Facts about The Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

1. 05

   Byzantine Emperor Justinian I commissioned the Hagia Sophia, and its construction was completed in just five years under architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus.

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2. 04

   The massive central dome of the Hagia Sophia measures approximately 31 meters in diameter and is supported by an innovative system of half-domes and pendentives.

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3. 03

   Ataturk secularized the Hagia Sophia into a museum in 1934, a status it held until Turkey reconverted it to a mosque in 2020.

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4. 02

   In 1453, Sultan Mehmed II converted the Hagia Sophia into a mosque following the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople.

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5. 01

   Originally built as a Christian cathedral in 537 CE, the Hagia Sophia served as the world's largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years.

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