Some scenes from the Hagia Sophia

Inside the Hagia Sophia, the early Christian church leaders used to have their Synods behind these doors...


Gorgeous restored paintings inside the Hagia Sophia show a beautiful mix of Muslim and Christian symbols... I especially like the Seraphim.



Partially restored very old mosaic of the holy family with the Emperor Justinian and his son.

Outside the current building is the remains of the first Hagia Sophia which was built in the 300s. This stone panel is part of the remains and depicts the Apostles as lambs.

Some pictures of Turkey

Some pictures of my (too short) unplanned visit to Turkey...


The Hagia Sophia! This version was built in the 500's.


A Medusa head supporting one of the columns in the Underground Basilica. It's upside down because legend states that if it was right-side up, it would turn its viewers into stone. Medusa heads were supposed to be good luck.
A small bazaar near the Blue Mosque.
Inside the Blue Mosque- hundreds of thousands of handpainted tiles.
The Hagia Sophia from the Blue Mosque. The gardens were beautiful, and I can only imagine how nice they would be in summer...