16. Sophia Brought Justinian to His Knees
Following in Constantine’s slightly narcissistic footsteps, Emperor Justinian himself attended the official unveiling of the Hagia Sophia in 537 and was overwhelmed by the experience. He reportedly fell to his knees and yelled out that he had outdone the famed lost Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. Thanks to the Temple being destroyed centuries before, no one could really disprove his boast.