Visiting the Hagia Sophia is a journey through centuries of history and architecture, marveling at its intricate mosaics and the blend of Byzantine and Ottoman influences. Similarly, exploring the Basilica Cistern offers a surreal experience, walking amidst ancient columns and the tranquil ambiance of this colossal underground reservoir, a hidden gem of Istanbul’s past.
Long story short on my first night I ended up in a carpet shop and had the whole sales talk done to me in the form of an ‘I will teach you about Turkish carpets’ lecture. Needless to say with my small daily budget I did not buy any carpets. I was a little put out that I had been led there under the pretense of finding some late night baklava. However, all in good fun I say.
The next day I had to laugh when I was ‘befriended’ by an older man in Hagia Sophia who very nicely pointed out the highlights of this beautiful building. Oh no he didn’t want any money this was just his hobby. I was grateful when he was able to walk me straight into the Basilica Cistern without having to stand in the long queue. But shortly after him ‘wanting to show me something nice’ I knew we were headed for another carpet shop. At that stage I had been walking since 9am that morning and it was now about 3pm and I was exhausted. So I went along with it and burst into laughter when I realised it was the exact same carpet shop as the night before. How hysterical! So ladies if you are ‘befriended’ by a strange man or have an offer of taking you somewhere – all for free – it’s never free, of course. I guess it depends how much you want to go along with the game I suppose. There were some benefits for me but I did waste a bit of time.
Ok back to Istanbul and the Hagia Sophia or as it’s known in Turkish the Aya Sofya. It has, to me, the most beautiful interior of the buildings in the Sultanahmet area. The nave is huge, actually the whole interior is enormous. The church was originally commissioned by Emperor Justinian. It was consecrated as a church in 537. The chandeliers which are relatively close to the floor and are very pretty, the medallions inscribed with gilt Arabic letters and the elevated kiosk where the sultan worshipped were added in sometime after 1453 when it was made a mosque by Mehmet the Conqueror.
The main entrance into the nave is crowned with a mosaic of Christ the Pantocrator (Ruler of All). The dome measures 30 metres in diameter and 56 metres in height. Everything in here is large scale. There is an exquisite 9th century mosaic of the Virgin and Christ Child in the apse. The background tiles are gold making it quite alluring.
The Weeping Column located in one of the aisles has a legend that says St Gregory the Miracle Worker blessed it and by putting one of your fingers into its hole it can heal your ailments if your finger comes out moist. The Aya Sofya was made into a museum by Atatürk in 1934.
The next place I went to was the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarniçi in Turkish). This was commissioned by Emperor Justinian too. It is an underground structure which was built in 532 underneath the Stoa Basilica. It is the largest surviving Byzantine cistern in Istanbul and there are 336 marble and granite columns. There is certainly a symmetry and beauty here and I can understand why the James Bond film From Russia With Love made use of it and filmed one of the scenes here. The columns are all 9 metres high and are arranged in 12 rows. There are two Medusa heads (one upside down and one on its side) which would have been under water when the cistern was in operation. The cistern held up to 80,000 cubic metres of water for regular summer use in the Great Palace as well as for times of siege. I loved it down there – so atmospheric!
