On Sunday, October 20, 2013, I made my way to the Hagia Sophia. The Hagia Sophia, or Church of Holy Wisdom, is known as one the world's greatest architectural achievements. More than 1,400 years old, it stands as a testament to the architecture of the 6th-century Byzantine capital. It was built over two earlier churches and inaugurated by Emperor Justinian in 537. The church stood as the world's largest cathedral for nearly 1000 years. The church was dedicated to the Wisdom of God, the Logos, the second person of the Holy Trinity (hence it's second name). The building also witnessed the excommunication of Patriarch Michael I Cerularius on the part of Pope Leo IX in 1054, an act which is commonly considered the start of the Great Schism. In the 15th century the Ottomans converted it into a mosque. The bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels and other relics were removed and the mosaics depicting Jesus, his mother Mary, Christian saints and angels were also removed or plastered over. Islamic features-such as the mihrab, minbar, and four minarets-were added. Until the construction of the nearby Blue Mosque of Istanbul, the Hagia Sophia stood as the principal mosque of Istanbul.
The museum stands in good shape today, despite being so old. It gives you quite a feeling upon walking in. You can see all the hard work that the architects of the building put in to make the building a holy place. I love learning about the history of places I travel to, so I try to always find a good museum to visit. I usually will spend hours inside, taking my time as I take in all the museum has to offer. This was definitely the case with the Hagia Sophia. Below, I will post a short video of some video clips and pictures I took while at the site.
Side-note: I didn't edit in any background music (as I don't have any new instrumentals), so feel free to mute the video to tune out the background noise.
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