Hello from Istanbul. This is the Hagia Sophia, which was constructed in 537 under Justinian I as the state church of the Roman Empire. It was a Christian church until the fall of Constantinople and the start of the Ottoman Empire in 1453, when Mehmed the Conqueror converted it to a mosque.
When the sultans were ousted and the Republic of Turkey was declared under Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1931, Hagia Sophia was closed for four years and then reopened in 1935 as a museum. Two years ago the current Turkish regime reclassified it as a mosque, a change that met strong international criticism.
Magnificent!
ReplyDeleteWow, Jack.
ReplyDeleteThis is certainly one of the most amazing buildings in the world. Wish people would just accept it for what it is and not limit it to a single religion.
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