Haghia Sophia is an Istanbul highlight and its minarets are visible through much of Sultanahmet. It was originally a Byzantine church, but was converted into a mosque by Muslim conquerors. Today its immense domed interior is a museum. Ascend to the viewing gallery to appreciate its size.
Built in 535 AD by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, the Haghia Sophia (meaning Divine Wisdom) was the most famous church in Christendom for the entire medieval period. It was designed by two Athenian mathematicians who used their knowledge to create a structure which supported the largest dome in the world (only surpassed when St Peter's was raised in Rome). So unusual was its construction that many pious Christians were afraid to enter the portals because they believed it might fall on their heads.