Walking Around in the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul
It is not everyday that you get to visit a large structure more than a thousand years old, almost 1700 years old. The Hagia Sophia was originally constructed in the year 360 and for more than a thousand years it was the largest cathedral in the world. I would believe that just standing inside the now mosque, gives you a feeling of awe at the huge structure. I think it helps that inside is very spacious and you would practically see every part of the mosque wherever you are. This is because of the layout of the original Byzantine church tends to follow a more open and central layout. Later churches and cathedrals would have a cruciform layout where you won’t be able to see the rest of the church depending on where you are.
Beautiful Columns at the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul
As a result of this layout, you have a structure which feels almost like a dome. This gives you that feeling of space, so even if there were so many people inside the mosque, it feels like isn’t that crowded. Looking up at the ceiling, you can see the magnificent designs of the domes of the mosque. I don’t know if all of these have been plastered over but maybe they would have been left alone if they didn’t have any Christian imagery in them. I think it would also be very difficult to plaster over such a large area but then again, they do have time on their side. The Hagia Sophia has been a mosque since the year 1453.
[xmlgm {http://www.worldwanderings.net/kml/HagiaSophia.kmz} zoom=19]