European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 5, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Magazine is Sophia was for 900 Yean a Cathedral in the City then known a constantinople it served at a mosque from the 1453 turkish Conquest until 1935, when Ataturk it made it into a museum. Its enormous dome wag the largest in the world unlit a Peter s was built in Rome. Insights in Istanbul guided tour1 of St. Sophia for stars stripes t was in 19g4, alter i had been in Turkey almost four years that t had my first Opportunity to really explore Istanbul i headed straight Lor St. Sophia s. In front Otino Entrance a Young Man approached me. Would you like a guide sir Fie asked. No thank you i said. Me was about 28 years old nicely dressed in a Blue suit Wilh Shirl tie his English appeared to be very Good. But i had Learned lion i Raveling to historical places around Turkey that Iho guides Only repeal whal is written in Iho guide Hooks usually verbatim. Also they Herd you like cat lie from one place to another whether you Are ready to move on or not. I remember one time standing atop the spectacular ruins of Bergama with a Small group of tourists listening to a pretty turkish girl who was reciting stuff i had already read in the guide Book. I decided to wander Over to the Edge of a precipice to see what was below. Come Bach she scolded like a third Grade school teacher there s Noah my Over i continued on in spite of her badgering looked Down. She was right there was nothing Over there to see. I Felt like a bad boy As i walked Back to the group att Sophia s,1 was sure i did t need a guide since i had my Hachette Blue guide Wilh me. Only 10 lira Iho Young Man said rather insist Nelly no thank you i said again politely but firmly. Thai s Only one Dollar in american Money he said actually in s one Dollar eleven cents i said the Legal Rale is 9 to 1, you know so whal. You americans Aie where did you learn your English Texas 1 Sun air Force Pilot there i Moonlight hic Ai a on weekends come on. Only a buck1" twas amused Al to hard ill technique beguiled by his Costian 1 of american Slang. Dul \ had l in Ray studied my Blue guide Well the night before at the Hilton so i went in alone. Constantine the great built the Basilica in . 325 on a Sile previously occupied by Pagan temples to dedicated it to Hattia Sophia which moans holy Wisdom in greek. Ii burned Down twice before the present fireproof edifice was rebuilt by the crop crop Justinian in 548. He ransacked the world for the most Beauli Lul building materials for his Basilica while Marble from the Island of Delos purple porphyry from the Temple of Jupiter at Baalbek especially the Green Marble pillars from the Temple of Diana at Ephesus. One of the seven wonders of the world. It took 10,000 workers 16 years to comp Tele St. Sophia s which is now considered to be a byzantine masterpiece. When at last Justinian entered the Basilica Tor the dedication according to tradition to is said to have cried out of Solomon i have outstripped shoe the Interior is awesome. The soaring dome is so High t Felt like an insect. I just stood there breathed the top of the dome is 160 Teet from the floor that s Over 13 stories High the diameter of the cupola is 101 feel. It seems to be floating. The bricks used to build the dome were specially made in rhodos of a material so Light that 12 of Ihm equated the weight of one Ordinary Brick. The Over daring dome collapsed in an earthquake 11 Yoars later so the architect reduced it in diameter Resinto Rcd it with thick outside Walls a thousand years later on the evening of May 29, 1453 the very Day constantinople Tell to Iho ottomans Mehmel Iho conqueror Rode into 31 Sophia s on his horse ordered in to be converted into a mosque. Five Hundred years later in 1935, Al Lurk ordered it to be designated a museum so i did 1 have to Lake my shoes Oil when i enl cod i roamed everywhere Book in hand looking at the Blue Turquoise Liles that wore made Al Nicca nearby the huge Alabaster urns which one of the Sultani sole trom Ephesus to use for Moroni ablutions since there Scro no washing facilities outside the Moique in if past the once stood. Sultan saturday. September 5. 1987 Mehmel had inserted a Cru grab out of killer with the rest of the Walls because it had to indicate the direction of Mecca. Then i climbed up to the women s gallery to see some Christian mosaics which had been plastered Over by Mehmet which Al Lurk had ordered uncovered scholars have called Thorn the finest mosaics of the byzantine period when i came Back Down i saw my Texas guide herding a group of american Lou Nils around i stood on the outer fringe of the group listened for a while pretending to look at the ceiling my god1 he was tolling whom things thai Woren l in my Boltie guide. This is called Iho weeping column he said. Put your hand in Here you Wilt feel the tears. Other guides will Tell you it is miraculous water which will cure Eye diseases bul actually. The column is very porous the water seeps up trom the roman Cistern below. However i do Noj recommend you rub it in your eyes. Some of the More humane sultans used to drown their enemies in the Cistern before beheading them. Now it is merely stagnant i of dead everybody said Yum now folks Tel s go this Way he said. Heading right in my direction. I scurried off in a different direction hoping he would l see me. Then i followed hid behind a pillar listening to every Ward he said. Notice this Circle on the door Wilh twelve individual circles of different coloured Marble they represent the twelve apostles thai Largo Circle in the Middle-15 Jesus at Iho Cardinal Points of the Compass North South East end West you will notice thai the slabs Are larger than Whoso on either Side they represent the four evangelists Luke. Matthew Mark John those marbles were imported Tom Ortii vim the world a careful a am i Ihrk you re stepping on Judas now. Follow me since 1 could t ice which Way Ina Gong. I Wao startled when to passed right not Lomo in must have known i was him re there in the Lumen said under his Bic Al. You " i As too ashamed to i my 51 Sophia s in 0.531 Ace the stars stripes Page 13
