• Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque

A masterpiece of great architecture, magnificence, and functionality, it’s a cultural icon and an important monument for both the Byzantine and the Ottoman Empires. Built in the 6th century as the cathedral of the imperial capital of Constantinople, it was the world’s largest Christian cathedral until the 16th century. In the 15th century Hagia Sofia was converted into a mosque, in 1935 it was declared a museum, and today it’s Turkey’s most visited tourist attraction.
As part of the conversion to a mosque, the bells, altar, baptistery, and more, were removed, Christian relics and some mosaics destroyed, others plastered, and Islamic architectural features were added. As part of the conversion, restoration and reconstruction were performed, and a social complex was established, adding a school, mausoleums of Ottoman Sultans, a library, and more. Hagia Sofia is world famous for its 56 meters high and 31 meters in diameter Dome, resting on 40 arched windows, that reflects light to the interior and “reduces” the dome weight.
Being one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture, it’s vast interior is decorated with coloured marble floor with abstract designs, figurative decorations, a unique calligraphy collection, marble pillars, and marvellous mosaics.

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Interior of Hagia Sophia mosque, Turkish Ayasofya camii, Istanbul, Turkey. Old Aya Sofya is a world tourist attraction. People inside the former Byzantine basilica

Interior of the Hagia Sophia. The Grand Mosque and formerly the Church is a popular destination among pilgrims and tourists of Istanbul, Turkey