One of the greatest monuments of Byzantium, Hagia Sophia was built in the 6th century, but its exterior does not exhibit the characteristics of that century.Since it was used as a mosque for almost five hundred years after 1453, Islamic structures such as the minarets built on the corners of the main edifice, the fountain (sadirvan), mausoleum (turbe), and soup-kitchen (imare) etc. give Hagia Sophia a mosque-like appearance. Consequently, the 6th century architectural characteristics are much more apparent in the interior of the building.
In 1935 Hagia Sophia was converted into a museum, and it is now one of Turkey's two most popular museums.
(Istanbul, Turkey)
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