#Hagia Sofia

[berryesque]

Byzantine Miku edited by my mother

edit: mom says this is the first time she's gotten a thousand likes or comments on anything, she is @ ikonimaalari on instagram if you want to see what she usually does and also she now knows what serving cunt means

[ukdamo]

Today's photo: this column capital on the northern arcade, Hagia Sofia, Istanbul, Turkiye.

[alatismeni-theitsa]

hello!! greek here.

i am second generation greek american with my yiayia and pappou having immigrated here in the 60s.

my yiayia and pappou on my mama's side were both born in istanbul and had fled by the time they were 20 due to the military and lingering ottomans. my other yiayia and pappou were born in villages near thessaloniki yet had predominantly pontic roots- for reference, my baba's dna test came back 97% pontic greek and 3% from thessaloniki.

since my roots are so heavily grounded in what is now turkiye, i have always taken a keen interest in byzantine history and simultaneously have had every single unit on byzantium and ancient greece ruined for me by inaccuracies that i have learned at my local churches and my mama who studied byzantine history for years.

that brings me to the topic i feel most strongly about: the hagia sophia, or agia sofia. what is your opinion, if you have on, on the decision to revert the agia sofia from a museum back into a functional mosque? personally, i feel as though reverting it from an orthodox church to a mosque in the first place was one of the most insulting things the ottomans could have done, but making it a museum and not a place of worship anymore was the best move besides actually making it a church again. reverting it back into a functioning mosque even though konstantinoupoli already has around 3000 mosques was, and many of my greek friends and family agree with me on this, an incredibly horrible decision and an insult.

you have a lovely greek blog and i hope you have a goodnight as it is quite late in greece now ❤️

I don't know about other ethnicities in the Byzantine empire but for Greeks the Hagia Sofia is still the most important church, and many make a pilgrimage to the site. Some even have a picture of the temple in their living room (I've seen it personally).

The Hagia Sofia has been such an important religious site and a sign of freedom and hope for Christians for so many centuries that is so bad that they made it a mosque again.

It feels like a punch to the gut repeating one if the original offendes of the Christian oppression in the Ottoman empire.

P.s. Thank you very much for your message, and for your good words💙

[frostandrime47]

[kevkebus-subh]

“Üzüntü ve keder gibi rahat da izafidir. Başkalarına rahat gelen bir hayat, sana ıstırap kaynağı olur. İnsanlar hep aynı suyun demiri değildirler.”

[allaboutaparthistory]

52. Hagia Sophia

Built in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul)

By Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus

Created c. 532-537 CE

Brick and ceramic elements with stone and mosaic veneer

[anniesein]

Dalam senja aku berdoa, lekaslah kembali dalam dekap.

Sebisaku tetap direngkuh, namun lemah menghujam saraf-sarafku.

Beberapa tahun silam dalam tertatih kusampaikan,

Warna baru menyelimuti kelabunya awan,

Peliknya keadaan tetap terjalani dengan senyuman.

Teriknya mentari, dan dinginya malam bukan permasalahan,

Kaki ini tak pernah lelah berjalan ke rumah-Mu.

Tahun demi tahun berlalu,

Secercah cahaya itu mengapa serasa memudar?

Senja dan rintik hujan malam, membawa semua kenangan

Masa-masa yang mengharumkan risalah-Nya.

Aku ingin mendekap kembali secercah cahaya itu.

Ringkihnya tubuh sang pendosa ini semoga bisa memasuki Jannah-Nya.

Semoga masih tersisa ampuan dan rahmat.

Untuk melihat wajah kekasih-Nya, Rasululullah Shallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam..

>> Masjid di Bali

>> Spa Halal di Pulau Dewata

>> Kemilau Sunset di Tanah Kalimantan

[ancientoriginses]

Hagia Sofía, en Estambul, puede presumir de una muy larga historia. Ha sobrevivido a terremotos, luchas por el poder religioso y ha sido sucesivamente iglesia (basílica), mezquita y ahora, finalmente, museo.

[sandros-travel-blog]

Hagia Sofia, Istanbul, Turkey

[everyday1photo]

Hagia Sofia

[talesfromtheorient]

I woke up a little late. Jet lag? Nah, I needed a rest. Close to my accommodation I found a nice restaurant and ordered fried eggs, fresh orange juice and a coffee. The fresh orange juice came, and it was fresh, the coffee came, but the waiter brought me a cheese board with a friend egg on it and said “my brother, this is better, I know you will like”. Well, I would have liked what I ordered but I was too hungry to argue and accepted the meal. It wasn’t fresh and was clearly a left over that they wanted to get rid of before lunch started. If I robbed the Dairy Lea factory I still wouldn’t have had as much cheese as this. I sampled my way around the board and then asked for the bill. The call the prayer started, and I began to pray that the price of the board wasn’t too much. It turns out that as expected, the board was considerable more expensive than the friend eggs and I got ripped off, well I won’t be going back there!

I made my way to The Blue Mosque. After I short wait, I entered it’s mighty doors. It was magnificent. A symbolic building filled covered with geometric patterns which all elevate to a central spot which symbolises Allah. I was impressed by the mosque but disgusted by the behaviour of the other tourists. They were loud, ignorant and disrespectful. The mosque is a place worship, not a tourist attraction. With their selfie sticks and Kardashian poses, the tourists were more worshippers of Steve Jobs than they were any true god. I realised that I would need to visit the mosque early, before the coach tours arrive if I was going to explore its true beauty. Anyway, more of what you were expecting…The Blue Mosque was built by Ahmed 1 between 1609-1617. It contains 260 windows and is covered in blue and green (turquoise) tiles. This is why it is called The Blue Mosque. 😁

I made my way to the Grand Bazaar. It was grand, humid, congested sand exciting. It reminded me of the Old City in Jerusalem. That’s the problem with visiting the Holy Land, many things are an imitation of its culture. The Bazaar sold carpets, Turkish Delights, belts, trousers and shirts, amongst many other items. I double tracked at a shirt stall and spend 30 minutes haggling over a few items. The negotiations were calm but fierce, and I am happy that I left with a fair price, not a bargain, but a fair price. I enjoyed visiting the Bazaar, but it was exhausting due to the sheer volume of people. In all honesty, visiting Westfield in Stratford on a weekend is a lot more stressful and dangerous than visiting the Grand Bazaar.

After a quick kebab, I made my way to the Hagia Sofia. Now this really was something. In my opinion it was more impressive than the Blue Mosque. The mosque was once a church and this was evident from the mural of Christ and various Saints. My eye’s ascended to the central dome which symbolises Allah. Unfortunately, yet again the tourists were very disrespectful. This time I was really annoyed. This is a holy site, a place of worship, whether you are religious or not, have some respect. I calmly left the mosque, fully aware that I would have to get up super early one morning if I want to witness it’s charm in tranquility.

After a quick shower I head out again for some food. I found a restaurant a bit out the way and was hoping for a quiet meal. Nope, the local musicians turned up and we had a full on rave before I had even got my starter. They were good to be fair…The food and service in Istanbul seems to be varied. I guess in time you learn the best places to visit.

Istanbul isn’t cheap, it’s not super expensive, but it’s not cheap. I suppose if you by 4 shirts on your first day, it will damage your budget. That’s why as I write this I’m sat outside the Blue Mosque, next to the fountain with a couple of cans of Efes beer, people watching. After 10 years of solo travel, yes 10 years!! I am fully aware, that the best times are often the cheapest.

[travelersinworld]

Best Hagia Sophia world a famous historical monument located in 6th cent...

[micascarvalho]

What is your favourite color? 😍

[enfes-kanal]

#enfeskanal 💖

Ayasofya.. Beğenilerle, yorumlarla kanalıma destek olun. Kalıcı tâkip lütfen 🙏💖 https://youtu.be/SnwZcOBo8AE

[baconfluff12]

Hagia Sophia

Pretty cool building

[gospocki]

Aya Sofia 🕌