test
yourself
How many of the 17
Wonders of Turkey ...
How many of the top
100 World
Wonders
Hagia Sophia
tips you can trust
Why the
Hagia Sophia
in Istanbul
is special
Modern-day architects marvel at how their 6th century counterparts could design the immense Hagia Sophia and its "impossibly" high-&-wide domed ceiling.
The Hagia Sophia
was first a church
then a mosque
then a museum
Church
532
to 537 AD
The structure was built by the Christian Emperor Justinian I as a Byzantine church.
It served as a Byzantine church for the next 900 years.
Mosque
Beginning in 1453
The Islamic-faithed Ottomans took over Constantinople
(now Istanbul).
They wasted little time in converting the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. It served the Muslims for almost 500 years.
During this time, the Ottomans painted over the Christian mosaics - and erected the four defining minarets we see today.
Museum
1934 to present
Turkey changed the Hagia
Sophia's status from mosque to
museum and uncovered the priceless Byzantine mosaics.
Learn more Hagia
Sophia tips ...
Wonders of Turkey - Top 10 rankings
My credentials
About my website
and criteria
Reader testimonials
sponsored ad
Explore my
candid country, region
and other travel guides
Click links for tips & insights
WONDERS OF ... | WONDERS OF ... | CRUISE GUIDES | SAFARI GUIDES | WORLD'S TOP WONDERS |
| ||||
| OTHER TIPS & INSIGHTS | ||||
|
| |||
SPECIAL TOPICS | MORE | |||
| ||||
| ||||
|
| |||
|
| |||
|
| |||
|
|
| ||
|
|
| ||
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
