Hagia Sophia

architecture · Istanbul · history · amazing buildings

An ancient superstructure. Hagia Sophia was built in Istanbul (Turkey) way back in AD 537 as a church, making it almost 1,500 years old. It's so important that people say it literally changed the history of architecture forever.

Invented the dome. Hagia Sophia was one of the first buildings ever to use a pendentive dome, a special curved roof that lets you create a huge open space inside without needing tons of pillars. This made its interior the largest in the world at the time.

Changed hands many times. For over 1,000 years it was a church, then after Istanbul was conquered in 1453, it became a mosque with tall towers called minarets added to it. In 1935 it became a museum so everyone could admire it, and in 2020 it became a mosque again.

Breathtaking inside. Walking into Hagia Sophia feels magical because the massive dome seems to float above you, letting light stream down from windows. The space is so huge and open that it inspired architects for centuries.