Set just south of the Hippodrome, Little Hagia Sophia is a domed mosque whose compact exterior hides an intricate late Roman plan. Its long life as church and mosque makes the building itself a close-up lesson in Istanbul’s layered sacred architecture.
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A small dome and an octagonal outline distinguish this building from the larger monuments nearby. Here, in Küçük Ayasofya, the original church was dedicated to Saints Sergius and Bacchus and built under Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora between 527 and 536.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- The church was built between 527 and 536 under Justinian and Theodora.
- It was converted into a mosque in 1497 by Hüseyin Ağa.
- The original dedication was to Saints Sergius and Bacchus.
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