Aya Sophia Museum Istanbul

The mosaics are wonderful.
Aya sophia museum istanbul. Once a church later a mosque and now a museum at the turkish republic hagia sophia has always been the precious of its time. Turkish people call it aya sofya it s a former byzantine church and former ottoman mosque now located in sultanahmet neighborhood being one of the most important museums of istanbul considered as a world heritage by unesco. Turkey s recep tayip erdogan has ordered the conversion of the city s famous hagia sophia into a mosque after a turkish court ruled annulled a 1934 presidential decree which made it a museum. Sophia museum ayasofya or saint sophia church now a museum is an unique place to visit in istanbul.
Th e official address is hagia sophia museum or aya sofya meydani sultanahmet istanbul. It is one of the greatest surviving examples of byzantine architecture. The mystical city istanbul hosted many civilizations since centuries of which byzantium and ottoman empires were both the most famous ones. The hagia sophia grand mosque ayasofya i kebir cami i şerifi with its innovative architecture rich history religious significance and extraordinary characteristics has been fighting against time for centuries is the largest eastern roman church in istanbul.
The ancient aya sofya often called hagia sophia in english and one of istanbul s most iconic and enduring monuments at nearly 15 centuries old has been converted from a museum back into a mosque with a recent decree from turkey s president recep tayyip erdoğan. Hagia sophia cathedral built at constantinople now istanbul turkey in the 6th century ce under the direction of the byzantine emperor justinian i. In 1453 after the ottoman empire took over the city muslims converted it into a mosque.