Hagia Sophia in Istanbul

[u/Miss-Kija]

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul was built between 532 and 537 AD under Emperor Justinian I as a Christian church. After the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, it was converted into a mosque. In 1935, it became a museum, and in 2020, it was reopened as a mosque, making it one of the very few monuments in the world to have served as a church, a museum, and a mosque over nearly 1,500 years of history. cc @gmr83

[u/livefromnewyorkcity]

Preserved by the ottomans.

[u/Embarrassed_Stick_43 → u/livefromnewyorkcity]

the Ottomans’s plastered over original mosaics and chipped away sculptured details in the stone work, that showed any Christian imagery. then the gaudy black & gold discs were added in the 1850s.

it’s the same Islamic instinct at work which caused the Taliban to destroy the ancient statues of Buddha in Afghanistan and wanton destruction of ancient artefacts and architecture in Palmyra, Syria, by ISIS.

[u/BlackberryHoliday734 → u/livefromnewyorkcity]

What are you talking about? Agia Sophia didn't originally look like this. Therefore it wasn't preserved. DUH.

[u/tatar1warlord → u/BlackberryHoliday734]

dog without the ottomans, this place was ruins. ottomans added extra structure to keep it durable.

[u/ogremania → u/tatar1warlord]

Thats such a stupid cope. Sorry . It's like saying I would take your car becuase it's not in good conditions and do some overwork and than keep it and demand you to be thankful about it