From Justinian's grand vision to a modern symbol of Istanbul, trace the monumental shifts that defined this structure over fifteen centuries.
Following the destruction of the second church during the Nika riots, Emperor Justinian I commissioned a new, grander basilica. Designed by physicists Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles, the structure was completed in an astonishingly brief five years.
The unprecedented central dome design utilized pendentives—curved triangular vaults—to transition the weight from the circular dome base to a square support system below.
Upon the conquest of Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed II ordered the immediate conversion of the church into a mosque. Islamic features, including a wooden minaret (later replaced), a mihrab, and a minbar, were integrated into the existing Byzantine space.
Over centuries, four grand minarets were added by successive Sultans, fundamentally altering the exterior silhouette.
Under the direction of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the modern Republic of Türkiye, the building was secularized and opened as a museum. Extensive restoration work began, carefully uncovering Byzantine mosaics that had been plastered over for centuries.
The status was reclassified, returning the structure to its function as a working mosque while simultaneously maintaining its availability for international visitors and continued preservation of its dual-heritage artwork.
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