Istanbul's Hagia Sophia displays treasure from the Tombs of the Ottoman sultansJun 08, 2010

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Starting from May 29, various items discovered during the restoration of the Hagia Sophia Tombs of the Sultans will be on display in Istanbul's Hagia Sophia Museum. The exhibit of the artifacts, including sarcophagus covers, interior rugs of the Kaaba and a flag symbolizing the conquest of Istanbul, launches on the date that marks the 557th anniversary of the Fall of Constantinople, when the Byzantine Empire's capital was conquered by the Ottomans.

The Hagia Sophia Tombs of the Sultans became opened to visitors at the end of 2009, after going through enormous restoration, the curator of Hagia Sophia Museum, Haluk Dursun, told national media. During the restoration, many items were discovered and it was decided that they would be put on display too, Dursun explained. Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque in 1453. Since then several of the Ottoman sultans, including Sultan Selim II, Sultan Mehmet III, Sultan Murat III, as well as some of their relatives, were buried here.