When Western tourists visiting Istanbul, Turkey enter the port, many usually look for a specific landmark, Hagia Sofia.
Identifying ancient temples that have served as churches, museums and mosques can be difficult from afar. The Istanbul skyline appears to be scattered with large, visually-looking mosques with Byzantine-style domes and tall minarets surrounding them.
According to Britannica, there is the Suleimaniye Mosque, which is comparable to Hagia Sofia in the 16th century.
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Then there is the Blue Mosque, an Ottoman temple, which is a short walk from the famous landmark and is followed by many other similar structures.
Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque is a Muslim place of worship, but that’s not why it attracts so much attention.
The European side of Istanbul, Turkey, can be seen above.
For almost a thousand years it was a Christian cathedral and the largest and most spectacular temple not only in Constantinople but in the entire Byzantine Empire.
“Hagia Sofia is simply unique, not parallel,” Professor Robert Lehman and Professor Robert Lehman of Art History at Yale University told Fox News Digital.
“The height of the dome was not good until the construction of St. Peter’s Cathedral in the 16th century. What’s even more impressive than its size is the beautiful, gorgeous marble ornament inside.”
According to Britannica, the Blue Mosque, appropriately known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, was built between 1609-1616. (Danuta Hamlin/Fox News)
“Massive marble pillars have been brought in from the periphery of the ancient world. The walls are covered in handsome marbles that have become dull over time but touched,” he said.
It was commissioned by Justinian I, the eastern Roman emperor, and designed by two Greek architects and mathematicians, Isidor of Miletus and Ansemius of the troll.
Hagia Sophia, the main historic monument, was commissioned by Emperor Justinian the Great. (History/Universal Image Group via Getty Images)
It is no wonder that this architectural wonder is often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world.
“The Justinians dreamed of a whole new kind of church,” wrote Italian Renaissance scholar Frederick Hart. And the Justinian got exactly what he wanted.
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“Solomon, I have beaten you!” The imaginative emperor reportedly boasted upon the completion of his magnificent cathedral.
Hagia Sophia was built in the 6th century in Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire. (Danuta Hamlin/Fox News)
The bottom line is the ancient time that Hagia Sophia was built between 532 and 537 AD, and tourists can still step into it and immerse themselves in its glory.
“The illustrious impressions of harmonious mixed spaces and light received within today must be supplemented to the imagination by visualizing the majestic processions of the Byzantine emperor and his court,” writes Hart.
Morning Light penetrates the interior of Hagia Sofia in Istanbul, Turkey. (Danuta Hamlin/Fox News)
Hagia Sophia is grand and adoring, making visitors wonder how people were able to design such complex structures centuries ago.
Again, this is about the Greeks.
After the 6th century earthquake, Hagia Sophia in Instanbul Dome was damaged and redesigned by young Isidors. (Danuta Hamlin/Fox News)
When the cathedral was built, Constantinople was perched on the eastern edge of the European continent, named after Emperor Constantine, and was one of the most important capitals of Christendom.
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This ancient city, formerly known as the Byzantium, was built to rival Rome. It was known for its cutting-edge fortress.
A 13th century representation of the Virgin Mary, Christ and John the Baptist in Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey. (Danuta Hamlin/Fox News)
Things got a little complicated after the great division of 1054, which destroyed Christianity into Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Communion.
Constantinople remained the heart of the Greek Orthodox Church, but its strength faded.
In April 1182, an event was held in history known as the Latin Massacre. As Donald M. Nicole explained in his book Byzantium and Venice, “people didn’t need encouragement. Giving enthusiasm for years of resentment, they worked on the massacre of all foreigners they could find… Finally, around 4,000 Westerners who survived the massacre were rounded and enslaved as slaves, the coasts and islands of the Aegean Sea.”
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In 1204, Constantinople was dismissed by the Crusades in retaliation for the massacre, held by the West for decades.
In 1453, a problem occurred in Asia. The city was plundered again – this time by the Turks – incorporated into the Ottoman Empire.
The Istanbul skyline was painted in 2024. (Danuta Hamlin/Fox News)
As a result, Hagia Sofia’s cathedral became a mosque and minarets were added.
“After conquering the city, Hagia Sofia immediately influenced the Ottoman Empire, and the conqueror Sultan Mehmed II declared that it should not be hurt. It was his mosque and for some time it remained the city’s main mosque,” Nelson told Fox News Digital.
“Starting in the late 15th century, Ottoman architects worked hard to copy the domes and interiors.”
When Hagia Sofia became a mosque, four minarets were added. (Danutha Hamlin)
Historians say the Ottoman Empire will take power, spreading across Africa and the East of Europe, raiding terrifying towns, raiding villages, and bringing inhabitants into slavery.
As Western European powers were engaged in exploration and expanded their territory into the New World, their eastern counterparts were busy defending their borders.
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Things were pretty rough, especially for the Habsburg Empire (Austria). Vienna has been found to be siege several times.
The turning point came on September 12th, 1683. That was when Sobiesky, King 1 Yai III of Poland, ruler of the Federation of Polish Lithuania, came to rescue the besieged Austrian capital.
A gift shop in Istanbul, Turkey is shown above. (Danuta Hamlin/Fox News)
This time, I am sure they will conquer Vienna. The vast Ottoman forces led by Kara Mustafa were crushed instead by Sobiesky and his heavy Polish cavalry, the famous winged hussar.
Pope Innocent Xi praised Sobiesky as “the savior of Vienna and the Western European civilization.”
King Jan Sobiesky wrote to his wife, Queen Maria Kazimiera:
It is shown that after Jan Matecco’s Battle of Vienna, John III and King Sobieschi are sending victory messages to the Innocent Xi Association. (Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)
The Battle of Vienna marked the beginning of the decline of the Ottoman Empire, but the city of Constantinople, on the Bosphorus, the natural waterway that separates Europe and Asia, remained in the hands of Turkey.
The 19th century brought the sudden revival of international interest to Hagia Sofia.
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According to Nelson, the reason was the move towards romanticism. “It brought new attitudes towards the past, especially ancient and medieval Christianity,” he said.
The ancient city of Constantinople spread across two continents and was renamed Istanbul in 1930.
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk statue in Garhane Park in Istanbul, Turkey. (Danuta Hamlin/Fox News)
In 1935, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern Republic of Turkey, transformed Hagia Sofia into a museum.
Over the years, the former Basilica and mosque have undergone considerable renovations and have become a favorite among tourists. However, in 2020, despite many objections from UNESCO and the international community, the Turkish government retracted the status of the museum in Hagia Sofia and returned it to the mosque that worked.
In 2024, the Turkish Ministry of Culture created a “digital twin” for the temple to complete a digital scan of Hagia Sofia and allow it to be reconstructed as needed. (Danuta Hamlin/Fox News)
Tourists are only allowed to enter the higher level (gallery) of this historic building and see its interior from above. However, it doesn’t slow them down.
There is a long line where you can buy tickets for those who have not secured tickets online. Also, female visitors must cover their heads when they enter.
Head covers are essential for women who join Hagia Sofia. (Danuta Hamlin/Fox News)
Once inside, they find themselves faced with statues of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and other saints created by Christian artists centuries ago.
There is another entrance for Turkish citizens leading to the ground level of the mosque.
This 11th century panel features Christ sitting on the throne between Emperor Constantine and his wife Zoe in Hagia Sophia, Istanbul. (Danuta Hamlin/Fox News)
According to Istanbul Deputy Akturkoglu, Hagia Sofia receives an average of around 50,000 visitors every day and around 6-7 million people a year.
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The influx of visitors depends on the season.
An entrance for Turkish citizens in Hagia Sofia, Istanbul. (Danuta Hamlin/Fox News)
Recently, Istanbul is a popular tourist destination and is known for its colorful Turkish carpets, lively bazaars and fragrant spice markets.
The Spice Bazaar is depicted in Istanbul, Turkey. (Danuta Hamlin/Fox News)
However, for many visitors, the focus is still Hagia Sophia, a temple built before the existence of Islamic religion.
Located above the south door in the front yard of Hagia Sofia in Instantbul, this mosaic dates back to the 10th century. (Danuta Hamlin/Fox News)
Strangely enough, that Byzantine dome is replicated in mosques in Istanbul on either end of the Bosphorus, all resembled.
Byzantine style dome and Istanbul mosque. (Danutha Hamlin)
Perhaps two Greek architects, Isidor and Ansemius, will be as surprised as tourists.
Their 6th century Byzantine designs are increasing and longevity.
