The Wonders of Hagia Sophia

There is simply nothing else in the world like the Hagia Sophia:


It would be a spectacular building at any age, but at 1,500 years old, entering the great room takes your breath away:



The tile work in the entry hall is stunning, and the mosaic portraits in the balcony even more so:



There's only one thing wrong with the picture: the place was defaced -- there is no other word for it -- with huge signs in Arabic during the years under the Turks when it was used as a mosque:


While the Arabic writings are religious in nature, the effect is roughly the same as if Christians had reconquered Constantinople and hung crosses and pictures of Jesus in the Blue Mosque. It's unfortunate that they're allowed to remain.

But the grandeur of the space goes on regardless.