The interior of the Hagia Sophia when it was a museum. This made the building something quite unique in the world. ![]() Between 15, Mimar Sinan extensively strengthened the Byzantine structure by adding two more minarets, securing its status as a monument that amalgamates symbols of both Christianity and Sunni Islam. The building owes its splendour to the Ottoman architect of Armenian origin, Mimar Sinan. It became a symbol of the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul by Mehmed II, also known as the conqueror. The Hagia Sophia, originally a Byzantine church built in the sixth century, and for a short period in the 13th century a Catholic church, was converted into a mosque in 1453. ![]() Strategically located for more than two millennia on the Bosporus between Europe and Asia, between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, Istanbul has been the site of major religious, political and artistic events in world history. Many Turkish inhabitants commend the transformation while mostly secular Turkish inhabitants and much of the international community find it inconceivable. The decision to convert the building in Istanbul, Turkey from a museum back into a mosque has divided opinion. The Hagia Sophia has just opened to receive Sunni Muslim worshippers for the first time since 1931.
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