Amazing Hagia Sophia in Istanbul Turkey

Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque when Sultan Muhammed Fetih take it from byzatine for Ottoman Empires, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the Greek Patriarchal cathedral of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931, when it was secularized. It was opened as a museum on 1 February 1935.

Hagia Sophia is a great architectural beauty and an important monument both for Byzantine and for Ottoman Empires. Hagia Sophia has always been the precious of its time.

Byzantium and Ottoman Empires were both the most famous ones. The city today carries the characteristics of these two different cultures and surely Hagia Sophia is a perfect synthesis where one can observe both Ottoman and Byzantium effects under one great dome. more photos/images about "Amazing Hagia Sophia in Istanbul Turkey"