Aya Sofya – Turkey go

Called Sancta Sophia in Latin,Haghia Sofia in Greek and the Church of the Divine Wsdom in English, Aya Sofya is ?stanbul‘s most famous monument. Arrive carly to avoid peak-season crowds.

Emperor Justinian had the Aya Sofya built as part of his effort to restore the greatness of the Roman Empire. It was completed in 537 and reigned as the greatest chuch in Christendom until the Conquest in 1453. Mehmet the Conqueror had it convarted into a mosque and so it remained until 1935, when Atat?rk proclaimed it a museum.

Ongoing restoration work (patly Unesco funded) means that the dome is always filled with scaffolfing, but now event this can defact from the wxperience of visiting one of the world’s truly great buildings.

On enteringhis great creation for the first claimed ‘Glory to god the I have been judged wothy of such a work. Oh Solomon! I have outdone you!’Entering the building today,

An you walk into the inner narthex, look up to see a brilliant mosaic Christ as Pantocrator above the third and larges door Once through this door the magnificent main dome soars above you.Supported by 40 massive ribs, it was constructed of special hollow bricks made in Rhodes from a unique light,porous clay;theserest on huge pillars concealed in the interior walls,which creates an imperission that the dome hovers unsupported.

Called Sancta Sophia in Latin,Haghia Sofia in Greek and the Church of the Divine Wsdom in English, Aya Sofya is ?stanbul‘s most famous monument. Arrive carly to avoid peak-season crowds