It's a church. It's a mosque. It's Hagia Sophia. - Kelly Wall

If walls could talk, Turkey's Hagia Sophia would have an abundance of stories to tell. Once a church, then a mosque, and later a museum, this world marvel has stood the test of time and war, surviving centuries of conquest by some of history's greatest empires. Kelly Wall takes us through the history of each layer of this great jewel of human desire.

Lesson by Kelly Wall, animation by Andrew Foerster.

[juice]

fun fact: in one of the many rooms in the hagia sophia there is a graffiti believed to be done by a norse viking in somewhere around 900ad which basically says ''Halvdan was here''

[JustAnotherSunny]

As an Atheist, I love to go to churches or temples and just sit there, taking in the beautiful architecture and calm environment. Religion can make some beautiful things.

[jennifershay]

I believe it should remain a museum, to honour both the cultures and religions that used it. Whether you prefer to see it as a church or a mosque, I think we can all agree that is a beautiful building with a rich and unique history.

[ErnestJay]

It's a Church, it's a Mosque, it's a Museum, and It's a Mosque (again)

[Luboman]

What is impressive about Hagia Sophia, and what I wished they had highlighted, is the fact that it's a stone building that is over 1, 400 years old in a very active earthquake zone. The ingenuity of this building is such that it has survived millennia of really powerful earthquakes, despite being made of brick and stone, and having an immense brick dome. Quite an engineering marvel!

[TheSheepNews]

It wasn't named Istanbul right after the Ottomans took it was named Konstantiniyye.

[heinhtet]

Who's coming here after Turkey announced to change it into a mosque?

[mrhiltz]

Having spent time in Istanbul last summer (which beat Barcelona to become my favourite city I've ever been to), I gotta say that Sultanahmet (the district in the city where one can find the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque) is an incredible spot in the universe. Regardless of who built it and why, these two buildings (like many others in this part of the world) are amazing pieces of architecture and history.

[johane]

I dreamt of going to this building since I was a kid, and I finally got the chance last year. It's one of the most amazing buildings I've ever seen, and it really felt like the walls and every small decorations are telling you their story and what they've seen through the ages.

[landonle]

so i see why comments section are consider the cancer of the internet

[MrDalek]

"When angry citizens rioted and nearly overthrew the Emperor Justinian."

*laughs in Extra History*

[bordoenes]

Love the animation, but there are some notable mistakes. The city's name remained Constantinople(though the Turks pronounced it as Kostantiniyye, Istanbul was used aswell but it was not that popular) It wasnt until Ataturk officially renamed the city Istanbul that it became officially known as such. He did this to give the image of progressiveness and as such he made Ankara the capital of Turkey aswell.

[svrona]

Me: *Wears Anti Radiation Suit*
Ok lets dive deep in to the comments!

[hahanamegobrrr]

it's a bird


it's a plane






*_it's the seljuk turks_*

[georgetzi]

Ottoman emperor-We will conquer Constantinople, but first, a word from our sponsor Raid:Shadow Legends

[nocoolname]

Why do people complain? It's neither a mosque nor a church, it's a homage to both. Best compromise ever.

[nosyposy]

Narrator: *Hai-ya Sophia*
Me: *thinking it was Hag-ia Sophia all this time 👁👄👁*

[benhur]

Hagia sophia built before the birth of prophet Muhammad

[spetsnatzlegion]

As long as nobody is destroying it and we can still visit such a great place, I don’t really care about the purpose of the building. So much history in those stones.

[suedatr]

Just stay calm guys, living in the past doesn't make the future a better place. Let it stay as a museum and two sides would be happy and get the chance to be with the other cultures.