The Hagia Sophia

 "Your faith was strong, but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah"

 

The history of Istanbul is completely bonkers. 

Standing on the edge of both Europe and Asia, acting as a bridge between the two, wars and battles were fought constantly for the city and the land it occupied. On this ground you get the sense of it's grand importance. Looking around at the land and the scenery, you can tell why this city served as the capital for three major empires (the Roman, Latin, and Ottomans). At one point the largest city in the world, and referred to as simply "The City" there is nothing diminutive about Istanbul. It is quite factually, the living witness to the rise and fall of numerous empires and rulers. 

Taksim Square

The Ancient Istiklal Street 

 

This history is never more apparent then when you stand in front of the Hagia Sophia. 

The Hagia Sophia 

It's name means Holy Wisdom in Greek. It was first erected as a Byzantine (Eastern Roman empire) christian church after Constantine I legalized Christianity and made Constantinople the capital of the empire.

It was built into the grand structure it still represents today by Justinian I, where it stood as the world's largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years. 

 

When Constantinople fell to the Ottoman empire, it was converted to a Mosque, and the Christian images it contained began to share room with Muslim calligraphy and images until the Christian ones were plastered over. Today all the images are seen together, creating a stark reminder of the contentious nature of humanity. In Muslim practice, they do not lie to display images of saints or prophets so the issue of covering these pictures is ever present. 

 

It was converted to a museum when Turkiye's first president (Ataturk), came into power as a way to usher the city of Istanbul into modern relevance. It has since been converted back into a mosque in a somewhat controversial move by the current administration. Some say this was a purely political move to appeal to the religious fundamentals. The great Blue Mosque is right next door.  

 

The 'call to prayer' is something that can be jarring the first time you hear it. I always remember the first time I experienced it as a young-ish backpacker in a Muslim neighbourhood of Phuket, Thailand. I was staying in a sweltering hot hotel room in the heart of the island city and couldn't sleep. At about 7:00 am (they start at the first sign of the sun) I heard a surreal and almost ghostly cry from a very powerful speaker that could be heard for miles across the city. 

I immediately went out onto the balcony to listen to this. Having never heard it before I was stunned into silence. 

After living in Thailand for a few months, and then now spending 2 weeks in a very Muslim Turkiye, the call to prayer kind of blends into the various chaos of the rest of the city. 

 But man, standing in front of the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque and all the incredibly palpable history of Istanbul, it hit me hard.