This post is part 2 of 17 of my trip to Istanbul. The series intends to give more than just a I-saw-this-and-did-that review. It aims to share the voice inside my head as I explore a world I’ve only read in books.
View of the Hagia Sophia from Sultanahmet Square
Rick Steves said that Lady Liberty could do jumping jacks inside the Hagia Sophia. That’s how big it is. Even though the church-turned-mosque-turned-museum is currently under construction, it sits majestically at almost 1,500 years old. Its beauty is timeless.
The Hagia Sophia is just as architecturally impressive now as it was back then. In 1453, Constantinople, now Istanbul, was conquered by the Ottoman Turks. Everything was destroyed and burned to the ground. But Sultan Mehmed II was so enamored by the Hagia Sophia that ordered it to be turned it into a mosque.
During the building’s conversion from church to mosque, many of the mosaics were covered because Islam disapproves of representational depictions. The church’s altar, bells, iconic images and sacrificial vessels were replaced with Islamic features like the mihrab, the minbar, and minarets.
After being burnt down twice, the Hagia Sophia was rebuilt by Emperor Justinian and is now entirely fireproof. Inside, there are eight huge circular wooden boards. Each one has the name of Allah, the prophet Muhammad, the first four caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali, and the two grandchildren of Mohammed, Hassan and Hussain, written on it.
The most interesting, and probably the most unsanitary, thing I came across was the Wish Column, aka the Sweating Column. I watched each tourist stick their thumb into the designated hole and turned their palm 360 degrees to make a wish. It is the only item in the Hagia Sophia that allows visitors to touch. Touching any of the mosaics, on the other hand, will cause a surround sound eruption of “No touch! No touch! No touch!” from security guards in all directions.
Taiwanese tour group
The Hagia Sophia is grand in size but it’s no exception to the masses and tour groups that flood the building. They all seem to be armed with cameras and ready to shoot. As usual, with any tourist attraction, the weekend is war. Every other day is fair game. Just don’t go on Mondays. It’s closed.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=eac784e6-ad21-4e74-a2e0-9d588f335284)
You have same sense of travel as me! Thought I’ve never packed Vaseline, not...
nice photos
Hey Marc! Thanks for the kind feedback. I’m really glad you enjoy reading my blog.
Hey, I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis and for the most part, people lack substance but, I just wanted to make a quick comment to say GREAT blog!…..I”ll be checking in on a regularly now….Keep up the good work!
- Marc Shaw
Hi Dian, thanks for stopping by. Permission granted to re-post parts of my blog. Just let me know when your blog post goes live.
Can’t wait to check it out!
Hi Monica, great insight!! Bravo! I’m trying to compile a list and individual blog posts on UNESCO World Heritage Sites which of course includes Hagia Sohpia. Can I have your permission to re-post partially your blog post? With proper credit of course. Thanks much. Pls visit us at http://www.uniquetraveldestinations.wordpress.com, http://www.enchantingeden.wordpress.com, http://www.endangerededen.wordpress.com, and uniquetraveldestinations.net/blog. Thx much. Ciao, dian
I loved sultanahmet and istanbul.
Sultanahmet square is great.
Hagia Sophia is fantastic.
I will return.
I hope you guys do make it out there. The weather is great and I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I did. I spent 8 days there and feel like there is still so much more to see and do. Let me know when you do make it out there. I’ll have to follow along vicariously through your blog posts.
I will share this link with my gf… She is always a fan of Turkey; we actually planned to be here some months back but we were not able to get some synchronize schedule out of sunny Singapore.
Thanks!!
trust me it’s paradise. it’s where the hungry comes to feed. for mine is a generation the circled the globe looking for something that we haven’t tried before. so never refuse an invitation, never resist the unfamiliar, never outstay your welcome. just keeps your mind open and suck in the experience; and if it hurts, you know what, it’s probably worth it
Haha…uh, thanks.
I’ve never been to Cambodia or Southeast Asia for that matter. But trust me, it’s on my list of places to go.
hey monica this has nothing to do with your travel but you are HOT!!! sorry if i sound like a jerk but i’m just saying that’s all. anyway have u ever been to cambodia? man o man it’s beautiful.
Haha…it’s not hot in the Hagia Sophia but it’s not really that cool either (temperature wise) When we go to a museum here, we get a blast of air conditioning. It’s not like that in Istanbul. The air conditioning is barely on. If you climb a flight of stairs on a warm day, you’ll start to sweat a little.
The weather is great though – between the low 60’s and low high 70’s. It does get hot but only if you walk in the sun. It’s very comfortable walking in the shade. The good thing is that when it’s hot, it’s not humid hot. But the sun can be really strong. I forgot to put SPF one day and came home with a slight tan.
Thanks! The weather is absolutely beautiful. The morning’s are a little foggy but it clears up as the day goes by. The entire time I was there, the sky was blue, crisp and clear almost every single day.
Thanks for always stopping by. I hope it doesn’t take forever for me to crank them out. The next one is going to be about The Blue Mosque!
appreciate day 2, thanks. and the sweating made me wonder – how hot is it there in Sept?
cool pictures. always wanted to visit turkey. how’s the weather over there?
Thanks for sharing as always. I look forward to the other 15 installments!
Lisa
The first picture is one of my only good picture. I’ve got to work on my photography skills but I’m determine to do it without PhotoShopping and editing.
Haha…thanks! I’m glad it made you laugh.
When I went to Beijing last time, I saw a million of those tour groups too. I feel that seeing them kind of detracts from the whole experience…
But that first picture is amazing!
“As usual, with any tourist attraction, the weekend is war. Every other day is fair game. Just don’t go on Mondays. It’s closed.” – This one cracked me up! Very funny and very true!
I hope to visit Istanbul someday too. I’d love to see the Hagia Sophia!