Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque

Hagia Sophia sits in the Sultan Ahmet area of Istanbul, a landmark building that changed from a Byzantine church into a mosque. Its large, high dome is supported without columns, and stripped frescoes show the overlapping history of Greek Orthodoxy and Islamic culture. Entry is free, but waits of about an hour are possible when tourists crowd in, so opening time or late afternoon is less busy. Some of the interior is covered by white cloth and screens because of restoration work.