The Hagia Sophia
The Hagia Sophia started out as a church...then was turned into a mosque..but now it is a museum...although we did not see any artifacts other than the building itself. And, what a building. The space is absolutely enormous...featuring 107 support pillars for a gigantic dome.
We got there around 10:00...and there were literally busloads of tourists waiting to get in - yet the line moved speedily and we were inside in no time at all. I've been in plenty of impressive buildings...but there is something quite special about the Hagia Sophia. Perhaps it is that it feels a bit raw and unpretentious (as opposed to something like St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome that is designed to be opulent). You can certainly feel that it has seen a lot of history...and it has endured a lot of changes. The light pouring inside through the large windows has a special quality to it. The mosaics are very beautiful...but the building itself steals the show. Jake and I also liked the large round decorations with Arabic writing on them...obviously something added on when it was converted into a mosque.
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