The myths and the legends surrounding this imposing church, stand still alive even after so many centuries... just like Hagia Sophia sits proudly... waiting to be admired!

1. "The closed door"

The legend is referred to the religious service that was interrupted, when the Turks entered the city. Angel of the Lord, ceased the service, led the priests behind a side-door, unknown where and the door miraculously was sealed. Behind the door, the priests are still waiting for the God to wake them up, in order to finish the unfinished ceremony

2. "The construction and the bees"

The emperor of Constantinople, had decided to build Hagia Sophia. He called the master builder to make some plans for the constructions, but the emperor was never satisfied. He wanted something even greater! One Sunday, while the religious service was finishing, the emperor in his attempt to take a piece of the Holy bread, accidentally it dropped down. A moment later, he saw a bee holding the piece of the bread, flying out from the window of the church. So immediately he gave the order, that those who own bee hives, to open and search for the bee and the bread. Following the orders, the master builder, started looking his own bee hives, when he suddenly show, that inside the hive, the bees made a church so beautiful and carved, like nothing else he ever seen! The construction was made by wax and it was perfectly detailed. The door was opened, the dome was ready, the columns were in the right position and the Holy Table was finished! The bee had left the piece of the holy bread, right on the top of the Holy Table. That was finally the plan, on which it was based the construction of Hagia Sophia

3. "The holy table"

At the day of the conquest, but before Mohamed II captured Constantinople, the Emperor Konstantinos ordered the Holy Table and all the relics to be transferred away from the city. Three ships departed full of the relics of Agia Sophia... but the third one, somewhere close to the sea of Marmara, sank and the Holy Table was found at the bottom of the sea. Since then, at the point that the altar is immersed, the waters are always calm no matter the weather conditions. Sailors know exactly where the place is! Many modern Turkish scientists, made several attempts to discover this strange phenomenon, but because of the muddy composition of the seabed, they didn't manage to draw a conclusion

4. "The Tower of the Princess"

At the castles of Didimoticho (a Greek town), the highest of the towers, is called the Tower of the Princess. Legend says that once, the King went on hunting and left his daughter on his behalf. When he was warned that Turks were coming, he was so confinted about his castle that said: If the cock row, stands up and get out of the kettle, then I will believe that the city is being conquered! But the Turks, using deceit, they show to the Princess the embroidered headscarf of his father. When she saw that, she delivered them the key of the castle and the Turks entered the castle undisturbed, causing the conquer of the city. The daughter as soon as realized that she was fooled, she could not bear the shame and committed suicide from the highest tower

5. "The Marbled King"

People couldn't believe that Hagia Sophia was conquered, so they spread that the King hid behind a pillar of the church, was lost in the corridors and stayed hidden there. The hours of waiting "marbled" them. The fact is that, the corpse of the defender and last Emperor of Constantinople was never found! It was believed that Angel of the Lord hide it... His death marked the end of the Roman Empire

6. "Underground arcades"

Rumors has it, that Hagia Sophia is linked underground with the Palace of the Constantine the Porphyrogenitus and of course with the Byzantine Aqueduct. Legends also say that the Ottoman Sultans, expanded their underground arcades, so they can reach Hagia Sophia, in order to pray. Some more imaginative, believe that these arcades can lead you to the Princes' ISlands, which means that they pass under the sea of Marmara

7. "The fishes"

A monk caught some fishes and he was frying them near the banks of the river. Suddenly a bird came close to him and announced the fall of Constantinople by the Turks! The monk didn't believe the news so he told: "if the fishes jump from the pan back to the river, that means that the city is fallen!". And then out of a sudden, the fishes jumped to the river... verifying the truth!

8. "Magic marbles"

The marbles of Hagia Sophia, have their own story! Justinian wanted to create a building like no other in the world, sent a circular to all provincial governors, to send the most beautiful marbles from the most famous quarries of the Empire. But these marbles, didn't stand out only for their external appereance... Legend says that Hagia Sophia's marbles, foretells the future and mainly the major disasters

9. "The horse"

When Turks entered the city, many people and mainly women and children, went inside Hagia Sophia to be saved! Unfortunately, many of them were killed, creating a pile of corpses. When Sultan mohamed tried to enter the church, its horse stumbled at the corpses. The hoof of the horse left a blooded mark on the top of the column, which remains until today

10. "The sacred column"

It is said that Justinian suffered from chronic migraines. At nights, when he had severe pains, he used to go to Hagia Sophia. The doctors could not find any treatment for his headache and the medication never worked! So Justinian, was going to the temple, begging God to relieve him from the pains. One night, he rested his head on a column, which believed that was sacred by St. Gregory the Miraculous. Justinian while was lying there, asked from God to be healed... and the miracle happened. The headache was gone and never came back again. When this fact was spread among the people, they started coming to touch the column and make a wish at the same time