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The Hagia Sophia
is located near the
Topkapi Palace
and Blue Mosque,
which are all close-by to the
Bosphorus river.
Having been rebuilt three times and suffered through several
earthquakes, the building is a classic example of
Byzantine architecture
with a huge 102ft wide dome standing 180ft tall supported by giant stone columns.
For more than a thousand years (360-1453) the Eastern Orthodox cathedral survived many natural disasters
until the city of Constantinople was conquered by the Turks in 1453 and then converted into a mosque.
The four large Minarets
were gradually added over the years by various Sultans and the outside of the building was strengthen
by the famous Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan.
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