Marvelous mosaics.....

Day #8: Wednesday, April 20th

Istanbul/Belgium: Rain, approx 9 degrees....

A visit to the Aya Sofia was not scheduled on our itinerary, but after a chat with Bob and the kids, we decided that we were so close that it was ridiculous not to go there! The Blue Mosque and the Aya Sofia were about a 5 minute walk from the Eresine. It would have been a travesty not to visit it!!!

After a small wait in the queues, we entered Aya Sofia, as it is called in Turkish. It is also referred to as Hagia Sophia. But when in Turkey, do as the Turks do! It is a former church that was converted into a mosque and has since been converted into a museum. It was kinda weird not having a guide to take us around. Everywhere we have been lately, we've had an expert telling us what everything is or represents. This time it was up to us to find out the information on our own from the information panels. I bought a book and hope that will fill me when I have a chance!

A record of the decisions passed by a general synod held at Aya Sofia in 1166....

Weeping pillar....Apparently Emperor Justinian rested his head against the pillar and he was instantly cured...if you have an ailment, supposedly you will be cured....

My photos just can't do it justice...in the middle of three smaller domes is the apse mosaic of Virgin and Child which was inaugurated in 867....

The place where Byzantine Emperors were coronated....

Taken from the upper level....the Virgin and Child mosaic in the apse is to the right....

The Deesis mosaic....Mary on the left, Jesus and Josh the Baptist...it dates from around 1261....

The Comnenus Mosaic....Emperor John Comnenus II on the left, Virgin Mary and Child, Empress Zoe...there are marks around the neck that show that the faces of the left and right figures have been altered over time....these date from around 1122....

Empress Zoe Mosaics.... Constantine IX Monomachus on the left, Christ Pantocrator and Empress Zoe....dated from the 11th century....

View from one of the windows across to the Blue Mosque....

Southwestern entrance mosaic....on the left Emperor Constantine presenting a model of the city to Mary, Mary and the Christ child and Emperor Justinian I presenting a model of the Aya Sofia to Mary...dates from around 944....

The mosaics were just beautiful. Unfortunately the photos just don't do them justice. And for many of them, you are not allowed to take flash photography to preserve the integrity of them. The upper level is reached by an old stone ramp that was surprisingly steep and certainly gave you a good workout!

From the upper level, you really got an idea of the scale of the mosque. It is just HUGE!! The dome of the Aya Sophia is quite sophisticated and was used as a model for other mosques. It is considered to be the greatest surviving example of Byzantine architecture. Considering parts have been destroyed by earthquakes, it looks remarkably good!!

Aya Sofia was inaugurated as a church in 360, then a second church was ordered to be built and completed in 415, the third church (the current structure) was ordered to be rebuilt a few days after the destruction of the second basilica; it was burned to the ground in a revolt. The current structure was inaugurated in 537. After the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople, it was converted to a mosque in 1435 and remained a mosque until 1935. Ataturk converted it to a museum in 1935. (Thanks for the facts Wikipedia!!!)

Back to the hotel and goodbye to Turkey. Our Turkish Airlines flight to Belgium took about 3 and a half hours. In that time we crossed about 6 or 7 countries. Mind boggling!! On arrival in Brussels Airport we were greeted by our English (??HUH??) guide, Richard. We then loaded up the bus and were introduced to our German (??HUH??) bus driver, Andreas. We drove to Lille (just over the border in France) to our hotel.

Tomorrow, the Western Front.....