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Hagia Sophia is one of several religious places in
Istanbul and the most magnificent. It was built in the Sixth Century
by the Emperor Justinian and is considered to be one of the largest
basilicas in the Christian world. It is one of the first
masterpieces of Byzantine architecture and is still seen as one of
the world's most important architectural monuments.
For more than a thousand years, Hagia Sophia was the largest church
in the world. Since this was such a splendid and majestic early
Christian church, it housed an array of Christian artifacts,
including the cross of the crucifixtion, Jesus' swaddling clothes,
and artifacts used in the Last Supper. Because of this, it is
considered to be the mother of churches and is extremely popular
with those on religious tours. The walls are covered in a variety of
the finest marbles and intricate mosaics in shades of gold, green,
blue, and red and which cover over 200,000 square feet of the
interior.
After the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the Ottomans converted
the church into a mosque and added minarets and fountains. Hagia
Sophia was used as a mosque until 1935, when it became a museum. The
museum is now open everyday except Monday and visiting hours are
from 9:30 to 16:30. Visitors can expect to pay 15 YTL which includes
a visit to the upper gallery floor. When visiting Hagia Sophia,
visitors can also tour the three mausoleums of the Sultan, a
baptistery, fountains, and gardens which are all in close proximity.
Hagia Sofia Opening Hours:
Monday : X
Tuesday : 9:30 to 16:30
Wednesday : 9:30 to 16:30
Thursday : 9:30 to 16:30
Friday : 9:30 to 16:30
Saturday : 9:30 to 16:30
Sunday : 9:30 to 16:30
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CITIES
