While visiting Istanbul, I knew a visit to the gorgeous mosques was a must. After I was finally able to tear myself away from the Bazaar, I made sure to visit Hagia Sophia, a former mosque now turned museum, and it was so very elegant and beautiful. The lights inside were stunning. Some of the lights hung pretty low and I could feel the warmth from the bulbs – it was absolutely radiant!
I spent nearly three hours inside the Hagia Sophia. There’s a lot to see, and all of it is fascinating. This is the kind of place where even the floors, doors and walls have stories to tell.
As impressive as the mosaics are, they can’t compete with the church’s dome: a true architectural wonder. With 40 windows that allow in abundant light, the dome creates an illusion of immense space. Standing down at ground level, looking up, it’s hard not to feel insignificant.
Despite being one of Turkey’s top visited attractions, the Hagia Sophia has a calm and quiet atmosphere. I think I can correctly assume that everyone who steps inside is likewise in awe.
With its cascading domes and six minarets, next to Hagia Sophia is the Blue Mosque.
The fact that the Blue Mosque has six minarets is very unique, as most mosques have only one to four minaret. According to our tour guide, one of the stories is that the Sultan directed his architect to make gold (altin) minarets, which was misunderstood as six (alti) minarets.
Upon entering, I tilted my head all the way back to take in all the tiles. The sight was incredibly pretty. Prior to my visit, I had seen gorgeous shots of the tiles up close, but unfortunately, access to get close to the tiles is now blocked off due to visitors having pried a bunch off!
The mosque has a breathtaking interior of tens of thousands of blue tiles and the upper levels of the interior are dominated by blue paint. More than 200 stained glass windows with intricate designs admit natural light, today assisted by chandeliers.
I heard that this mosque turned museum may revert back to a mosque, and after my visit, I can completely understand the desire to want to preserve this incredible place of architecture and beauty.
