One Dome, Three Faiths–The Story Of Hagia Sophia

Explore the amazing story of Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, a world-famous building that has been a church, a mosque and a museum.

The Hagia Sophia is a famous building in Istanbul that whispers a story of change, showing how one place can be important to different religions over hundreds of years. Started as a grand church, it gradually became a mosque, spent some time as a museum and is now a mosque again.

A Giant Achievement In Building

The Hagia Sophia is a massive, beautiful building that has stood for 1,500 years. It was built in a city once called “Constantinopole” (now known as Isantbul) and was designed to be the most impressive structure in the world.

Hagia Sophia was built in a city once called “Constantinopole” (now known as Isantbul) and was designed to be the most impressive structure in the world. The most characteristic feature of the building is its giant roof, a round dome that looks like it is floating over the city. Credits: Google

Even after suffering from natural calamities like earthquakes and fires, the building stands tall. The most characteristic feature of the building is its giant roof, a round dome that looks like it is floating over the city.

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The World’s Most Famous Church

When the construction was finished in 537, the Hagia Sophia was regarded as a center of the Christian world in the East. For a thousand years, it was the largest cathedral ever built. Inside, the walls were covered in sparkling gold and beautiful pictures made of tiny stones, called “mosaics.”

The walls of Hagia Sophia were covered in sparkling gold and beautiful pictures made of tiny stones, called “mosaics.” During the 1930s, the building was turned into a museum and workers even uncovered the old gold mosaics that had been hidden for years. Credits: Google

These pictures depicted religious figures and powerful emperors. It was the heart of the Byzantine Empire and a place where people felt close to heaven.

When the building turned into a Christian church during 1930s, pictures were setup which depicted religious figures and powerful emperors. Credits: Google

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Turning Into A Great Mosque

Around 1453, a new group came up who were called “Ottomans,” and they took over the entire city. Their leader, Sultan Mehmed II, got so impressed by the building that he turned it into a mosque. While the existing Christian symbols were covered up, new Islamic art was added, which includes the giant circles with beautiful writing.

Around 1453, a new group came up who were called “Ottomans,” and they took over the entire city. New Islamic art was added, which includes the giant circles with beautiful writing and they also built four tall towers, called "minarets," on the outside. Credits: Google

They also built four tall towers, called “minarets,” on the outside. This changed the building into a treasure of the Islamic world and its style inspired many other famous mosques built afterward.

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A Shared Treasure For Everyone

During the 1930s, the building was turned into a museum so that people from all over the globe could come and see both its Christian and Islamic history at the same time. Workers even uncovered the old gold mosaics that had been hidden for years.

Recently, in 2020, it became an active mosque again, but it still remains a place where millions of tourists visit and since 1985, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Credits: Google

Recently, in 2020, it became an active mosque again, but it still remains a place where millions of tourists visit. Today, the Hagia Sophia reminds us that history has many layers and that one dome can hold infinite stories of many different people.

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Architecture, Hagia Sophia, Turkey