Built by the Emperor Justinian (well by his workers and slaves) and consecrated in 537. When Mehmet "the conquerer" took the city in 1453, he did converted it into a mosque. And it subsequently became the model for all subsequent mosques...including the Suilyemaniye which I posted about yesterday.
I got to the grounds early in the morning and, having bought a three day
"museum pass", was able to get inside before the arrival of hordes of tourists (often being ushered in groups of 20 or more). So I was able to spend time in the dark quiet of its side galleries.
The building is now officially a museum which has allowed the government to sanction the restoration of some of its mosaics which had been whitewashed over as Islam does not sanction depictions of humans in mosques (and, sometimes, not anywhere).
These mosaics, some of which depict the emporer and his wife as supplicants but also reinforcing their positions as avatars of Christ on the earth. It is one of those examples of how religion can be used to justify the powers of political rulers. Such as the empress Zoe, the halo surrounding her head given her spiritual as well as temporal authority.
Divine Wisdom I guess must be different from regular wisdom...though I am not sure how to tell the difference. I am not sure that either had much impact on many of my tourist friends who seemed to be spending a lot of time taking selfies in this once holy setting.
Perhaps they did not sense that the eyes of Divine Wisdom were yet holding them in its gaze.
Location:Haghia Sophia
