Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, which was earlier a Patriarchal Orthodox Cathedral and later a mosque, and now a museum, may once again become an active mosque, the Sabah newspaper reports.
Repairs are underway. A mimbar – a platform for the imam — is planned to be built in the museum.
Earlier, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said during a visit to the museum that fundamental changes should be made in Hagia Sophia.
Hagia Sophia was built in Constantinople, now Istanbul, in 537. After Mehmet II conquered the city in 1453, the church turned into a mosque.
via Hagia Sophia in Istanbul may become mosque – Trend.
Scanning across the divide of Europe and Asia along the Bosporus Strait, I recognized the beauty and significance of Istanbul, Turkey. Standing as an epicenter of religious culture and history, I was awed by the gracious people, delicious kebabs, and mosaic detailing inside every architectural wonder. While my time was far too brief, I know that this visit was the first of many, and only a mere introduction to the Eurasian world I had heard so much about.
No one flatters a young American woman, like myself, more than a Turkish man. My traveling companions and I braved the streets of the Grand Bazaar only to hear catcalls referencing “Charlie’s Angels” and the “Spice Girls”. One man even asked for medical aid, for we were “so beautiful, we were breaking his heart.” Amidst the unusual flattery was a certain irreplaceable charm that made us giggle and move on to the next attraction of the day. Each businessman spoke impeccable English and mastered his use of charm in order to persuade one from thinking rationally. An older Turkish man nearly had us convinced that his store was the only location to buy real magic carpets. At that point I realized the wit and clever spark of the city was enough to keep me smiling all day.
While the Hagia Sophia and Taksim offered stunning scenery and vibrant local nightlife, it was only when a voluptuous older Turkish woman was scrubbing down my body like a dirty saucepan that I began to understand the grace and kindness of Turkish culture. What began as a spontaneous decision to skip yet another tourist attraction, led us to the wonderfully uncomfortable experience of a traditional Turkish bath (Hamam). My cohorts and I diverged from touristy travel and into this Turkish treat of relaxation, cleanliness, and naked women. Since we chose this specific bathhouse, it was very clear that we were the only women there who did not regularly attend, and we were the only women who did not speak a word of Turkish. After a chaotic conversation in a combination of confusing hand gestures and Turkish, we were led into the large sauna and bath area smelling of steam and a musty soap. Our flip-flops sopped in the water on the ground, as I slowly removed my towel to begin the bath experience.
Eventually, the shock wore off and I began to enjoy and love the tough-love of Turkish pampering. I lay down on the hot stone, and was surprised to find how soothing the Turkish woman’s voice was as she sang Islamic prayers. Her voice echoed in the bathhouse, and I began to feel at ease as the other women began to hum along. Not only was Istanbul a beautiful city, but it was also filled with an assortment of citizens ranging from the eccentric and clever street vendors, to the religious and tranquil women in the bathhouse; a perfect duality representative of the city itself. I left the bathhouse feeling refreshed, raw, and regretting that I could not stay forever.
via “Istanbul not Constantinople” | Tripped Media.
Vice-President Hamid Ansari made a personal pilgrimage here on Friday, the penultimate day of his six-day tour of Turkey, offering prayers at the mosque of his ancestor Eyup Sultan, revered as a companion of Prophet Mohammed.
PTI Vice-President Hamid Ansari with his wife Salma Ansari at the Hagia Sophia Museum in Istanbul on Friday
Accompanied by his wife Salma, Mr. Ansari arrived early for the first of his engagements for the day, and offered prayers after walking through its rain-swept courtyards and portions under renovation.
Ebu Eyyub El-Ansari, the official brochure says, is one of the distinguished disciples referred to as host of the Prophet and a fellow soldier of the Messenger of God because he had played host to Him in his home for six months during His migration to Medina.
Later, Mr. Ansari, along with the delegation which included Union Minister Mukul Wasnik and MPs Sitaram Yechury, Vijay Pal Singh and Ingrid McLeod, visited the Sultan Ahmed Mosque and the Hagia Sophia museum, which was previously a church, famous for its massive dome and considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture.
via The Hindu : News / International : In Istanbul, Ansari keeps his date with ancestor’s mosque.
Not everyone who visits Temple Square in Salt Lake City is Mormon. Catholics aren’t the only ones who trek to St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. And the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, draws tourists of all faiths.
For most international travelers, visiting religious sites is inevitable. They are hubs of history, repositories of art and often skyline-dominating, cultural behemoths. But they also are often living places of worship that demand a certain level of respect and decorum. Sometimes tourists don’t know all the rules when visiting sites outside of their own faiths. And sometimes they forget to show proper respect in their zeal to sightsee.
Travel expert Rick Steves, who has authored numerous travel guides, said visiting world religious sites is a worthwhile endeavor.
“If we’re all God’s children,” Steves said, “it’s great to get to know the family.”
But he emphasized it’s important for tourists to remember their place.
“If you have a huge church,” Steves said, “that’s been there for 1,000 years, built to facilitate worship, and there’s two people sitting in one pew actually using the church for what it was built to do, their needs should trump everyone else’s needs who come as tourists and sightseers.”
The Salt Lake Tribune asked Steves, a virtual staple on public television, and Stuart M. Matlins, co-editor of the book How to Be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook and publisher at SkyLight Paths Publishing, for their thoughts on visiting religious sites as a tourist.
They both said whether visiting the gargoyle-topped Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, the sacred Western Wall in Jerusalem or the stately Westminster Abbey in London, common rules of respectfulness apply.
via Your guide for proper etiquette at sacred sites | The Salt Lake Tribune.
The Aya Sofya, in the Sultanahmet district, is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Istanbul. The structure, which is well over 2000 years old, was first used as patriarchal basilica, later as a mosque and is now a museum. Photo Credit: Kat Russel
Who knew that an email could change the course of my life? It certainly wasn’t what I was expecting when I opened the mass email my adviser had sent out. But there it was – opportunity knocking, and opportunity’s name was The Istanbul Project.
If the universe saw fit, I was to study journalism in Istanbul for five weeks through ieiMedia — an intensive international journalism program.
Whether or not I was going to be able to pull it off was questionable. I am a single mom and a fulltime student, and making that work is hard enough without me being in a different country. On top of that, I’m not exactly swimming in pools of excess money.
I was forced to weigh the pros and cons of the situation – could I justify spending five
weeks away from my son? Could I justify the future financial burdens that would result from my going? Did the benefits of such an opportunity outweigh the cons? In the end, I concluded they did and with that, my journey began.
The months before my departure were a whirlwind of preparation. There were countless emails back and forth with the program administration, the professors, and my future classmates.
I spent many evenings glued to my computer researching possible grant and scholarship programs. There were applications to be filled out and essays to write and letters of recommendation to collect. I had to get my transcripts in order and mailed out. Not to mention the finalizing of the actual trip details. On top of all of that, let’s not forget homework doesn’t take a vacation simply because I had a trip to plan. It was madness.
About a month before my departure, I received some of the best news I could have. All my hard work researching and applying for grants and scholarships had paid off. I had received a $5,000 scholarship from the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship fund to pay for my study abroad experience.
I was shocked! While I was researching financial-aid possibilities, I always found a reason why I didn’t qualify for that grant or why I wasn’t going to get this scholarship. However, one of the most valuable lessons life has taught me thus far is to not let the details keep me from trying. Lesson learned and reaffirmed.
With all my ducks in a row, Istanbul became tangible. Istanbul beckoned. Anticipation and excitement and fear and anxiousness all had their way with me. I was going to Istanbul.
There are likely many students who would love to have the opportunity to study in another country. Over the next few weeks, I will share my adventures in Istanbul ranging from studying abroad, to experiencing a drastic shift in perceptions, to finding unexpected romance.
I hope my experiences will inspire you to take a chance, fill out an application or two, and see what the world has to offer.
via Istanbul Adventures: My Study Abroad Experience | Daily Sundial.
Visited the stunning Hagia Sophia today in Istanbul, Turkey. What a place, it’s been three times that I’ve been to Istanbul and every time the line scared me, today I sucked it up and went in, worth every drop of sweat waiting in line, the building is truly magnificent and a UNESCO World Heritage Site for good reason…
The Hagia Sophia which means “Holy Wisdom” in Latin, has a pretty long history dating back over 1700 years. For most of it, served as a Orthodox patriarchal basilica, then a mosque and now a museum. The old saying “they don’t build them like they used” to comes to mind in a most serious manner.
The building is literally a monstrosity and you can spend hours wandering around it even though for the most part it’s a very large open concept. Naturally the focal point being the central dome which considered the true essence of Byzantine architecture and some say it “changed the history of architecture.” Supposedly it had been under scaffolding for ages and is now prime-time to visit.
The building stayed as a church until 1453 when Constantinople aka Istanbul was conquered by the Ottoman Turks and ordered to be converted into a Mosque, so you know… For almost 500 years it was the primary mosque of this city and naturally served as the primary model for further Ottoman mosques with the most famous being the Sultan Ahmed Mosque which is best known as the Blue Mosque. in 1935, it opened as a museum.
If you’re in the area, it’s quite hard to miss. It’s located near the Blue Mosque and is simply majestic. Always knew I’d be back and would have to see it then, if you’re in the area, recommended. Will also suggest that if you wish to take photos, arrive early as it gets crowded fast. It will cost you 20 Lira to get in which is roughly 10 euros.
Apart from checking out the mosque, just hung around doing very little today. Will note something of interest… The price of clothes here are so cheap that it’s almost not worth doing laundry through a service unless you love your gear. Besides the obvious architecture, rich history and culture, Istanbul is a hot spot for shopping, best place I’ve seen outside of SE Asia.
Also hit up the post office, let me give you some adivce. You will be told to get a ticket, the English one will say something like 500 when they are serving number 93. You’ll wait for about 2 dozen numbers before you lose your cool and head to the desks. Then they tell you that letter mail has no numbers and there is no line at the desk to your left. I’m sure there is a skeleton corpse of some all too polite tourist who has been sitting there since 1987.
Not sure how much longer I’ll be in Istanbul, quickly becoming my third home.
Tips hat,
via The Stunning Hagia Sophia in Istanbul | Stop Having a Boring Life.
Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, which was earlier a Patriarchal Orthodox Cathedral and later a mosque, and now a museum, may once again become an active mosque, the Sabah newspaper reports.
