One of the most beautiful cathedrals of the Byzantine Empire, the Hagia Sophia or Hagia Sophia, is located in Istanbul. The cathedral was under construction for five years, and about ten thousand workers were involved in its construction. The cathedral was erected in the middle of old Istanbul, this area is called Sultanahmet.

The symbol of Byzantium was built of brick, but expensive materials were used in finishing. Ivory, precious stones and metals (gold and silver) were used to decorate the cathedral.  In the sixth century the temple was consecrated, and it came to symbolize the power and greatness of the Byzantine Empire. The very large dome system is unparalleled in the world. The height of the structure itself is more than fifty meters, but the diameter of the dome is about thirty meters.

The main value of the interior decoration are the mosaics and frescoes of striking beauty. The light in the temple penetrates through a system of windows, there are about forty, and the illusion that the dome is floating in the sky. Entering the cathedral, it is impossible not to feel the powerful energy of this ancient place. But the current name it got after the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks.