The Rest of the First Day (Actually, This is Just Through Before Lunch)
Tuesday, July 9, 2013 at 8:39PM We left the Blue Mosque and walked across the street in order to visit the Hagia Sophia. Built in the sixth century and dedicated by Emperor Justinian, it was magnificent inside and out.
The entry that we used has a mosaic of Mary with Jesus flanked by Constantine and Justinian, one presenting the city and one presenting the church. Surrounding this picture are tilework and carvings.
This is just a taste of what is inside.
Here is the dome, high above everything else. Like much of what is inside, it reflects the Christian Byzantine era as well as bearing the marks of the Ottoman Empire after the Turks brought an end to the Byzantine Empire.
The mosaic of the Virgin Mary with Jesus on the apse is one of the most well-known and oldest in the Hagia Sophia. Interestingly, it is (I think) the only image that the Muslims left uncovered after their conquest and conversion of the structure into a mosque.
Mirroring the splendor of what is above is the Coronation Square below, which is where the Byzantine emperors were crowned.
Pictures cannot capture how incredible it is.
Our guide told us that the faces of the seraphim (seen in the four corners around the dome in the center) were covered after the conquest, but one had recently been uncovered; this is particularly significant in light of the Islamic prohibition against using representations of living beings in artwork (or anywhere).
There were several mosaics, and this is just one (of Jesus with Mary and John the Baptist beside him) on the second floor of the building.
I wish we could have spent more time walking through. Because we were on a tour with somewhere to be afterward, we scooted through fairly quickly. It's just now hitting me where I was and how amazing it is. What a tremendous amount of history in that one spot! There are many more pictures, and I'm trying to decide if I might make an album for viewing if someone is interested. At any rate, my eyeballs are rolling around in my head. I have to go to sleep soon. Along with opening my eyes to so many of the things that I have covered with Michaela, this trip is going to end up adjusting my sleep schedule to a more normal one! (Don't tell Mike I said that.)
Reader Comments (1)
This trip was so perfect for you. I love that you absorbed and appreciated all the history. I would have looked around and said, "ooh! Pretty!" and headed for the gift shop. :)