Architecture

Thursday, 5 November 2026
18 facts about Hagia Sophia
18 facts about Hagia Sophia
The most significant work of Byzantine architecture
The Hagia Sophia's Temple, now an Istanbul mosque, was initially built as the Church of Divine Wisdom. It was the highest-ranking temple in the Byzant ...

Did you know?

Big Ben
It is not known where the common name Big Ben came from.
This nickname was first applied to the Great Bell. It may have been named after Sir Benjamin Hall, w ...
Tower Bridge
The bridge's two lifting bascules are huge. Each weighs 1,000 tons.
The bridge bascules are lifted approximately 800 times a year. When raised, they form an 86-degree angle with the plane of the roadway.
Empire State Building
In 1950, the old spire was replaced with a 46-meter mast.
Space Needle
The elevator ride takes approximately 43 seconds.
Palace of Versailles
The style in which the palace in Versailles was built can be described as French baroque.
Its interior is described as "Louis XIV style". There are several hundred chambers there, the most f ...
Göbekli Tepe
The hill, 15 meters (49 feet) high and 300x300 meters (984 x 984 feet) in size, was used for agricultural purposes for many years.
Numerous stones were moved from the site when farmers subdivided the land for cultivation according to their needs. The archeological value of the site has undoubtedly suffered some damage.
Pompeii
The city's wealth encouraged the development of architecture and influenced its appearance.
Wealthy townspeople competed with the aristocracy in building magnificent villas and their decoration.
Brandenburg Gate
The maintenance costs of the quadriga statue amount to approximately €200,000 per year.
Taj Mahal
It is made of red sandstone and covered with white marble.
The color is said to change its hue depending on the time of the day–pink in the morning, milky white in the evening, and deep blue at night, with a golden hue when illuminated by the moonlight.
Forbidden City
In 1933, most of the museum's collection was evacuated. The evacuation was forced by the threat of Japanese invasion.
 After the end of World War II, the collection was returned to the museum in Nanjing, but after the ...