Hagia Sofia in Istanbul, built almost 1,500 years ago and a landmark of global importance is being protected with an advanced fire system. Built on the orders of Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian in 537in what was then Constantinople, it was the world's largest cathedral and a cornerstone of Christianity for nearly 1,000 years. It then became the city's most important mosque for almost 500 years and is now a world famous museum and a crown jewel in the history and skyline of Istanbul. As far back as the 6th Century it was called 'the eighth wonder of the world'. It welcomes millions of visitors every year and became Turkey's most visited tourist attraction in 2012.

A recent upgrade to its fire system, installed byAdvanced's partner, D Sistem, saw an Advanced MxPro4 fire system installed, supporting optical smoke and air sampling detection, with a range of input and output devices.

MxPro offers customers a choice of two panel ranges, four detector protocols and a completely open installer network that enjoys free complete training and support. MxPro panels can be used in single loop, single panel format or easily configured into high speed, multi-loop panels in 200 node networks covering huge areas. Advanced's legendary ease of installation and configuration and wide peripheral range make it customisable to almost any application.

MxPro 4 is Advanced's benchmark panel and is EN54 2 & 4 approved, offering users high quality and performance and the knowledge that its fire system can be easily upgraded in future. Its partner Advanced'sMxPro 5 is EN54 2,4 &13 approved and is backward compatible with the MxPro 4.

GerdaKoberidze??kan, spokesperson for D Sistem Ltd said "The improvements to this historic building have involved bringing the fire detection system up to date, ensuring that the building has the best quality fire alarm systemand meets the highest standards in fire safety. We have used Advanced panels for several projects in the past as they are highly reliable, adaptable and can be upgraded in the future."

Etienne Ricoux, Advanced's Export Sales Manager for Europe, commented: "The Hagia Sofia is the latestlandmark building to be protected byAdvancedpanels. It's probably the oldest building we've ever protected and beautifully illustrates the power and quality of Advanced's fire systems. On the one hand we protect one of Europe's oldest landmarks and the other its current tallest building, The Shard in London.

"We believe that MxPro ticks all the boxes, combining proven reliability with innovation and ease-of-use. It also delivers a future-proof solution, with the capability to be easily upgraded and supplemented in future."

For more details contact Reji Mathews, India Business Manager, M: +91 98802 80326, E-mail: rmathew@advancedco.com