Built by Sultan Mahmut I, the almshouse was the public soup-kitchen that would distribute food for...
Author - hagiasophiatr
Alabaster Urns
Each of them carved from single blocks of marble, alabaster urns date from Hellenistic times. Found...
Metal Coffin
According to a legend, a Byzantine Empress who was afraid of snakes wanted to buried in a metal...
Emperor Door
In Hagia Sophia, three doors of outer narthex which symbolize the Holy Trinity give way to the...
Calligraphic Roundels
Inscripted by M. ‘’Izzet Efendi’’, the eight calligraphic roundels of Hagia Sophia were placed by...
Tomb of Enrico Dandolo
Enrico Dandolo, notorious also for his brutality during the fourth Crusades was a Venetian Doge who...
Maksures
In Hagia Sophia, there were private spaces, used to give sermons and lectures on religious and...
The Sweating Column (Wishing Column)
Located at the northwest exit of the nave, the sweating column stands. There is a hole on the...
Fatih Madrasa
On the North side of Hagia Sophia, there was a madrasa built by Mehmed II. The building couldn’t...
The Library
On the South corner of the nave, there is a bronze grilled library of Sultan Mahmud I. With its...