Mosaics depicting Christian figures in Istanbul's ancient Hagia Sophia will be covered with curtains during Muslim prayers, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Sunday, as work to ...

When the Hagia Sophia is not being used by worshippers, the mosaics would be uncovered and the site would be open to all visitors and tourists, Turkish authorities previously said.

The Hagia Sophia, originally built as ... During the conversion, original Orthodox-themed mosaics were covered up and calligraphic roundels bearing the names of Islamic figures were placed on the ...

One of the world’s most famous religious buildings, Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia was extraordinary when it was built in the sixth century, and with a history surrounded in myth, legend and ...

Hagia Sophia, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985 under the Historic Areas of Istanbul, has a rich history. Built in 537 CE under Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, it stood for nearly ...

Mosaics depicting Christian figures in Istanbul's ancient Hagia Sophia will be covered with curtains during Muslim prayers, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Sunday, as work to ...

When the Hagia Sophia is not being used by worshippers, the mosaics would be uncovered and the site would be open to all visitors and tourists, Turkish authorities previously said.

One of the world’s most famous religious buildings, Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia was extraordinary when it was built in the sixth century, and with a history surrounded in myth, legend and ...

Istanbul, Turkey (CNN) — Whether you’re a believer or not, visiting Hagia Sophia is a spiritual experience. The architectural genius of this place of worship — which was built as ...

Bigger and better. The current Hagia Sophia was built in the 6th century when Constantinople — as Istanbul was then called — was the heart of the Orthodox Christian Byzantine Empire that ...