Which came first? · Counterintuitive
Which came first: Hagia Sophia or San Marino?
San Marino came first, in AD 301 (traditional founding). Hagia Sophia followed 236 years later, in AD 537 (completed).
- SecondAD 537
Hagia Sophia
landmark · completedHagia Sophia in Istanbul was finished in 537 and stayed the world's largest church for more than 500 years.
- FirstAD 301
San Marino
country · traditional foundingSan Marino traces its founding to 301, which would make it the oldest surviving republic.
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All which-came-first pairs · About Older Than You Think · Quiz games
Years from Wikidata, each checked against the item’s English Wikipedia article on 2026-10-18. A year stands for what its label says: a founding, a first patent, a premiere.