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Day 40: Some buildings are so old, so beautiful and so steeped in history that they make you gasp. Aya Sophia (also known as Haghia Sophia or Aya Sofya) is one of them. Aya Sophia makes the Blue Mosque across the way look like a new kid on the block. The Blue Mosque was built by Sultan Ahmet in the early 17th century; Aya Sophia dates back, incredibly, to the reign of Emperor Justinian and was completed in 537. How buildings of the size, scale and architectural magnificence of Aya Sophia were built in such a short time frame, centuries ago, without so much as a cordless power drill, remains a mystery to me.

Back in the day it started its life as a church. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire it was converted to a mosque with the addition of four minarets, some deft internal rearrangements, and a lick of paint.

Now, some of the original mosaics and frescos have been restored. High on the roof of the eastern half-dome, there is a depiction of the Virgin Mary and child framed as it were by later Islamic inscriptions - a beautiful and unique embodiment of the double religious life of this holy space. On the gallery level on the southern side, a golden mosaic insightfully captures Christ in an expression of pure compassion with eyes that have seen so much.

More photos at flickr.