Situated on the shores of the Bosporus, Istanbul is the only city in the world that is located on two continents, Europe and Asia. Within it, a historic and religious symbol rises up into the sky: the Hagia Sophia, for nearly a 1000 years the main church of former Constantinople.

Legend has it that Constantine, founder of the New Rome, had previously built a church of ‘Holy Wisdom’ here in the fourth century A.D. Thus, the name of this church derives from the Greek.

Although the first church, as well as a later building, were destroyed by fire, the Emperor Justinian erected a larger church in the year 532 AD, the church known today as Hagia Sophia.

Throughout the centuries, Hagia Sophia served both as a church and a mosque but, due to the Turkish leader, Atatürk, it was transformed into a museum in 1935.

As a result of Turkish influence and its function as a mosque, four minarets were constructed adding yet another architectural feature in addition to its magnificent dome.