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It began as a church in 537 under the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, eager to go one up on his Roman antecedents by building a structure on an unprecedented scale.
BBC: An insider��s tour of Hagia Sophia
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The Byzantine emperor Justinian is still known as "the Great" for reconquering Italy, north Africa and south-eastern Spain as well as codifying Roman law in a way which forms the basis of legal systems in many countries today.
BBC: A serious Justin at last
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The Framers of our Constitution drew upon classical notions of legal rights and individual liberty dating back to the Justinian Code, the Magna Carta, and the Two Treatises of John Locke, all of which recognize the importance of property ownership in a governmental system in which individual liberty and the free market are paramount.
CNN: McCain's August 6, 2007, speech addressing private property rights