Introduction: In the following essay, I will compare the Hagia Sophia of Istanbul city and the Suleymaniye Mosque of Istanbul. These two works of art are very important for today's Turkey. The artwork will be covered in more detail later in this comparison essay, and finally, I will judge the pieces at the end of this essay. Description: When Emperor Constantine founded the city of Constantinople, it would soon become the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. But the Christian city needed a large church to represent its great value, so Hagia Sophia was built (Krystek, Lee). Hagia Sophia was built by the Byzantine Empire in 537 CE, an empire heavily influenced by Greek and Roman styles (Krystek, Lee). It has a square base with a large dome at the top. Round arches surrounded the great dome, adding a mystical beauty to Hagia Sophia (Krystek, Lee). Additionally, several colors of bricks were used to create patterns on the exterior of the Hagia Sophia. Inside, the walls are marble with glass windows that bring beautiful sunlight into the large museum (Krystek, Lee). Hagia Sophia is very important because it has been rebuilt several times. The first church was built and then burned in 404 CE (Krystek, Lee). It was later rebuilt and burned down during riots in 502 CE (Krystek, Lee). Then the 3rd church was built by Justinian. After long periods, Sultan Mehmed conquered Constantinople and transformed it into an Islamic city, transforming the church into a mosque (Krystek, Lee). In 1934, President Atatürk transformed the mosque into a museum for the people and tourists, instead of a sacred place of worship (Krystek, Lee). On the other hand, there is the Suleymaniye Museum...... middle of paper. .....considering that Mimar Sinan was influenced by the construction of Hagia Sophia, which could explain why they are similar in some ways. Works Cited Cooksey, Chris. “Tyrian Purple.” Webmaster, March 19, 2012. Web. April 30, 2014.Hagia Sophia Istanbul. “Facts about Hagia Sophia.” Hagia Sophia. NP, 2014. Web. April 30, 2014. Krystek, Lee. “Hagia Sophia”. The Museum of Unnatural Mystery. NP, 2012. Web. April 30, 2014.Michael, Douma. “Prussian Blue and Vermilion.” Pigments through the ages. Institute for Dynamic Educational Development, 2008. Web. April 30, 2014.Newton, Henry and William Winsor. “Color Spotlight: Flake White.” Winsor and Newton. NP, 2011. Web. April 30, 2014.Tarihi, Anadolu. “Suleymaniye Mosque.” History of Anatolia. Elmalma, October 16, 2011. Web. April 30, 2014. Tschanz, David. “Suleimaniye Mosque.” Academia.edu. Np, April 2012. Web. April 30. 2014.