Byzantine cathedral uncovered water networks and mysterious dry chambers with wall niches.

Endereço: https://joinmercy.com/journal/en/archaeologists-clear-300-tons-of-debris-to-map-5-6-miles-of-tunnels-beneath
Atualizado em: 2026-11-15

Dome and central structure of the ancient Byzantine cathedral in Istanbul. [Photo: Arild Vågen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hagia_Sophia_Mars_2013.jpg)

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Crews of archaeologists and specialized miners completed the removal of 300 tons of soil and rubble beneath Istanbul's Hagia Sophia. The project cleared underground galleries extending 5.6 miles below the atrium of the landmark built in the sixth century AD under Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.

The study, led by Professor Hasan Fırat Diker and published in the journal *Open Archaeology*, cataloged structures dating to the early Byzantine era. Wooden church buildings occupied the site before fires destroyed them, prompting the construction of the stone cathedral between 532 and 537 AD.

Clearing the passages required navigating narrow, dark, and poorly ventilated underground spaces. Three-dimensional mapping revealed a complex network of water conduits alongside subterranean chambers whose original purpose remains under study.

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