Ayasofya Müzesi, İstanbul. Hagia Sophia Museum, Constantinople. Μουσείο Αγίας Σοφίας, Κωνσταντινούπολη.
The Eastern Roman Cathedral of the Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) in Constantinople, modern day: Istanbul. The largest church for over a thousand years, has seen numerous changes in the past. After the conquest of Constantinople on May 29, 1453 by the Ottomans, it was converted into a mosque by the sultan Mehmet the Conqueror.
The complex remained a mosque until 1931, when it was closed to the public for four years.
It was re-opened on February 1, 1935 as a museum by a degree of the first president of the secular Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal.
Hagia Sophia was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.
I highly recommend anyone who hasn't visit it, to do so!
By the way, when this photograph was taken, Hagia Sophia was still a museum as it has been for 84 years and it was going to be, for approximately another 10 months before its official conversion into a mosque on July 24, 2020. Also, COVID-19 wasn't existed yet. The world was totally unaware of what was about to start in 2 months and 26 days later in Wuhan of China. 87 days to be exact!
© George Voudouris. All Rights Reserved. No usage allowed including copying or sharing without written permission.
Ayasofya Müzesi, İstanbul. Hagia Sophia Museum, Constantinople. Μουσείο Αγίας Σοφίας, Κωνσταντινούπολη.
The Eastern Roman Cathedral of the Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) in Constantinople, modern day: Istanbul. The largest church for over a thousand years, has seen numerous changes in the past. After the conquest of Constantinople on May 29, 1453 by the Ottomans, it was converted into a mosque by the sultan Mehmet the Conqueror.
The complex remained a mosque until 1931, when it was closed to the public for four years.
It was re-opened on February 1, 1935 as a museum by a degree of the first president of the secular Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal.
Hagia Sophia was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.
I highly recommend anyone who hasn't visit it, to do so!
By the way, when this photograph was taken, Hagia Sophia was still a museum as it has been for 84 years and it was going to be, for approximately another 10 months before its official conversion into a mosque on July 24, 2020. Also, COVID-19 wasn't existed yet. The world was totally unaware of what was about to start in 2 months and 26 days later in Wuhan of China. 87 days to be exact!
© George Voudouris. All Rights Reserved. No usage allowed including copying or sharing without written permission.