The Venetians, who held Monemvasia for some time, used it as a Catholic church dedicated to Madonna, while during the Ottoman period it was converted into a mosque before being restored to Christian worship upon Greece's independence.

[1] It is generally accepted that Hagia Sophia dates back to 1150, during a period when Monemvasia saw impressive economical growth and the settlement spread throughout the rock and not only on its invisible side,[2] and is associated with the successful repulsion of the Normans in the year 1147.

[1] Originally, it was dedicated to the Virgin Mary the Hodegetria, but it remains unclear whether it was a Catholic monastery or a parish church.

[1] During the second Venetian rule (1690-1715) it became a church again, a Roman Catholic one this time, the katholicon of a monastery dedicated to Madonna del Carmine.

[1] A characteristic of this architectural type is that the main church is a single space, as the eight pillars that support the dome are pushed to the sides.

[6][7] During the first Ottoman rule, when Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque the frescoes were whitewashed and a minaret was erected on the southwest side.