Hagia Sophia

Trabzon, Turkey

The former Church of Saint Sophia now the Saint Sophia Museum, is a former Greek Orthodox church converted into a mosque in 1584, and located in the city of Trabzon in the north-eastern part of Turkey. It dates back to the thirteenth century when Trabzon was the capital of the Empire of Trebizond. It is located near the seashore and two miles west of the medieval town's limits. It is one of a few dozen Byzantine sites still extant in the area. It has been described as being "regarded as one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture."