Haghia Sophia Museum, considered as one of the eight wonders of the world, occupies a prominent place in the history of art and architecture. It is one of the rare works of this size and age that has survived to our day. Byzantium Emperor Justinian build the church, "the like of which has not been seen since Adam, nor will it be seen in the future." Construction started in 532 and it was completed in five years. The design of the dome followed in the tradition of Roman architecture, and the plan of the basilica was even older. Round buildings had been successfully covered with domes before. But in Hagia Sophia, Justinian was attempting for the first time in the history of architecture to build a gigantic central dome (55.60 meter) over a rectangular plan. Marbles and columns taken from the remains of earlier eras from almost all parts of the empire were used for building material. After serving two different religions with the same god, 916 years as a church and 477 years as a mosque, Hagia Sophia was converted into a museum on Ataturk's orders. Between 1930 and 1935 the whitewash on the walls was cleaned to reveal mosaics, which are among the most important examples of Byzantine art.

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