Hagia Sophia (divine Wisdom) stands on the site of the ancient Acropolis. The first Church was founded here by Constantine the Great in 330, it was burnt 75 years later. The first stone of the present building was laid in the year 532, when Justinian. In 537 year the Church was consecrated and served for over a thousand years as an Orthodox Church. The last Christian service was held here on may 28, 1453. The next day Constantinople fell, and the Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque, which lasted 500 years. At this time there were built four minarets and a beautiful mosaic disappeared under a layer of plaster. Since 1934 the Church was declared a Museum.

The entrance to the Hagia Sophia as possible now on the South side, through a small courtyard with archaeological exhibits. Five doors lead into the vestibule of an ancient Basilica, decorated with marble and gold mosaics. Next, nine doors, most of the flaps which have survived since the days of Justinian, lead into the interior of the temple.

Inside the temple is amazingly light and easy. The huge dome rests on tall pillars, decorated with ancient mosaics. The light penetrates through the window openings 40. On the walls of the temple you can see the magnificent old Golden mosaics: on the North side of the temple mosaic depicting the virgin Mary with the infant Christ on her lap; at the base of one of the arches - the image of the huge statue of the Archangel Gabriel; near the portraits of the bishops; in the Eastern end of the South gallery – mosaic depicting Christ surrounded by the Empress Zoe and Emperor Constantine IX.

When the Church became a mosque, were installed inside two marble fountain with drinking water and built four membera for readers of the Koran, and eight medallions Arabic script wrote out the names of Allah, prophet Muhammad, the first Caliph Ali and sons. In the courtyard of the temple, on the left, there are five tombs of Ottoman sultans.