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If there is ever a structure that embodies both Christianity and Islam, this is it. Whether you view
it from Sultanahmet Square or from the inside, the two religions live as one today here. Built during the reign of Emperor Justinian the First (527 - 565), by Byzantine architects Isidoros and Anetmios, it was one of the largest structures for almost a thousand years. It was built in the Roman architectural tradition. In 1453, when Fatih Sultan Mehmed finally conquered Constantinople, he first went to the Hagia Sophia and converted it to a mosque.
Today it is a museum, with unsurpassed mosaics, and calligraphy. In the center of the dome is a mosaic of the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus and around the dome are disks containing the names Allah, Hz. Mohammed, 4 Caliphs, and Hasan Huseyin written by master calligraphers.
In the evening the Hagia Sophia is lit pleasantly and the reflection in the fountain in Sultanahmet Square offers a splendid view. Entrance fee: 10 YTL for foreigners.
This is a picture of the beautiful painting of the dome of the Hagia Sophia. It is Mother Mary with the baby Jesus.

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