Hagia Sophia from a Rooftop

While having lunch with friends on a nearby hotel roof restaurant, I couldn't help be be mesmerized by the view of the Hagia Sophia, and the surrounding area. I remember it was a beautiful, warm day; a perfect day to relax over a midday meal.

The Hagia Sophia, constructed between 532 and 537, as a Greek Orthodox Church, later converted into a Mosque. In 1935, the first Turkish President and founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, transformed the building into a museum.