İstanbul - Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya)

Hagia Sophia was a Eastern Orthodox church at Byzantine period which completed in 537. It also known as the Ayasofya Museum and Church of Holy Wisdom. It was converted to a mosque at Ottoman period after Fatih Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople in 29 May 1453. After 1935, it was converted into a museum. Hagia Sophia is neighbour to Topkapı Palace and Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii) in İstanbul.

Hagia Sophia is known as one of the greatest buildings of the world and generally considered the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Some building details: The works was started on December 23, 532 AD and completed on December 27, 537. The size of the inner space of basilica is 100x70m and it is covered by the magnificent dome (diameter 30.31m. after some restoration, it was lost its perfect circular dome schema), supported by the four large piers, 55m high.

There are just 3 larger church after Hagia Sophia all around the world. They are St. Paul's Cathedral in London, St.Peter's Basilica in Vatican and Duomo in Milan.

<a href="/maps/hagia-sophia-map">Location of Hagia Sophia at Map</a>