Istanbul (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 a church in 537CE before its ...

Few buildings, including culturally significant places of worship, have a history as rich and complicated as the Hagia Sophia. First erected in the 6th century C.E., the structure has variously been ...

According to Ilber Ortayli, 2,000,000 people visit Hagia Sophia annually ISTANBUL, June 27. /TASS/. Turkish historian and professor Ilber Ortayli has called for restricting tourists and worshippers' ...

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