Skip to main content

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

2,150,264 Views

11,847 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

If walls could talk, Turkey's Hagia Sophia would have an abundance of stories to tell. Once a church, then a mosque, and now 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.

WatchThink 5 Multiple Choice &
4 Open Answer Questions Dig Deeper Learn More Discuss 2 Guided Discussions &
0 Open Discussions

Artifacts are objects from the past that inform us about the way that people lived. Choose any artifact from the Hagia Sophia and retrace its life from the time it was created to the to the time it was discovered. Use the artifact to trace the social history of the people who used it, admired it and eventually recovered or restored it. Which life would the artifact prefer, their past life or present one?

Login to answer question

About TED-Ed Animations

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

More from The World's People and Places