Hagia Sopia Church, Museum, Travel Istanbul Turkey Stock Photo

Hagia Sophia museum is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the Greek Patriarchal cathedral of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931, when it was secularized. It was opened as a museum on 1 February 1935. The museum is a popular tourist destination for people on holiday or vacation. At the top you can see a tile mosaic of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ.