Ayasofya -- Saint Sofia: Byzantine Church -> Mosque

The two grand sites in the Sultanahmet area of Istanbul, St. Sofia Church-Mosque and the Blue Mosque, stand on opposites sides of a picturesque plaza with a fountain in the midst of it. The whole area is so well taken care of it feels almost like Disneyland.

The church itself is incredibly huge and as you can see of a rather unique architectural style. Originally built by the Byzantines, the Muslim Sultan converted it into a mosque after taking over Istanbul. The interior of the building shows its age, from the weather-beaten ceilings to the well-worn rock steps, and apparently has been in the process of renovation for at least the last decade. Perhaps even more.

What is fascinating is that murals like the one pictured here are being uncovered by the archaeological work being done on the place. Just as with some of the famous paintings in Italy, they were painted over by later generations and only now, are the original paintings beginning to see the light of day once again.

Incidentally the church now serves as a historical museum, with Ataturk declaring it a non-religious building and opening it to all of the Turkish people. Hence, even non-Muslims can enter this place without any special restriction on manner or dress. A number of school kids were here and they posed for a photo ...

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LINKS

Wikipedia entry on the Ayasofya
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia