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It's a church. It's a mosque. It's Hagia Sophia. - Kelly Wall

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TEDEd Animation

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If walls could talk, Turkey's Hagia Sophia would have an abundance of stories to tell. Once a church, then a mosque, and later a museum, this world marvel has stood the test of time and war, surviving centuries of conquest by some of history’s greatest empires. Kelly Wall takes us through the history of each layer of this great jewel of human desire.

Many parts of the Hagia Sophia were reconstituted or recycled from other buildings that collapsed or were destroyed. What other buildings utilized this method of construction, and what are the costs and benefits of creating new structures from old ones?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Kelly Wall
  • Director Andrew Foerster
  • Script Editor Michael Molina
  • Narrator Pen-Pen Chen

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