Istanbul (Turkey)
19 September 2016
19 September 2016
Flights in and out of Tbilisi occur mid-morning, as in, the
3am sort of mid-morning where you internally debate the validity of sleeping as
it seems a redundant concept. What this early departure time means therefore is
that it puts you on the ground at your next destination at awkward hours, leaving
you to remain tenuously supported by the
quality of sleep that can only be uniquely defined by economy class seats,
turbulence and calisthenics at 40,000 ft.
Our flight out of Istanbul to Belgrade was leaving at
1600 that day which meant that we had 9hrs of time in the lovely city of
Istanbul. Unfortunately we spent close to 3hrs of the allocated 9 hours spread
out over a few benches right in front of the baggage carousels in the arrival
halls. Sleep, no matter how brief or strangled, can be sweet when you
desperately need it. During this morning all I really recall of those truncated hours was the human tide
filling the hall and then washing away past me through exit signs and barriers.
A wash of travellers moving with the rhythm of global flight arrivals.
When the both of us eventually came to our senses later
in the real ‘mid-morning’, i.e., around 10am, the plan that we had for the day
was to get into the city centre in the suburb (area) of Faith and see both the Sultan
Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) and Hagia
Sophia. Both world renowned structures for their offering to incredible
architecture, their sheer enormity and
religious significance.
Sultan Ahmed Mosque "Blue Mosque" - Istanbul - Turkey
Sultan Ahmed Mosque "Blue Mosque" - Istanbul - Turkey
Sultan Ahmed Mosque "Blue Mosque" - Istanbul - Turkey
On first sighting you recognise quickly that Sultan Ahmed Mosque has scale, it is
enormous! It’s size and grand posture certainly gives the building an aura and
sense of overwhelming power. The mosque itself has five main domes, six
minarets and eight secondary domes. It’s final design being the culmination of
nearly two centuries of Ottoman mosque development. It incorporates some
Byzantine Christian elements of the neighbouring Hagia Sophia design with
traditional Islamic architecture.
Standing inside and witnessing the space it envelopes and occupies just
makes you wonder at both the audacity and human intellect & ability to be
able to complete a project of this magnitude.
Sultan Ahmed Mosque "Blue Mosque" - Istanbul - Turkey
Sultan Ahmed Mosque "Blue Mosque" - Istanbul - Turkey
Sultan Ahmed Mosque "Blue Mosque" - Istanbul - Turkey
Sultan Ahmed Mosque "Blue Mosque" - Istanbul - Turkey
Sultan Ahmed Mosque "Blue Mosque" - Istanbul - Turkey
Sultan Ahmed Mosque "Blue Mosque" - Istanbul - Turkey
Sultan Ahmed Mosque "Blue Mosque" - Istanbul - Turkey
The interior of the mosque is lined with more than 20,000
handmade ceramic tiles and the upper levels of the mosque, dominated by a blue
paint colour, have more than 200 stained glass windows. Standing there was
simply impressive and something that I’d always wanted to do considering it has
always been an iconic and symbolic structure of the city that straddles Europe and Asia. Istanbul.
Hagia Sophia juxtaposed with Sultan Ahmed Mosque,
is just as grand in size as Sultan Ahmed but
far more attractive in terms of its interior and overall design. Incredibly
moody and atmospheric, there’s a weight and presence inside the building that is
captivating. I often wonder how inanimate objects can be so revered , but
standing under the grand dome it’s not difficult to understand why it’s held in
such esteem and apotheosized.
Formerly a Greek Orthodox patriarchal cathedral, later
becoming an Ottoman mosque, and now a museum, this building has worn many hats
during its time. Built in 537 AD at the beginning of the middle ages, it became
famous for its massive dome and was at one stage in time the world’s
largest building. A true marvel of
engineering.
Hagia Sophia - Istanbul - Turkey
Hagia Sophia - Istanbul - Turkey
Hagia Sophia - Istanbul - Turkey
Hagia Sophia - Istanbul - Turkey
Hagia Sophia - Istanbul - Turkey
The building has a tumultuous history, entering and
exiting many phases of ownership throughout its life. As recently as this year,
2019, Turkish President Erdogan made the suggestion that Hagia Sophia should once again be turned into a mosque, ending its
tenure of being a museum since 1935 after Turkey became a secular nation in
1927.
As one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine
architecture, the interior is decorated with mosaics and marble pillars and
coverings that have immense artistic value. The temple itself was so richly and
artistically decorated that Justinian proclaimed, ‘Solomon, I have outdone thee’.
Hagia Sophia - Istanbul - Turkey
Hagia Sophia - Istanbul - Turkey
Hagia Sophia - Istanbul - Turkey
Hagia Sophia - Istanbul - Turkey
Hagia Sophia - Istanbul - Turkey
Hagia Sophia - Istanbul - Turkey
Hagia Sophia - Istanbul - Turkey
Hagia Sophia - Istanbul - Turkey
Vast, impressive, heady. So many much that can be felt
from just a building. Certainly it stand as testament to human endeavour and
capacity, especially when driven by an assumption of the divine.
Istanbul - Turkey
Istanbul - Turkey
Another iconic building of Istanbul and indeed the world,
I feel fortunate to have spent a few hours in its shadows simply appreciating
it.
