Hagia Sophia, or how to walk around in an orderly fashion

 One of the biggest and best sights in Istanbul is the Haghia Sophia (Aya Sophia), which is this amazing building in the middle of Sultanahmet.  It has been many things, including a mosque and a Christian church as well, but now it is a museum.  Therefore, no shoes had to be removed, and poor Ange didn’t have to cover her head – of which I might post a pic if I’m feeling particularly evil.

 Above is part of the maze of tunnels we had to walk to get to the top of the building.  It went on forever, or so it seemed, but we eventually got to the top.

 This is the sight that greeted us at the top.  Amazing, isn’t it?  The space was vast, and there were many guards, ordering us to go in the right direction.  I didn’t realise we had to walk one way.  It seemed a little pointless as we had to come back towards the guard anyway because it was a dead-end.

 I loved the stained glass, and this pic is a close-up zoomed effort from the very top.  I’m really pleased with the detail on this one.

 Venturing to the bottom floor, can you see my shadow?

I was pretty surprised to find lots of references to Christianity, as you can see here the Virgin Mary peeping through the chandelier. An awe-inspiring place, a must-see when going to Istanbul.