There is so much in the Aya Sofya to explore that we decided to spend a little more time here exploring the Byzantine treasures and marvels.
The minibar...
A view of the narthex from the nave...
Artwork representing lifeforms i considered un-Islamic, which is why quite a few mosaics were destroyed or covered in plaster, when the Aya Sofya was transformed into a mosque. But a few survived, probably because they were too high for the workmen to reach up...
A marble jar...
We moved upstairs to explore further...
The creepy walkway up was reminder of the centuries gone by...
A view of the apse and the minibar from upstairs...
The lovely ceiling of the first floor gallery...
The Empress Lodge...
Posing...
Marble door from the 6th century...
Intricate Islamic designs - most of these are geometric designs...
A 13th century mosaic panel - the Deesis Mosaic. This mosaic depicts the Virgin Mary, John the Baptist, and Christ and is generally regarded as one of the greatest examples of Byzantine artwork...
This is an artist's impression of how the mosaic would have looked like, originally...
This 11th century mosaic of Christ flanked by the Emperor Constantine IX Monomachus (offering a bag of money) and Empress Zoe (offering an inscribed scroll)...
This 12th Century mosaic shows Virgin Mary and infant Christ with Emperor John II Comnenus and the Empress Eirene on the sides...
The warm Mediterranean afternoon...
And the Sea of Marmara...
The Sultan Ahmet Mosque or the Sultan Ahmet Camii in the background...
A clearer view of the lehva...
And it's time to say goodbye to Aya Sofya, a chilling reminder of the Byzantine Empire at its peak...
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