Hagia Sophia Museum Restoration

The present fabric of Hagia Sophia was built between 532 and 537 under Justinian I to the design of Anthemius and Isidorus; over the centuries it has functioned as a cathedral, a mosque after 1453, a museum from 1935, and today again a mosque, making it a multilayered monument of world heritage.

The first building was constructed in AD 360. Rebuilt under Emperor Justinian, it has survived to the present day. Lead elements on the dome were renewed, interior and exterior fabric was conserved, and works included painted decoration restoration, chemical cleaning of marble surfaces, renewed lead cladding, and facade repairs.