Hagia Sophia (from the Greek: "Holy Wisdom"; Latin:
Sancta Sophia or Sancta
Sapientia; Turkish: Ayasofya)
is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in
Istanbul. For nearly all of 1100 years from the date of its dedication in 360 it
served as the Greek Patriarchal Cathedral of Constantinople (being the largest
cathedral in the world for most of this time). From 29 May 1453 it became a
Mosque until 1931, when it was secularized. It was opened as a museum on 1
February 1935. [Wikipedia] |
