I was lucky enough to go to Istanbul and visit the Church/Mosque/Museum called Aya Sophya. It is a great place to go on a layover or if you decide to non-rev here. What is incredible is this huge dome was first a Church. Then it was converted to a Mosque, not by any archeological changes, but by changing a name and then plastering over the Christian Mosaics. Later it was converted to a Museum to preserve the history of both religions. Aya Sophya in English means the Church of Devine Wisdom which is ironic since it represents two ideologies which seem diametrically opposed but in reality are extremely similar in beliefs and there are many examples. Here are a few.
First commissioned around 530AD by Emperor Justinian, its goal was to restore the grandeur and power of the Roman Empire. It was finished in a remarkable 7 years and was the greatest church in Christendom. It is similar to the Pantheon, a huge Attraction in Rome which was a temple to the Roman Gods until it was converted to a Christian Church. What is fascinating is that in Milan there is a domed church built around the same time with a statue of Constantine in front and Roman columns behind that. It is much different from the modern churches in Europe that are in the shape of a cross. But then in 1453 the city of Constantinople was conquered by the Islamic Turks. Instead of raising the Church to the ground, Mehmet the Conqueror converted it to a Mosque… just like that. No destruction was brought upon the church. Only the tiled mosaics where covered in plaster because Islam does not believe we should draw the picture of the prophets. To this day, Aya Sophya is the crown jewel of mosques and all others are compared to it.
Today the Church/Mosque is a Museum which means it can be preserved for posterity. The cost may be a little steep, but the history you are seeing is incredible. This was the Rome of the East. It is where the New Testament of the Bible was created. It is, and always will be a mystery that will be unfolded for years to come. They are finding mosaics that have be covered up for over 500 years. If you come to Aya Sophya, you will discover that we have a lot more in common in the world.
To see more on the Attractions in Istanbul, go to the Istanbul Section of NonRevWebsite.com. To see more great attractions like these, go to NonRevwebsite.com.