James Gaston

Map of Turkey

Blue Mosque

Inside the Hagia Sophia 17 Aug 2020 Inside the Hagia Sophia 17 Aug 2020 Istanbul, Turkey --

Just finished a New Yorker, the June 22 issue with George Floyd on the cover, which I found full of thoughtful articles. The history of ignored civil rights commissions. On the ground with the protesters in Minneapolis. The southern state prison system that could be mistaken for a plantation in the pre-civil-war American south. The year 2020 sure isn't making out to be the shiny new future I was expecting.

Speaking of being stuck in the past, today I'm looking at photos of a very old building in Istanbul. The Hagia Sophia was built in 537 and was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years. It has also been a mosque and a museum and is now a mosque again. It was a museum when these photos were taken. You can of course read about it on wikipedia.

Inside the Hagia Sophia

This shot was taken with a wide angle lens, 11mm on APS-C. Still I wish I'd taken a panoramic set of photos that I could stitch together.

Inside the Hagia Sophia

This shot was taken with a wide angle lens, 11mm on APS-C. Still I wish I'd taken a panoramic set of photos that I could stitch together.

Inside the Hagia Sophia

This shot was taken with a wide angle lens, 11mm on APS-C. Still I wish I'd taken a panoramic set of photos that I could stitch together.

Kathy and Paul in Hagia Sophia

Ceiling of Hafia Sophia

Hagia Sophia

The Hagia Sophia is a popular site to visit. There was a line at the entry gate and many people inside.

Hagia Sophia

The Hagia Sophia is a popular site to visit. There was a line at the entry gate and many people inside.

Hagia Sophia

The Hagia Sophia is a popular site to visit. There was a line at the entry gate and many people inside.

Hagia Sophia

Checking out the history

Map of Turkey

Blue Mosque