Hagia Sophia, Istanbul
Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya in Turkish, also known as the Church of the Holy Wisdom) is located at Sultanahmet Square within a stone's throw from the Blue Mosque in Old Istanbul. It was constructed in 537 AD during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I as a patriachal basilica and was designed by Isidore and Anthemius in Byzantine style of architecture. It was the largest cathedral in the world for more than 900 years until the early 16th century when Sultan Mehmed II converted it into an Ottoman mosque and stayed as a mosque for almost 500 years. It is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture. Hagia Sophia is considered as one of the greatest buildings in the world!Hagia Sophia was converted into Ayasofya Museum in 1935 by Atatürk. It has large collections of holy relics. The interiors are decorated with richly artistic mosaics and are supported by giant marble...
