Hagia Sophia photos | Ayasofya fotoğrafları | Photos de Sainte-Sophie | Fotos de Santa Sofía | Фотографии Айя-Софии | Zdjęcia Hagii Sophii | 圣索菲亚大教堂的照片 | アヤソフィアの写真 | 아야 소피아 사진

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Hagia Sophia, also known as the Holy Wisdom, is one of the most significant and symbolic monuments of world architecture, located in Istanbul (formerly Constantinople). Constructed between 532 and 537 AD at the behest of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, it stood for nearly a thousand years as the largest Christian church in the world. Its monumental dome, rising to a height of 55.6 metres, was a remarkable engineering achievement of its time. Hagia Sophia served as the religious and political heart of the Byzantine Empire and was the site of imperial coronations. Following the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, it was converted into a mosque within just five days. Over time, Islamic architectural features such as minarets, a mihrab, and a minbar were added.

In 1935, Hagia Sophia was converted into a museum by the Turkish Republic, symbolising the secular direction of the newly founded state. In 2020, this decision was overturned by a Turkish court, and the building was reopened as a mosque. Today, Hagia Sophia functions as an active place of Muslim worship while remaining accessible to visitors and pilgrims from around the world. Access is divided: the ground floor is reserved for Muslim worshippers, while tourists can view the interior from the upper gallery. Female visitors, even in the gallery, are expected to cover their heads – this can be done with a scarf or simply by raising a hood. As evident from abovephotographs, Hagia Sophia is in need of restoration. Currently, renovation efforts are focused on the building’s exterior elements.

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