Ayasofya seascape featuring its iconic Puente Nuevo

featuring its iconic Puente Nuevo bridge spanning a dramatic river gorge

A UNESCO World Heritage Site

and verdant valleys under a vast

applied to the old town

Ayasofya seascape featuring its iconic Puente NuevoDiscover Ayasofya in Turkiye, a magnificent ancient edifice glowing under a brilliant night sky, its iconic domes and minarets beautifully illuminated. Originally built as a cathedral in the 6th century, Ayasofya in Istanbul served as a mosque, then a museum, and now again functions as a mosque. Its colossal dome was an architectural marvel of its time, remaining the world's largest interior space for over a thousand years and significantly