The Hagia Sophia: A 1,475 year-old church and a cross-eyed celebrity cat

Rob and I went to the Hagia Sophia this morning. A massive and so beautiful…place?  It’s hard to think of the right word for a Greek Orthodox basilica founded in 532 that was then turned into a mosque and that is now a museum.  Regardless, the Hagia Sophia is my favorite thing we’ve seen in Istanbul so far.

The Hagia Sophia is an important example of religious art and architecture from the last 1,500 years. The original marble, carvings and mosaics were layered over with plaster and Islamic patterns when it was converted to a mosque.

They’re still uncovering some of the original gold mosaics.

About 10 stories up, there’s a balcony that you can explore to overlook the whole scene.

I love the mustard, gold, black and blue color scheme….which I’m just realizing I coincidentally was wearing when I went to the Hagia Sophia. That worked out!

We even managed to meet Gli, the cross-eyed cat who lives at the Hagia Sophia and has become an internet celebrity. As you can see here, I was really excited about the sighting!