Hagia Sophia Museum
Today's Haghia Sophia is in the same place but it is the third building which was constructed with a different architectural concept than the ones before. This structure was built by the Emperor Justinianos (527-565), two important architects of the time, Anthemios of Tralles (Aydın) and Isidoros of Miletos (Balat). During the construction works, there are 100 architects with two chief architects and 100 workers at the orders of each architect. The construction started on February 23, 532, was completed in a short period of 5 years and 10 months, and a large ceremony was held on 27 December 537. The building, which was a church of 916 years, was converted into a gallery by Fatih Sultan Mehmed in 1453 with the conquest of Istanbul and used as a mosque for 482 years. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's orders and the Decision of the Council of Ministers, in 1935, the Hagia Sophia opened its doors as a museum.
In the "Inferno" novel by Dan Brown, the Aysaofia Museum, undoubtedly described as "the eighth wonder of the world", is 700 years older than Notre-Dame Cathedral.
In this novel, Dan Brown says that Hagia Sophia "is illuminated with a mystical light."
