The Haghia Sofia, Saint Sofia or the Ayasofia Muzesi was built between the years 532 and 537 AD to be the patriachial church of the Eastern Roman Empire. Sultan Mehmet 11 converted it into the Ayasofia Camii, a mosque, upon his conquest of the city in 1453. Kemal Ataturk later converted this into a museum.
The church was actually built much earlier - but in the Nika riots of 532 AD the original structure was burtn down. The present building is the one reconstructed from after the riots. The Nika riots came about after some quarrels by the spectators of the chariot race at the Hippodrome. Today- such a riot would be similar to the behaviour of the footbal hooligans after an EPL or European League football matches.
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