Hagia Sophia (Ottoman Phase)

Istanbul, Türkiye

Originally a 6th-century Byzantine cathedral, converted to a mosque by Sultan Mehmed II after the Ottoman opening of Constantinople. Its massive dome inspired generations of Ottoman mosque architecture.

Historical Context

Upon opening Constantinople in 1453, Sultan Mehmed II immediately converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque, adding minarets, a mihrab, and a minbar. It served as the principal imperial mosque of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 500 years, was turned into a museum by Atatürk in 1934, and was re-designated as a mosque in 2020.