I have read so much about Hagia Sophia, did a lot of research to the historical beginning of this place. The first trip that I made to Istanbul did not give me the opportunity to visit Hagia Sophia, this is mainly because I was on a business trip and time was a serious factor then.We decided to take the angels to Istanbul recently, and hubby made it a point that visiting Hagia Sophia is a must, and we did just that. The queue to the entrance was ridiculous but we stayed on, and of course the entrance charges were a bit on the high side too, but we never wither. The moment we were inside, Chef Diva requested for an audio guide, while the rest of us just make do with the information that we gather on site.
I was at awe with the great architectural beauty of the monument both from the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. How magnificent, how no words could really describe what went through my mind as I stood facing the ‘mimbar’ and at the same time looking at the sculpture of Jesus and so on. The culmination of two religions in one common place, two different times, one common land and people, how so could that be possible, yet this is Hagia Sophia. Its magical historical background just leaves me wanting to know more.
What is left of once a church and later a mosque is now a museum in the Republic of Turkey. Sadly as tourists we are left with no choice but to witness the reconstruction work that is ongoing and could still be ongoing for a long time to come in restoring the precious Hagia Sophia.
Would I come back to Hagia Sophia again, without any doubt I will. The beauty of Hagia Sophia in my opinion is simply TIMELESS.
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