Hagia Sophia Mosque (Museum)

Hagia Sophia was built by Emperor Justinian, two important architects of the period, Anthemios from Tralles (Aydın) and Isidoros from Miletos (Balat). The building, which was open to worship as a church for 916 years, was converted into a mosque when Fatih Sultan Mehmed conquered Istanbul in 1453. In the 16th and 17th centuries, mihrabs, pulpit, muezzin lobbies, preaching pulpit and maksures were added to the mosque.

With the minarets, madrasah, primary school, timekeeping room, fountain, public fountains, sundials, and the board of trustees’ room built on the outside of the building in different periods, the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque was transformed into a complex structure during the Ottoman Period.

Within the scope of the repairs carried out by the Swiss Fossati Brothers between 1847 and 1849 upon the order of Sultan Abdulmecid (1839-1861), the 35th verse of the Nur Sura of the Holy Quran was inscribed on the 11.3-meter diameter area of ​​the main dome by Kazasker Mustafa İzzet Efendi, one of the most important calligraphers of the period.

Hagia Sophia was converted into a museum in 1934 and served as a museum until 2020. In 2020, it gained mosque status again.

There are figurative mosaics made at different dates in many parts of the building, including the gallery floor, Tympanon Wall, narthex, vestibule entrance, and priest’s rooms.

The current Hagia Sophia building is the third version of it. When it was first built, it was called Megale Ekklesia (Great Church), and from the 5th century until the conquest of Istanbul, it was called Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom). The Megale Ekklesia, built by Emperor Constantios in 360, and the church rebuilt by Emperor Theodosis II in 415 were destroyed in the Nikea riots.

Here is the location of Hagia Sophia Mosque Grand Mosque.