Ayasofia.

Aya Sophia (Holy Wisdom) - Former Eastern Orthodox Church, becoming a mosque, these days known as the Museum of Ayia Sofia, located in the Turkish city of Istanbul. The church recognized as one of the greatest surviving specimens of Byzantine architecture, which is sometimes even referred to as «the eighth wonder of the world». Aya Sofia was conquered by Turks in the fall of Constantinople, which was a great tragedy for the Greek Orthodox world.
In the year 532, shortly after the suppression of the revolt "Nick", the Emperor Justinian began construction of the church in the previous two churches were destroyed. He chose two outstanding architects of his time - Anfimiema of Tralla and Isidore of Miletus. Construction of the temple, which was dismantled and brought the marble columns and details of the other temples of the Byzantine Empire, lasted for five years and 537 years, December 27, the inauguration of the new magnificent church. The interior, decorated with mosaics and marble columns, is of great artistic value. Sam Temple, who is ranked fourth largest in the world, was so lush and beautifully decorated that Justinian exclaimed: «Glory to God who gave me the opportunity to finish this building. I won and you, of Solomon! »Architects have made a lot of innovative elements in the design of the church, which aroused great interest among historians and architects. When building the first church were used pendantivy - triangular elements of the spherical dome design, which is built a dome over a square in the room. The church, in which the architects managed to install 40 windows, is famous mystic amount of light reflected into the interior of the nave, thus creating the impression that the dome soars above it. About 1000 years old Aya Sofia was a triumph of Christianity and the symbol of Byzantium, while preserving the status largest Christian cathedral in the world.

Once in 1453, Mehmet II conquered the city, the church became a mosque. It was added two minarets and hung eight huge medallions with the names of Allah, Muhammad, the first caliph and imam. Almost 500 years, the main mosque of Istanbul - Aya Sofia - a model for many other Turkish mosques.
In 1935, under the decree of the Turkish President Kemal Ataturk Aya Sofia was secularize and turned into a museum. In the process for a thorough restoration of a problem associated with a long history of the Church as a Christian, and Muslim temple: in order to locate and restore a "bad" or filled Christian mosaics and icons, restorers had to destroy a historically significant elements of Islamic art. However, restorers managed to maintain a balance between the two world cultures.