This amazing building was originally built as a church in 537, used from 1453 as a mosque, and was opened for public view as a museum in 1964.

During this time it has endured numerous earthquakes which have cracked its 56m high dome, while the tile mosaics have been covered over on more than one occasion during the Ottoman period.

Although it has now been restored, the magnificence wasn't all apparent. Ongoing works at the time of my visit, covered half the dome with a huge construction of scaffolding (15 floors high), which looked rather out of place in such a building. It allowed me to get a reasonable idea of the building, but not in its full splendour.

You could spend hours looking through all the different nooks and crannies, but on a limited timescale, a quick stroll was all I could manage.

I was impressed by the huge green lavahs (painted wooden shields) which hang at gallery level. They are covered in Persian script which date from restorations of the Fossatis in 1847. The six levahs are spread areound the interior of the dome and add to the visual splendour of the building.

One interesting feature is the column of St Gregory the Miracle Worker, in the near laft corner when you enter the main room. Dating from his visit in 1200, there are still believers that kiss the brass or rub their shoulders and breasts against it, hoping that it will cure their pains.

For everyove else, putting your thumb in the hole worn by many others before, and rotating your hand around full circle will bring good luck (see photo). While those that have eye afflictions, the moisure inside the cavity, should cure this, or at least improve your fertility.

The outside grounds also hold many interesting relics as well. Several tombs of Ottoman Sultans are to be found in the gardens to the south of the building, as well as ruins from another imperial construction which you pass on the left as you enter the complex.

I would have loved to have seen the Aya Sofia in its full beauty, not covered in scaffold. But, if this is what has to be done to preserve this treasure for future generations, then I'm more than willing to come back at a later date.

The six imposing minarets and the great dome are surely the first things you will notice, even from a distance. It is from these great heights that the call to prayer (see journal entry) is announced each day via loud speakers.

After entering through the courtyard, you walk around to the south west side to the tourist entrance. Is is essential to take off your footwear here (plastic bags supplied), also that females who are not fully clothed cover themselves, otherwise you will not be allowed into the building.

Once inside, you will find the floors covered with rugs which make it very comfortable for sitting and absorbing the serene atmosphere and straining your neck to the roof of the central dome which stands at 43m high.

The light that streams in is all natural, coming from the 260 windows which were all originally stained glass from the 17th century. Many fell into disrepair towards the end of the Ottoman Empire and are now being replaced by modern imitaions.

Take note of the size of the huge pillars that support the upper levels and also of the intricate tile designs that weave their way around the walls and ceiling of the main area and also the four semidomes surrounding the larger one.

This is definately a venue if you feel the need for relaxation or some sort of spiritual experience, but remember that you are invading someone else's place of worship.

After donning your footwear at the exit, the plastic bags for your footwer are collected and there is a desk for donations, a worthy gesture as there is no actual entry fee.

As with a visit to any mosque, you must remove your shoes (they'll give you a plastic bag to put them in)and shorts and short skirts are frowned upon. For those who come to pray, there are areas outside where you wash your feet before entering the mosque.

The inside is a large, open area and you realize just how huge this place is. There are no statues since the Muslim faith forbids worship of images. The walls and ceilings are covered with blue tiles and the floors are covered with rich carpets. Numerous stained glass windows let in light and are supplemented with large circular light fixtures that are suspended from the ceiling. Metal rods run along the ceiling to protect the structure in the event of an earthquake but they are placed so that they almost blend into the overall design.

Sitting on our hotel balcony one Friday afternoon, we were amazed to see armored vans and police in riot gear drive into the area near the mosque. Nothing came of it and we were told later it had just been a precautionary measure since Friday can be a volatile day at the mosques. Supposedly, there had been skirmishes with police in the past but we didn't see or hear of any problems during our stay in Istanbul.

Cost to visit the mosque was 500,000 Turkish lira and it is closed during prayer times.

It is considered to be Islam's greatest and most beautiful mosque and the only one to have 6 minarets. It is called blue appropriately, as no less than 20,000 tiles from Iznik adorn it. It is an even more awesome sight at night, when it is lit. As we arrived in Turkey, it was well past midnight, and as we made a turn onto Sultan Ahmet Square, I caught a glimpse of one of the minarets bathed in light and gasped. I had no idea what splendor awaited us when we would walk through its chambers.

You are welcome to visit the mosque, but you must remove your shoes, and cover your head, shoulders, and no shorts either. If you don't have the proper attire, they will provide you with coverings. All the floors are covered with carpets, as the worshipers are either on their knees or with their head to the ground, praying. They always face east, which is the direction of Mecca.

Natural light enters the interior of the mosque through 260 windows; there are 36 domes as well. The mihrab (niche) and mimber (pulpit) are carved in white marble. In the center of the mosque's courtyard is the ablution fountain. The stained glass windows are not the original ones, but nevertheless, the harmony has not been disturbed.

The Blue Mosque was built almost 1000 years after Aya Sofia, and comparisons are still made insofar as their domes, with Sofia's being much more daring in design whereas four massive pillars do hold up the Blue Mosque's dome.

This mosque had its own medresi (religious school), a soup kitchen for the poor, a hammam (bath) to assist worshipers in washing. Ahmet I's tomb is also found here along with his 2 brothers.

Sofia was built in the early 500's (yes, that's five hundred) and managed to survive many earthquakes. What is yet another wonder is its main dome: this vaulted dome appears to have been built with absolutely no columns to support it, as with similar type constructions. Emperor Justinian had this built by 2 mathematicians to attempt to restore the "empire's" greatness. Building time took nearly six years, employing over 10,000 workers.

As you enter the museum, there is a strong evidence of gold everywhere; there also exists a harmony between the master dome, and the subdomes. The windows are positioned in such a way as to flood the center with light. When the church was turned into a mosque by Mehmet in 1453, many of the images were covered with plaster and not destroyed. A massive restoration is going on at Aya Sofia to recover the images, lend more support to the arches, and enhance the mosaics. The most impressive mosaic is right at the exit door, through which we came in actually, depicting Madonna and child in the center, flanked by emperor Justinian and Constantine making offerings to her. There are other gorgeous mosaics to be seen as well as large medallions inscribed in gold with names of Allah, the prophet Mohammed and 5 other caliphs. These names are found in every mosque we saw.

The Mihrab was installed; this is the steps which lead to the pulpit (called the Mimber) where the Imam will lead the worshippers in prayer. If you look carefully at the walls, you will see the marbleized patterns which inspired the first paper marblers (see journal on Caferaga Medresesi). The chandeliers which hang low above the floor are huge; equally huge are two alabaster urns near the entrance, which serve for pre-prayer ablutions.

The second level was reserved for women, as they are not allowed to worship in the same space as men. To get there, you need to take a ramp, and it's an arduous walk up. Well worth it, as the view from every possible angle is breathtaking. There is yet another weeping, or sweating column where you may test your thumb.

Despite the fact that 4 minarets (one of them red?) were added to Aya Sofia, there isn't a single note of discordance in the architecture outside, or the co-existence of Christian and Muslim symbolism inside. Admission is about US$5.00