Thursday's Child: Blue Mosque, Istanbul

How do you outdo the Hagia Sophia?

Last week I wrote about this stunning building in Istanbul, which began its life as a church, was converted to a mosque, and was finally changed into a museum.  But in the 17^th century, Sultan Ahmet I was determined to build a mosque that was even more beautiful than the Hagia Sophia.  And in a further show of fearlessness, he had it built right next door.

Maybe it was his youth that gave him the fortitude to try.  He was only 19 years old when he commissioned the building in 1609.  The first architect was executed for a lack of vision, which provided plenty of incentive for his successor.  One of the most stunning features of the mosque is the presence of six minarets, or towers, that grace the exterior of the building.  Generally, mosques have four or fewer minarets, and it caused some consternation in Mecca, where the holy mosque also had six.  To avoid political problems, the sultan sent his architect to Mecca to build that mosque a seventh tower.

The Sultanahmet Mosque (or the Blue Mosque, as it’s commonly known) is still a functioning mosque, and it closes five times a day for prayer.  We planned our visit for mid-morning when it was open to the public.  When we arrived, we all removed our shoes, and the girls and I covered our heads with scarves as a sign of respect.  The interior was incredibly light and airy, probably because of the 260 windows that let in so much light.  The intricate tile work was breathtaking: over 20,000 tiles line the walls and ceilings. 

Which place of worship is more beautiful?  I couldn’t choose a favourite, but I will say this: Istanbul is far richer for being home to both of them.

Thanks to Sacred Destinations, which helped to fill in some of the details I had forgotten.

Thursday's Child: Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

Have you ever seen pictures of a building and been amazed by its beauty, but assumed you’d never see it in person?  That’s the way I used to feel about the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.  Years ago I read a National Geographic article about this glorious church that was converted to a mosque, and later converted to a museum, and I wondered what it would be like to visit.  Istanbul was the ultimate romantic destination for me: the city where east meets west, the culmination of the Orient Express.  But I never imagined I’d go there myself. 

In 2010, this fantastic dream came true, and my family and I were fortunate enough to visit Turkey.  It’s a wonderful country, and we saw enough amazing sites to write a book about, let alone a blog post.  But there was nothing I looked forward to seeing more than the Hagia Sophia.

The Hagia Sophia (also known as Ayasofya) was built on this site in three different incarnations.  In the fourth century, Constantine the Great (for whom Constantinople was named) built the original church here.  After its destruction, a second church was immediately built, which was burnt down in riots in the early sixth century. 

Following that destruction, the church was built in a Byzantine style by Emperor Justinian.  The stunning architecture and the intricate mosaics made it one of the greatest Byzantine churches ever built. For 1000 years, it was the largest Christian church in the world until St. Peter’s Basilica was built in Rome. (It’s big enough to house Notre Dame Cathedral three times over.)

Despite being sacked during the Crusades and many of the riches being carried away to Rome, the Hagia Sophia continue as a functioning church until the Ottomans seized power in 1453. Sultan Mehmet, leader of the conquering forces, was struck by its beauty and turned it into a mosque.  The mosaics were plastered over due to the Muslim prohibition against having figurative imagery in a place of worship.  In their place, beautiful geometric designs were fashioned, reflecting the Islamic worship experience.

In 1934, the mosque was turned into a museum, and it was then that some of the mosaics were uncovered.  This has allowed the beauty of the Christian and Islamic art to shine side by side.  The Hagia Sophia, because of its enormous size and glorious artwork, is one of the most impressive buildings in the world.

And I discovered that sometimes, places you dream about visiting are even more beautiful than you can imagine!

Photo used courtesy of Turkey Vacation Places

A Taste of Turkey - Part One

My family and I were fortunate enough to visit Turkey in March, and I wanted to post a few pictures before we leave for our next trip.

 We saw the Blue Mosque on our first day in Istanbul, as well as the Grand Bazaar and Hagia Sophia.

What a wonderful, walkable city Istanbul is – so easy to get around, and incredibly welcoming.

For anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure of flying with Turkish Air, you won’t be familiar with the excellent travel bags given to everyone boarding the plane.  These little beige bags come complete with everything you need for a great travel experience – eye shades, ear plugs and lip balm.  But most important, they contain lime green socks.

These socks were particularly important to our family, because one of us (I won’t name names, but he wears men’s shoes) forgot to pack socks.  And until we got to Istiklal Caddesi to buy him new ones, the lime green plane socks worked just fine.

Cappadocia was one of the true highlights.  From primitive cave dwellings to moonlike landscapes, I’ve never seen anything like it.

For me, one of the thrills of this trip was seeing the Temple of Artemis, near Ephesus.  Although it’s only ruins now, it was one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World, and I couldn’t wait to see it.  It would have been slightly more exciting to share this moment with my family; however, they were too busy taking pictures of the peacock in the next field to pay attention to - did I mention this? - one of the wonders of the Ancient World.  

And finally, my favourite market sign in Turkey:

Because you wouldn’t want to get ripped off.