St Mark's Basilica dates back to the 11th century. It demonstrates the commercial wealth and power of Venice, Italy. Built on a Greek Cross plan with five domes, church was modeled after one of in Constantinople (today Istanbul) with which Venice had strong trade ties. The Byzantine interior with characteristic mosaics resembles in many ways that in Hagia Sophia, Turkey. The Pala d'Oro (Golden Cloth) that contains 500 pearls and almost 2000 pieces of precious stones is one of the best large scale Gothic goldsmith artworks.
The basilica is known for the relics of St. Mark. The evangelist's remains were stolen from the original burial site in Alexandria, Egypt by two Venetian merchants in 828. The Venetians understood that such relics would bring pilgrims and money to the city. Today the tomb of St. Mark is in the main altar of the church.
