The one item still on Lynden's "must do" list was a visit to Hagia Sophia - the Church (and later Mosque) of Holy Wisdom. I had to agree - seeing it was a wise thing to do!
Getting there turned out to be a bit challenging - workers were laying pavers all across the area in front. We saw people walking around to the left side, so we followed them.
Completed in 562 AD, this place is amazing. Its dome was the largest in the world for around a thousand years. Besides letting in light, the dome-shaped windows that encircle the huge central dome also serve to support it, as do the smaller half domes that it sits on.
We knew that this had been a Roman Catholic Church, an Eastern Orthodox Church, and later a Mosque, but the Stars of David that we found on two doors surprised us.
While Hagia Sophia was a mosque, all of the human figures were covered, mostly with white plaster. These were uncovered when it became a museum in the 1930's, revealing some beautiful mosaics.
Getting up to and down from the upper gallery meant going 'round and 'round ramp after ramp.
The ancient tiles reflect patterns currently used for Turkish textiles and ceramics.
Hey - we were there! (Not at that time, though...)
This would look great on my patio.
What a spectacular building!
En route home we stopped at the same street vendor who made last night's dinner for us.
He sliced and diced the veggies, barbecued the skewers of lamb, and wrapped our meals in flat bread.
He paused just for a second while the second piece of flat bread heated over the coals.
Lynden traded 5 lira for a great sandwich. We then stopped at the little market around the corner for a half bottle of Turkish wine (which is pretty good!).
Our last meal in Turkey - ahhhh...
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