2013 Trip to Istanbul, Turkey - Hagia Sophia

Wonderment at Hagia Sophia beckons me back to oversided art books in the Pennsylvania State Library; a place of comfort during often lonesome teen years... Caption - 001

This, the main entry way, provides a sense of scale. All but one or two of the interior photos here were taken from the upper galleries, at the level atop this multi-story course way..., 5th, 6th century CE, right! Caption - 000

...Otherwise, you'd have no idea, the monumental dimensions that are represented in this shot, looking straight up from the previous photo. This is a span of two midsized cars (I considered renting a 14mm rectilinear lens for just this sort of shot, but at $45 a day, I can live with the slight distortion of my 12-14mm) Caption - 018a

To ascend to the upper galleries, which are nearly as wide as the dome already, one climbs several stories up this ramp. A sizable house could be built with the stone displaced in just these ramps! Caption - 019

A close up of the huge marble columns on the second (multi store) level. Caption - 016

My 12-14mm Tokima lens does a reasonable job of capturing the immensity of the centuries old structure. Caption - 012

Thedra and I have been ridiculously fortunate when it comes to weather when we travel. Istanbul is often cloudy if not rainy during this time of year. So I was lucky to catch these crepuscular rays piercing through the windows. Caption - 013

In the culture generally, and in the art of Hagia Sophia, I totally loved the juxtaposition of the Islamic and Christian. So here is a mosaic of the Virgin and Child overlooking a mihrab and Minbar (indicating direction of Mecca and pulpit respectively) Caption - 014

I've been in some of Europe's largest cathedrals, and seen obscene amounts of ornately fashioned gold in Catholic churches in Rio and Bahia. For all its awe-inspiring scale, Hagia Sophia emanated the most existential warmth. Caption - 015

- Spice Market Street Scenes - Hagia Sophia - Sultan Ahmed (Blue) Mosque -

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