Aya Sophia, 4/1/2006 - Event Horizon

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Library Grilles234 viewsThese grilles separate the Library, added in 1739 by Sultan Mahmud I, from the nave.

April Fool231 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.

Upper Galleries227 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.

The Apse227 viewsThe Virgin and Child mosaic appears at the top of the apse, which also features stained-glass windows and other decor, both Christian and Islamic.

Mihrab226 viewsThe mihrab is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla, i.e. the direction of Mecca, toward which Muslims should face when praying. In Aya Sophia, it occupies the same spot as the Christian altar before the Turkish conquest.

Stone Ramp225 viewsThe dimly-lit passageway from the upper gallery to the ground floor.

Istanbul Street Scene224 viewsOn our way to the Grand Bazaar.

Minbar223 viewsThe pulpit from which the Imam delivered sermons on Fridays. Obviously not part of the original cathedral, the minbar was added during the reign of Murad III (1574–1595).

Southwestern Entrance221 viewsThe mosaic in the tympanum (archway above the door) was plastered over after the Turkish conquest, but restored in 1849.

Masked Man221 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.

Cenotaph220 viewsActually, this isn't really his tomb, which was destroyed by the Turks when they conquered Constantinople. It is a marker, or cenotaph, placed by Italians in the 19th century near the probable site of the tomb.

Marble Steps220 viewsWorn down by many centuries of foot traffic.

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