Architecture

The temple was built on the initiative of Emperor Justinian I the Great. The first church on the site of the current Hagia Sophia was a church known as Magna Ecclesia - the Great Church (due to its size compared to the size of modern churches in the city).

The chief architect of the mausoleum was Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.

In the beginning, it was named the Flavian Amphitheater in honor of the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Roman Empire during the construction.

Another famous ancient historian who described the pyramid was Strabo.

In the 18th century, Queen Anne created the Ascot Racecourse and began the tradition of the annual Royal Ascot Procession from the castle.

The outer shell of the building is made of thirty-three thousand titanium plates.

Hagia Sophia is famous for the light that reflects everywhere inside the nave, giving the dome the appearance of floating above.

The Alcázar of Seville, as well as the city's largest cathedral in the world and the 18th-century archive, are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The cost of the construction was in the range of $400,000, which is now about $12 million.

Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle on September 8, 2022.