Architecture

Saturday, 27 December 2025
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 ...

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Krak des Chevaliers
Before the Crusades began, there was a Muslim castle here, built in 1031 for the Emir of Aleppo.
It was a watchtower occupied by the Kurdish military colony, Hosn Al Akrad, i.e. the Kurdish stronghold. It was probably an insignificant fort at that time, guarding an important route.
Hagia Sophia
After the capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453, Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque.
From 1934 to 2020, the temple served as a museum, and after a decision invalidating the 1934 decree and a decision by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, it was turned back into a mosque.
Forbidden City
The Manchu Qing Dynasty reigned in the Forbidden City until 1912.
China's last emperor, Puyi, was forced to abdicate in 1912 (he was six years old at the time). The y ...
Neuschwanstein Castle
The inspiration for the construction of Neuschwanstein came from two trips made by Ludwig II.
The first took place in May 1867 in the company of his brother Otto, where he visited the then resto ...
Balmoral Castle
Prince Albert's purchase of Balmoral was finalized in June 1852.
The price was £32.000, and in the autumn of the same year, Prince Albert formally took possession of ...
Mont Saint-Michel
In the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, there is a phenomenon of moving sands.
This phenomenon is caused by an extraordinary tidal range, which can be up to 14 meters difference i ...
Big Ben
There is a lantern above the bell tower - Aryton Light.
This feature was added in 1873 by Acton Smee Aryton, then First Commissioner of Public Works and Bui ...
Tower of London
The most famous prisoners of the Tower were: Thomas More, Bishop John Fischer, and Queen Elizabeth I.
Thomas More was an English thinker, writer, and politician, a Christian martyr revered by Anglicans ...
Brooklyn Bridge
To convince the public about the soundness of the construction, 21 elephants walked across the Brooklyn Bridge in May 1884.
Tower Bridge
Today, the towers of the bridge house a museum that tells the story of the bridge over the years.