The original Hagia Sophia was built by the emperor Constantine the Great in the 4th century, and his son, Constantius, and Theodosius the Great built the second Hagia Sophia after the first was destroyed. The second building of the Hagia Sophia burned down in a fire in 532, and the third Hagia Sophia was built by Emperor Justinian I in 537.
The structure suffered damages due to several earthquakes in the area since its completion in 537. The Hagia Sophia is now undergoing a facelift. The Turkish government is removing the plaster covering the beautiful mosaics, restoring the marble floors and fixing the roof.
