Ayasofia

Ayasofia

Emperor Justinian inaugurated theHagia Sophia Cathedral in 537 C.E. Designed by Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles, at the time of its construction, it was the most impressive building in the world and remained the crowning achievement of the Byzantine Empire for over a thousand years.

Emperor Justinian inaugurated theHagia Sophia Cathedral in 537 C.E. Designed by Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles, at the time of its construction, it was the most impressive building in the world and remained the crowning achievement of the Byzantine Empire for over a thousand years. Following the conquest of Istanbul, it was converted into a mosque by Mehmet the Conqueror in the 15th century, and over the centuries that followed, minarets, tombs, and fountains were added. The huge 56-mt (183-foot) high dome, which was designed to represent the heavens, has made this an architectural marvel for centuries, but equally impressive are Hagia Sophia’s well-preserved Byzantine mosaics.