Below the glorious temple – and today a mosque – the Hagia Sophia hides a whole world that is only now coming to light.

It is the basements of the monument that the Turkish Ministry of Culture has begun to clean up to open to visitors.

The basements contain a labyrinth of tunnels, rooms ,and catacombs with a total length of up to a kilometer, Yeni Safak reported in a Yeni Safak.

Professor Diker, who is a member of a committee of scientists overseeing the temple, said in a statement that an architectural mapping study of the basements of Hagia Sophia was carried out about five years ago.

Some parts of the underground structures are contemporary with the temple, which was built from 532 to 537 AD. But there are also points that are considered older than the temple structure.

“The underground beauties and archaeological finds of Hagia Sophia, which have been neglected for centuries, will be presented to the public,” Dicker added.

The cleaning work, Dicker said, will take a year. The current effort, he explained, is more comprehensive and long-term than previous ones, adding that it will further increase “the interest and love for the Hagia Sophia.”