The Aya Sofia Museum or Haghia Sofia Church. After the Nike revolt of 532 destroyed the old Haghia Sofia, the Emperor Justinian had the Greek architect Miletus plan a building that was twice as large as anything that had ever been built. The result was one of the truly great buildings of the world. Finished in a remarkable 6 years, the Haghia Sofia is a masterpiece. While a little homely on the outside, the building sports an unobstructed interior space that is truly breathtaking. The history of the building is no less remarkable. It was the most important church in Christiandom for 1000 years. While Europe was in its dark ages, the Byzantine Empire ruled the world. Almost all of the Byzantine Emperors were crowned in its main hall. When Constantinople fell in 1453, Mehmet II made it a mosque and it was the most important mosque in the Caliphate for another few hundred years. It has been standing in an earthquake zone for over 1400 years. Inside, it features breathtaking mosaics, many over 1000 years old. In its youth, it must have been awe inspiring. The walls ceilings were covered with gold leaf sandwiched between glass which was angled in patterns to reflect light around the church. It made the church sparkle gold. Over the years, the prayer towers were added along with flying buttresses to shore up the dome. Neverthess, this may be the greates building on earth.