Dome of the Hagia Sophia

Despite the large number of people here in the Hagia Sophia, there was enough space here to take photos. You’d think that being a mosque would make it less of a target of selfies but you would be mistaken. I can see that people here are still taking their selfies and photos just like any other place. I don’t think this only done by the tourists but it seems even locals do this too. After all, the Hagia Sophia is one of the most well known mosques in the country, why not take a selfie here.

Inside the Hagia Sophia

One of the most prominent structures here in the mosque is the dome. The domes of the Hagia Sophia is rather different from the domes of churches that I am used to. The Hagia Sophia is borne out of an older architectural style. It was through further refinement this style that gave rise to the latter styles like the gothic style. The dome of the Hagia Sophia is flatter than domes which came much after. I think this is one of the defining characteristic of this style. Just like the more modern equivalents, the dome is also decorated inside. It is difficult to see from the ground level but it seems that the dome is also decorated with mosaic. Just like much of the rest of the mosque, there is no Christian or religious imagery here. If even if there were, I think the ceiling is so high up that it is difficult to tell what is actually up there.

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