Hagia Sophia Cathedral/Mosque/Museum – Istanbul, Turkey
Recently saw a fascinating PBS program on this incredible structure, and was reminded of our visit to Istanbul in May 2012, when this was taken. Originally constructed as a Greek Orthodox basilica under Byzantine emperor Justinian I in 537 AD. In 1453, Constantinople (previous name) was conquered by the Ottoman Empire under Mehmed the Conqueror, who ordered this main church of Orthodox Christianity converted into a mosque, and it remained as such until 1931. It is now a museum. Its design and construction – featuring the massive dome – continue to be marvels of engineering, having survived several earthquakes.
For some other shots of this building, and the nearby – and equally famous – Blue Mosque, as well as some of Istanbul in general, see IstanbulOverview. To see some shots of the interior of both buildings, see MosqueTours.
From the Across the Pond Collection