Created 28-Oct-14
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Ayasofya (Greek: Hagia Sofia, meaning “Holy Wisdom”) was built as a cathedral of the Eastern Orthodox Church in 537. It was the largest building of its kind until 1520, when the Seville Cathedral was completed. In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Turks and the Sultan ordered the cathedral to be converted into a mosque. It remained as a mosque until 1931 when the modern, secular Republic of Turkey was established. In 1935, it was opened as a museum.
It has been the subject of many restoration projects, one of which was in progress when we visited – as you will see from the scaffolding which intrudes into some of our photographs. Ayasofya is on one side of Sultanahmet Square facing the Blue Mosque.
The Square is a buzzy place full of tourists and locals. There is all kind of food available from individual street sellers, food stands and restaurants. We enjoyed mint tea and Turkish pastries here on more than one afternoon. There are more pictures of the Square to follow.
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