The Byzantine structure took five years and 10,000 workmen to construct.
Istanbul’s most recognisable monument, the Hagia Sophia, began life as a Greek Orthodox cathedral in the 6th century before becoming an Ottoman mosque and finally a museum (in 1935). The Byzantine structure took five years and 10,000 workmen to construct. It’s an architectural marvel, having stood through hundreds of earthquakes during its almost-1500-year history.