Hagia Sophia (Civ3)/Civilopedia

The Hagia Sophia, was completed in 537, and still stands to this day in Istanbul, almost 1500 years later. Justinian's chief 
architects, Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletos were responsible for its construction. The basic design was to add
a Near Eastern dome to the cross-shaped Roman basilica. Given the scale of the building (it is held up by four massive, 100-foot
stone columns), it was a monumental undertaking, requiring the efforts of ten thousand workers over five years. The building has
since become the archetype for most Orthodox churches, and elements have also been adopted for Islamic religious buildings after the 
fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453.