Aya Sofya is very thought-provoking. The site represents a tug of war between Christianity and Islam because it started off Roman, later became a mosque, and is now a museum. Ruins of the earlier two versions of the building are underneath. Sinan added mosque features but also reinforcements. The needs changed and so did the building, and I think that is the way it should be.
Not everyone agreed though, because I did overhear some unhappy Christians say things like "...because Muslims cannot tolerate representation of people in a mosque" or "When the city becomes Christian again, then..." Maybe I was looking for trouble though because I've had too much Crusade and Mehmet the Conqueror exposure from the guide book, but at the very least you can say that people have fought bloody wars over their ideologies and that this building shows how the winners change things to suit themselves. The comments reminded me of those four guilded horses in Venice at the Basilica di San Marco captured during the 4th Crusade. They came from The Hippodrome here in Istanbul.
The calligraphy in Aya Sofya looked tacked on, because, well, it was. Some of the other Islamic additions looked nice though, like the pulpit and another area where the Sultan would pray. Also, the Islamic library in Aya Sofya had the most beautiful tile work. The Christian mosaics from pre-1453 were impressive and I came away with a feeling that the two sides each had their own strengths. Aya Sofya is almost 1000 years older than the Blue Mosque and has an impressive size which seems to put it "ahead" technologically. However, the Blue Mosque is prettier and better proportioned on both the outside and the inside. The mosaics in Aya Sofya and the capitals of its interior columns were incredibly ornate and beautiful as well, and the Islamic calligraphy and blue tiles in the Blue Mosque were equally beautiful.
I saw more sights on my walk down Divan Yolu and stopped to see the impressive Museum of Calligraphic Art and Suleymaniye Mosque. Then I had dinner at Hamid et Lokantasi overlooking the Golden Horn and Galata Bridge on the fifth floor solarium. I ordered an excellent eggplant and lamb kebab, yogurt drink, fruit plate, and çay, and afterwards got Baklava with grated pistachio on top from the baklava place downstairs from the restaurant.
Then I headed to the Spice Bazaar nearby and got S-- some Turkish Delight from the best place in Istanbul--Hafiz Mustafa Sekerlemeleni after I bought some great Turkish coffee from Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi Mahdumları. After a visit to the Yeni Camii, which may have the prettiest interior of any of the mosques I've seen, I walked across the street to Eminönü and ate my baklava sitting on stairs by the Golden Horn as I looked over the water at Beyoglu. I think the Blue Mosque is prettiest outside, Suleymaniye Mosque has the best viewpoint, and the exterior views while standing between the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofya are unbelievably beautiful. I really saw some special things today. Tomorrow I will no longer be "The Sultan", but I will still love Istanbul.
No comments:
Post a Comment