Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Fantastic Mosques and other Religious buildings






These are pictures of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque (interior pics). Sophia was built in 360 A.D. "From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the Greek Patriarchal cathedral of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople of the Western Crusader established Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931, when it was secularized. It was opened as a museum on 1 February 1935," according to Wikipedia.

The famous Blue Mosque was built by Sultan Ahmed in the early 16oo's. It is beautiful. The towers you see in both pictures are the minarets where the call to prayer broadcasts from speakers near the top.










Finally, here I am in the "little Sophia" mosque (with required head scarf and legs/shoulders covered). You can see the lovely carpeted area where Muslims pray.










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