Architecture

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert first visited Scotland in 1842, five years after they came to the throne and two years after their wedding.

It spans 2,7 kilometers.

The avenue that led to the sanctuary was about 3 kilometers long and 11 meters wide.

The Old Masters Picture Gallery houses a sizable collection of European paintings of the 15th-18th centuries.

There are two open to the public observation decks in the building.

In addition to the Old Masters’ Picture Gallery, the Zwinger houses and exhibits valuable museum collections.

The great dome at Hagia Sophia was the largest hanging dome in the world until the completion of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

The outer walls are connected to their inner zone by a sloping stone ramp in the form of a corridor, and numerous openings provide ventilation and natural lighting.

The construction took only four years to finish.

During renovation works in 2010, a group of graffiti artists climbed the monument and decorated it with various inscriptions and pictures.