Sinan, one of the most famous architects in the Ottoman Empire, draws inspiration from the Hagia Sophia and arguably surpasses it Mimar Sinan, Şehzade Mosque, Istanbul by Dr. Elizabeth Macaulay and Dr. Steven Zucker
Magnificent blue-and-white tiles adorn this room in the Topkapı Palace, Istanbul. Topkapı Palace tiles by Dr. Elizabeth Macaulay and Dr. Beth Harris
a powerful Byzantine court official builds himself a dazzling burial chapel Picturing salvation — Chora’s brilliant Byzantine mosaics ... by Dr. Evan Freeman
This mosaic shows how the arts—and an interest in naturalism—flourished in the final centuries of the Byzantine Empire. Late Byzantine naturalism: Hagia Sophia’s Deësis mosaic by Dr. Evan Freeman
Learn why the Byzantines argued about images for over a century. Byzantine Iconoclasm and the Triumph of Orthodoxy by Dr. Evan Freeman
After the Ottomans conquered Constantinople, the sultan repurposed this church, adding slender “pencil” minarets. Hagia Sophia as a mosque by Dr. Elizabeth Macaulay and Dr. Steven Zucker
This mosque was the crowning achievement of architect Sinan’s career and a trophy of Ottoman imperial grandeur. Mimar Sinan, Süleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul by Dr. Elizabeth Macaulay and Dr. Steven Zucker
Alexander the Great conquered the known world, but who was this monument for and what does it symbolize? The Alexander Sarcophagus by Dr. Elizabeth Macaulay and Dr. Steven Zucker
The size and solidity of this Virgin and Christ reaffirmed the power of images in the wake of Byzantine iconoclasm. Theotokos mosaic, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
After the Ottomans conquered Constantinople, the sultan repurposed this church, adding slender “pencil” minarets. Hagia Sophia as a mosque by Dr. Elizabeth Macaulay and Dr. Steven Zucker
Unlike other of Sinan’s mosques, this one is covered with tiles, sits above shops, and is accessed from a stairway. Mimar Sinan, Rüstem Pasha Mosque, Istanbul by Dr. Elizabeth Macaulay and Dr. Beth Harris
With its stacked domes and six minarets, the Blue Mosque dominates Istanbul’s skyline—and the nearby Hagia Sophia. The Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii) by Dr. Radha Dalal
The golden dome of this vast building appears suspended from heaven. It has withstood quakes, conquest, and crusades. Hagia Sophia, Istanbul by Dr. William Allen