From the date of its construction in 537 until 1453, it served as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral and seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931. It was then secularized and opened as a museum on 1 February 1935.
Got that? This building came into existence during the Byzantine age and is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture. It is OLD!
Station for ablution which is ritual purification in Islam.
Giant urn carved out of one solid block of marble.
The mosaic are so impressive!
Marble everywhere and giant chandeliers.
The mosaics are all from the Christian era, while the the Muslim references were added later. Now they are all in there together!
When you think about all the history that has taken place in and around this building, well, it just boggles the mind!
Location:Istanbul
No comments:
Post a Comment