The epitome of Byzantine Empire, Hagia Sophia was ...

The epitome of Byzantine Empire, Hagia Sophia was the largest building of its time primarily due to the size of its dome. It was exciting to see this ancient architectural marvel during our recent visit to Istanbul. What intrigued me the most is the fact that the same building was once a Christian cathedral and later turned into a Muslim Mosque. The interiors have very intricate work on the walls and the ceilings. Lot of renovation was going on during our visit and one full side of the interior was covered with scaffolding. Many of the ceiling and wall works are lost but it was worth seeing the stuff that could be preserved since ages. We spent a couple of hours admiring the beauty of this place. It looked even beautiful at night. A must visit place for sure.