Without a doubt, two of the most notable and important religious buildings in the world are the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy. These two buildings were built to be the largest structures of their time, intended to symbolize the strength and reach of Christianity as a whole. Their innovative architectural styles and grand aspirations laid the foundation for them to become the ultimate symbols of power and tradition within the religious world throughout their history. Although similar in nature, the differences between them in terms of general characteristics can be useful in comparing the state of architecture, the Christian religion and society itself in the era in which each was built. The ancient St. Peter's Basilica was completed in the year 360, approximately thirty years after construction began under the orders of Roman Emperor Constantine I, otherwise known as Constantine the Great. The design was a typical basilica form, resembling many traditional Roman basilicas and courtrooms of the time. It consisted of five naves, a wide central nave and two smaller naves on either side of the nave, each divided by twenty-one marble columns from earlier pagan buildings. It owes its historical name to the fact that Constantine went to great lengths to have it built on the site of St. Peter's tomb. This influenced the design because the tomb site was located outside the boundaries of Vatican City and, therefore, the apse with the altar was placed to the west of the church so that the facade of the basilica can be approached from Rome towards the east. One of the distinctive aspects of the physical structure of the church is the fact that it was built in the shape of...... middle of paper...... aged numerous times throughout its history and finally destroyed in the 15th century. century. The new St. Peter's was consecrated in 1626 and continues the legacy of its predecessor as a place of religious pilgrimage. It has been maintained and restored over the years and remains to this day one of the largest churches in the world. Due to its location in the Vatican, the current pope attends a number of services throughout the year and draws crowds of up to 80,000 people each year. As an architectural work, like its predecessor, it is considered one of the greatest architectural buildings of its time. It draws inspiration from a number of similar design themes to Old St. Peter's, and what is ultimately clear is that along with Hagia Sophia, they remain two of the most iconic buildings in the world with a place in history that will last for years to come. come.