Architecture

Tuesday, 22 September 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 ...

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Pompeii
The first destruction of the city happened in 62 AD.
An earthquake destroyed over 60% of the city. It was quickly rebuilt, without fear that the same tragedy would happen anytime soon.
Eiffel tower
Over 250 million people visited Eiffel Tower since its opening.
Currently, about 67 million people visit the Eiffel Tower each year. (except during the covid-19 pandemic of course)
Notre-Dame
The cathedral's pipe organ was built in 1403 but has not survived to the present day. Only 12 pipes and a small part of the wooden structure remain. The creator of the original pipe organs was Frédéric Schambantz.
It was replaced in 1733 with a new one, built by François Thierry - a member of a famous French fami ...
Petra
In Petra's bloom, about 20,000 people lived in the city.
Hagia Sophia
The temple astonishes with its architectural form and the enormous extent of the construction.
One of Prince Vladimir I the Great of Kyiv envoys, after visiting the Church of the Divine Wisdom, Hagia Sophia said: "We did not know where we were, on heaven or on earth..."
Brooklyn Bridge
The bridge changed its name several times.
In 1883 it was called the "New York and Brooklyn Bridge" because Brooklyn was not part of New York until 1898. The name "Brooklyn Bridge" was given in 1915.
Stonehenge
Between 2600 BC and 2400 BC, Stonehenge hosted religious festivals attended by up to 4,000 people.
The festivals, including animal sacrifices, coincided with the winter and summer solstices. Since sa ...
Krak des Chevaliers
The name "Krak des Chevaliers" means "fortress of the knights".
The castle once had the Arabic name Hisn al-Akrad - 'the fortress of the Kurds', and today Qal at al-Hisn - 'the citadel of the fortress'.
Palace of Versailles
The situation was different for the royal favorites.
They could count on special treatment and luxurious apartments. Among the royal favorites, special p ...
La Sagrada Familia
Sagrada Familia was designed not to exceed a height of 173 m because this is the height of Barcelona's Montjuic mountain.
Gaudi believed that a natural, God-created mountain should tower over the city, not a man-made structure.