Aya Sophia, 4/1/2006 - Event Horizon

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Lambs759 viewsOne of several marble blocks with reliefs depicting 12 lambs representing the 12 Apostles of Christ; originally part of a monumental front entrance to the Theodosian Aya Sophia, destroyed in 532.

Library Furniture756 viewsThis curious piece of furniture stands in the Library. I don't know its overall purpose, but it appears to harbor a light in the dome.

Upper Galleries756 viewsThe western gallery was the Empress' Loge, the northern was for the court women, and the southern for the emperor. The hexagonal structure at lower right, below the gallery, is the Sultan's Loge, a 19th-century addition.

April Fool753 viewsOf course I was almost the only one who fell for it, never suspecting that April Fool's Day might be a thing in Turkey too. It didn't take long for Attila to "unmask" the hoax.

Masked Man748 viewsAttila warned us that there was a danger of avian flu and told us that we should wear masks to Aya Sophia. I had brought some surgical masks to wear on airplane flights, so this was an opportunity to make good use of them.

Ceiling Detail744 viewsIn the Empress' Loge.

Medallion742 viewsThe huge circular medallions date from the renovation of 1847-49 undertaken by Sultan Abdulmajid. They are inscribed with the names of Allah, Muhammad, the first four caliphs, and the grandchildren of Muhammad.

Empress Zoe mosaic741 viewsChrist is seated in the middle holding a Bible; on the left is Emperor Constantine IX Monomachus, and on the right, Empress Zoe. Dates from the 11th century AD. Located on the eastern wall of the southern gallery.

Apse Mosaic - Virgin and Child741 viewsDates from 867 AD. May be a reconstruction of an original mosaic destroyed during the Iconoclastic period of Byzantine history, when representations of deities and saints were considered to be idols and thus outlawed.

View from the Narthex740 viewsLooking into the interior of the church through one of the doors in the narthex. The scaffolding seen on the right in this picture enabled workers to climb to the dome to perform repair work.

The Marble Door740 viewsLocated in the southern part of the upper gallery, the Marble Door opened into a chamber that was used for synods (church councils). This picture was taken inside the chamber.

Corners740 viewsAt each corner of the square formed by the upper galleries, there is an exedra - a semicircular columned recess which relieves the starkness of sharp corners and provides nooks for conversation.

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