Hagia Sophia Cathedral In Istanbul Editorial Image

Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul is an outstanding monument of Byzantine and world architecture, a symbol of the Golden Age of Byzantium, sometimes called the eighth wonder of the world.The cathedral is named after the wisdom of God (from the Greek sofia - wisdom).The Cathedral (Mosque) of St. Sophia includes two religions: Christian and Muslim. Built in 537, the cathedral has been repaired and restored many times, and was a museum until 2020. Its official name was Museum of Hagia Sophia.Just recently, in June 2020, the question of changing the status of Ayia Sofia to a mosque again was raised. The State Council of Turkey annulled a 1934 decision in which the Hagia Sophia became a museum. Already on July 10, the status of the cathedral was changed and since July 2020 - Hagia Sophia has become a mosque.Officially, the new name of the cathedral is now Ayasofya-? Kebir Camii (Aya Sofya-? Kebir Mosque).