Hagia Sophia (Divine Wisdom) is a former Byzantine church and former Ottoman mosque. It was built by the Byzantine emperor Justinian as a church in 532 - 537, converted to a mosque (cami) by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453 and declared as a museum 1935. Hagia Sophia is one of the most important museums of Istanbul considered as a World Heritage by UNESCO.
Emperor Justinian commissioned the architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus to build the Basilica and it was completed after 5 years, 11 months and 10 days.
The entry of the Hagia Sophia Museum (Ayasofya Müzesi) costs currently 40 Lira.
Southwestern entrance mosaic: (In the Vestibule of the Warriors) The Virgin sits on a throne and the Child Christ sits on her lap, giving his blessing. Constantine the Great offers her a model of the city of Constantinople while Justinian on her left presents her a model of Hagia Sophia.
ISTFOOD (Istanbul and Food) 05.08.2018
All pictures are mine