Turkey

Small outdoor food mart. They just cut pieces put on their bread and here you go.  

                                          Open fruit stands were every 20 ft. Their specialty is                                                                                pomegranate/orange drink

                                         Along our walk to the bazar there were hundreds of                                                                                 little shops like this.

                                      Entering the Bazar. The Bazar was part of the Silk Road

                                  Many open air spice markets. Great smells when you walked by.

 The Basilica Cisterns was a reservoir like area where they kept the water in the 900AD. It was held up by 300 + columns 9 meters high and held up to 5 meters constantly

     

  

                        Senior Couples serving in Turkey. from left to right, The Eagars, Lynch, Us

                                                          Hagia Sophia Cathedral

                   This Cathedral was built 3 time the first 2 out of wood. The 3rd time out of stone.
The Hagia Sophia, also known in Turkish as the Aya Sofya, has been around for 14 centuries, surely justifying its meaning of "Holy Wisdom". It's seen a lot over these 1400 years. It's been at the heart of the Byzantine Empire, then the Ottoman Empire, and now the Republic of Turkey. http://www.nevworldwonders.com/2013/07/preview-hagia-sophia.html

     

                      Emperor's Door                 

It is the largest door of Hagia Sophia dated to 6th century, which provides passing to the main structure from the inner narthex section. The Emperor door is 7 meters in length and made of oak and has a bronze frame. The leaves of the door are coated by bronze plates. The door had been used only by the Emperor and his retinue. East-Roman references says the door could be made of the woods of Noah's ark or the wood of the chest of which the Jewish holy plates kept in.                         If you look just above the mans head where that notch is you can see an outline where the arms of a cross was. They removed them when they changed it to a  mosque.

Door where the emperor wife would enter by guards who would lift her up on a bed like carrier and bring her upstairs to watch the gala affairs.

This is where they would take her and she would sit on a very high throne in the middle between the 2 very close candle spires. The 4 spires mean something but I don't remember what it is.
The Loge of the Empress is located in the centre of the upper enclosure, or gallery, of the Hagia Sophia. From there the empress and the court-ladies would watch the proceedings down below. A round green stone marks the spot where the throne of the empress stood.

                                         This would be her view from her perch. It would be looking                                                                   down where the emperor was seated to welcome the activities.
                                           

                            This small mosaic Deisis Composition is what the big one below                                                                     looked like before it became weathered from the elements

Ioannes Prodromos ( John the Baptist) on the right and Virgin Mary on the left and in the middle Pantocrator(a title of Christ represented as the ruler of the universe) Jesus Christ are located. In the mosaic, Virgin Mary and John the Baptist's prayers to Jesus Christ for the mercy of people during the doomsday are portrayed. 

                           Picture from inside cathedral from open window of local mosque.
Part of this pic I took was out of 1 of six windows. If I remember correctly they would always place six windows where needed but only 4 would be real windows the other two windows on the left side would be solid wall but they painted it to look like windows. They did this to help secure that particular wall from earthquakes.

                                                                                    Komnenos Mosaic

Emperor II. Ioannes Komnenos, his wife Hugarian origin Eirene and their son II. Aleksios are placed in the mosaic. In the middle of the composition you can see Virgin Mary standing with Jesus Christ in her arms. Writing around the emperor's head says "Emperor of Romans Porphyrogennetos Komnenos" (born in porphyry saloon) and this writing is an indication of loyalty that he was born during his father's reign. The writing around the empress's head says "Religious Augusta Eirene". Empress Eirene was the daughter of Hungarian King Laszlo and she was portrayed as typical Middle European with braided ginger hair, colored eyes, white skinned and ruddy cheeks. On the side of the board you can see Prince II. Aleksios who was partnered to the crown by his father in 1222 and died at a young age from illness. In the mosaic you can see the prince's essential lineaments shrunk and pale face because of the illness. This mosaic board symbolizes the donations made by the emperor's family for the restorations of Hagia Sophia.

Omphalion

Omphalion is the location where the coronation of every Emperor took place in East-Roman Era and a special section with a group of circular marble slabs with various colors and dimensions and decorations in opus sectile styles in junctures. 

Nice Doors

It is the oldest architectural element which had been used as compilation in Hagia Sofia which is dated to the B.C. 2nd century and located at south exit of inner narthex. The door is decorated with plant and geometric relief designs had been removed from a pagan temple belonging to the Ancient Period in Cydnus and brought by Empire Theophilos (829-842) and placed to its current location in 838. The Emperors of the East-Roman period was entering into inner narthex through this door known as the Nice Door or the Vestibule Door and passing to the main structure therefrom in royal ceremonies. The scripture of "God and Christ Help Us", the words of Emperor Theodosius, Emperor Michael, Emperor Theophilos, Empress Theodora and Michael Niktion and monograms representing the year 838 are written on the bronze door leaves. 

Muezzin’s Loge

is the section in the same direction of Mecca which the Muezzin go up on it and prays during prayers and other worships. A large Muezzin’s Loge had been built at the east of the main place in Murat III period, however since the place is so large and the community is too crowded, four more Muezzin’s Loges had been appended in the structure.

The great rounded calligraphic panes on the walls of the main place had been written by Kadıasker Mustafa İzzet Efendi who was one of the famous calligraphers during the repairs between 1847 and 1849 of Sultan Abdülmecid period (1839-1861). Rounded calligraphic panes with 7.5 meters of diameter are written by gilt on green background made of hemp. There are 8 of these panes containing the names of Allah, Muhammad, and the four caliphs, namely Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali as well as the grandsons of Muhammad, namely Hasan and Husayn. The wooden hangers of the panes are made of lime since it is light and durable. The calligraphic panes are the largest ones in the Islamic world.

Dome Angel Figures

The pendentives feature four un-identical angel figures. It is believed that these one headed six winged angels (seraphim) protect the Lord’s Throne in Heaven. The angels featured in the East are composed of mosaics whereas the two in the West have been damaged during the Eastern Roman period and have been renewed as fresco. The faces of the angel figures featured on the pendentives were covered up with star shaped metallic lids during the Ottoman period. During the mosaic renovations in 2009, the lids covering the angel figures’ faces were opened and revealed.

Komnenos Mosaic 

Emperor II. Ioannes Komnenos, his wife Hugarian origin Eirene and their son II. Aleksios are placed in the mosaic. In the middle of the composition you can see Virgin Mary standing with Jesus Christ in her arms. Writing around the emperor's head says "Emperor of Romans Porphyrogennetos Komnenos" (born in porphyry saloon) and this writing is an indication of loyalty that he was born during his father's reign. The writing around the empress's head says "Religious Augusta Eirene". Empress Eirene was the daughter of Hungarian King Laszlo and she was portrayed as typical Middle European with braided ginger hair, colored eyes, white skinned and ruddy cheeks. On the side of the board you can see Prince II. Aleksios who was partnered to the crown by his father in 1222 and died at a young age from illness. In the mosaic you can see the prince's essential lineaments shrunk and pale face because of the illness. This mosaic board symbolizes the donations made by the emperor's family for the restorations of Hagia Sophia.  Mosaic board dates back to 12th century.

                                                                   And now today

                   We saw this at a mall in Turkey as we were eating lunch. Of course Robin bought 6