Day 50, 23 August 2012, Hagia Sofya, Istanbul - This morning we visited one of the main historical sites in Istanbul. The Hagia Sofya - or Holy Wisdom. So actually nothing to do with saints or ladies called Sofya. We arrived at around 10.30 am and were confronted by a massive queue - it being high season and all, about 20,000 people per day visit this ancient Church/Mosque/Museum. We were approached by a lovely Turkish lady as we joined the end of the queue - for a mere 60 lira we could jump the queue, get out of the sun and go in straight away. Deal! Oh and she'd throw in a 45 minute tour. Brilliant.
www.ayasofyamuzesi.gov.tr

This is the third AyaSofya to stand on this site and restoration is an ongoing process - given the 20,000 people a day at 25 Lira a head entry fee, you can understand the reluctance to close it off - ever. Our guide showed us through the Emperor's door where for 916 years (when it was a church) only the Emperor could enter. Commoners and women had other doors - and that included the Empress. We stood in the spots where the guards stood for centuries - the marble is easily 6 inches lower and history seeping into one's feet is almost tangible. The massive floating dome and glittering gold leaf mosaics reflect back the Christian history and the 400+ years of use as a mosque overlays without offending. In many ways it was fortunate that the muslim faith didn't tolerate images - because many of the mosaics were plastered over and painted and thus protected. If Islam overlays Christian, then Paganism is the underlay. One area of the floor is cordoned off and is totally different to the surrounding marble. It is the remains of the floor of a pagan temple that was here long before Christ. The Emperor Justinian (that's right - the man who built the current Sofya and who also knocked out the Basilican Cistern from yesterday) raised the pagan floor to meet the level of the Church floor. It was considered the centre of the world and was used for coronations. Quite eerie being at the centre of the world. We (OK - I) also queued at the Wishing Column/Sweating Column. You just never know your luck. We finished our tour by venturing upstairs to the ladies gallery and viewing some stunning gold-leafed mosaics. Once out the door we found a grassy area with ancient statuary remains from the 2nd Hagia Sofya. We sat and enjoyed fruit and nuts for half an hour before one of the guards decided we were having too much fun and moved us along. We obviously missed the invisible No Entry sign - tho' suspect it was more a function of the cafe owners across the way wanting more business! We were planning the Topkapi Palace in the afternoon - but the heat and crowds put us off, so we bought the tickets and will head there tomorrow - Seriously would not want to be doing all the sights of Istanbul in 1-2 days in a massive tour group - would take all the fun out of it.