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History · Turkey

Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya)

  • EraByzantine (537 AD) / Ottoman / Modern
  • AdmissionFree (donations welcome)

Perhaps history's most important building — a cathedral for 916 years, then mosque, then museum, now mosque again. The 31-meter dome appeared to float miraculously to medieval visitors. Byzantine gold mosaics coexist with Ottoman calligraphy in a breathtaking fusion of civilizations.