Painting & Sculpture Museum , MUSEUM IN ISTANBUL ,

Painting & Sculpture Museum ,,,,

Resim ve Heykel Müzesi (The metropolis Painting and Sculpture repository (IRHM) has the excellence of being the primary repository within the field of painting and sculpture in Turkey. it absolutely was inagurated on Gregorian calendar month twenty, 1937 when the chamber of the prince within the Dolmabahçe Palace was allotted for the institution of the repository. 

 collection of the museum :

  The core assortment of the deposit consists of copies of paintings happiness to renowned European painters. cardinal paintings by Turkish painters painted for Meclis-i Mebusan (Chamber of Deputies) by renowned European and Turkish painters so as to exhibit at the Muze-i Humayun (Museum of the Empire) that was placed on Dolmabahçe Street. additionally to the gathering known as “Elvah-ı Nakşiye (Besetted Paintings),”,the first assortment of Constantinople Painting and Sculpture deposit (İRHM) with gifts and lots of others, has enormously strong the Museum’s holdings.

Painting & Sculpture Museum Includes :

  as well as the quite a pair of,000 paintings and four hundred sculptures from each the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, square measure chronologically listed on show for art lovers. within the depository, there square measure collections of paintings by Turkish masters, like Şeker Ahmet Paşa, Giritli Hüseyin, Süleyman Seyyid, Ahmet Şekür, Hüseyin Zekai Paşa, Osman Hamdi (the founding father of the Fine Arts Academy) further because the work of the sculpture, Yervant Osgan, WHO was one among the primary academics of the Academy. This depository begins the event within the field of painting and sculpture in Turkey. Moreover, works of acquainted painters, like Abidin Dino and Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu, further because the works of the many renowned painters and sculptures square measure exhibited within the depository.

 History of Painting & Sculpture Museum:

At first sight, being the extension of the advanced of the Dolmabahçe Palace with rhetorical design that within the 3 stories historic depository fancy with Baroque and Roccoco ornaments and animal figures on the ceiling, that was placed within the walls close the Dolmabahçe Palace,

The depository was closed attributable to a fireplace hazard between the years of 1976 and 1980. After 1980, several new names were extra to the art society with“ The Exhibitions of latest Artists” that was organized with the depository of Painting and Sculpture (İRHM) and “The Association of Painting and Sculpture Museums.”

video about Painting & Sculpture Museum :

Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarayi) , museum in istanbul , turkey

Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarayi),,,,

The Basilica Cistern (Turkish: Yerebatan Sarayı - "Sunken Palace", or Yerebatan Sarnıcı - "Sunken Cistern"), is that the largest of many hundred ancient cisterns that lie to a lower place town of city (formerly Constantinople), Turkey. The cistern, settled five hundred feet (150 m) southwest of the Hagia Sophia on the historical solid ground of Sarayburnu, was inbuilt the sixth century throughout the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.

 

History of  Basilica Cistern ,

 (Yerebatan Sarayi) :

The name of this subterranean structure derives from an oversized public sq. on the primary Hill of metropolis, the Stoa Basilica, below that it had been originally made. Before being regenerate to a cistern, a good Basilica stood in its place, designed between the third and fourth centuries throughout the first Roman Age as an advertisement, legal and creative centre.The basilica was reconstructed by Ilius once a fireplace in 476.
Ancient texts indicated that the basilica contained gardens, enclosed by a colonnade and facing the Hagia Sophia.[consistent with ancient historians, Emperor Constantine designed a structure that was later remodeled and enlarged by Emperor Justinian once the Nika riots of 532, that ruined town.
Historical texts claim that seven,000 slaves were concerned within the construction of the cistern.The enlarged cistern provided a water filtration system for the nice Palace of metropolis and alternative buildings on the primary Hill, and continued to produce water to the Topkapi Palace once the Ottoman conquest in 1453 and into contemporary world.

Medusa column bases :

 

 Located within the northwest corner of the cistern, the bases of 2 columns use blocks engraved with the visage of Medusa. The origin of the 2 heads is unknown, although it's thought that the heads were delivered to the cistern when being far from a building of the late Roman amount. there's no written proof that implies they were used as column pedestals antecedently. Tradition has it that the blocks area unit oriented sideways and inverted so as to negate the ability of the Gorgons' gaze,[citation needed] but it's wide thought that one was placed sideways solely to be the right size to support the column. The means up|the other way up} Medusa was placed that way specifically as a result of she would be a similar height right facet up.[citation needed]

Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarayi) - video:

 

Mosaics Museum , turkey , museum in istanbul

Mosaics Museum istanbul,,,,

The Great Palace Mosaic deposit (Turkish: Büyük Saray Mozaikleri Müzesi), is found near Sultanahmet sq. in Stamboul, Turkey, at Arasta Bazaar. The deposit homes mosaics from the Byzantine amount, unearthed at the location of the good Palace of urban center.

History of Mosaics Museum istanbul:

 

 The repository hosts the mosaics wont to enhance the pavement of a colonnade court, geological dating probably to the reign of Byzantine emperor Justinian I (r. 527-565). it had been uncovered by Turkey archaeologists from the University of St Andrews in Scotland throughout in depth excavations at the Arasta Bazaar in ruler Ahmet sq. in 1935-1938 and 1951-1954. the realm shaped a part of the south-western nice Palace, and therefore the excavations discovered an outsized colonnade curtilage, with a surface of 1872 m², entirely embellished with mosaics. it had been at now that the Austrian Academy of Sciences, supervised by professor. Dr. Werner Jobst, undertook to review and preserve the notable palace mosaic and to hold out extra archaeologic examinations (1983-1997) inside the scope of a cooperative project with the board of directors General of Monuments and Museums in Turkey.
Advised on visiting web site on ordinal Feb 2012 that closed for 6 months for renovation.

 great palace mosaic museum:

 It takes place between Soltanahmet place of worship and Hagia Sophia deposit. Byzantine Empire’s 1500-year-old mosaics area unit exhibited therein deposit. Those mosaics that area unit still protected, includes ninety themes , comprises a hundred and fifty individuals and animals figures. The mosaics’ themes area unit concerning ; looking scenes , fighting animals, free animals , village life , children , myths , exotic creatures.

 Mosaics Museum - video :

 

 A nice very little depository not that faraway from Hagia Sophia and therefore the Blue house of prayer. it's liberated to enter and there are not any tour guides.

Modern Arts Museum istanbul , museum in istanbul , turkey

Modern Arts Museum istanbul ,,,,,,

Opened its doors in December 2004 due to Eczacibasi family, this can be the primary and solely trendy Arts deposit in city. It's housed at restored recent docks in Karaköy district facing Topkapi Palace, with an expensive library, exhibitions, photograph gallery, sculpture yard, movie show, restaurant and memento look. One will notice during this non-public deposit virtually everything on trendy Turkish Arts.

The Building :

 

 The seeds for the İstanbul fashionable project were planted in 1987, throughout the first International modern expo, glorious these days because the International Stamboul Biennial. intended by the interest shown within the event and also the dynamism it contributed to the Stamboul art scene, Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı launched into the project to endow Stamboul with a permanent deposit of up to date Art.

After a protracted quest, the Feshane, a former nineteenth century textile manufactory on the Golden Horn, was regenerate into a deposit of up to date Art. though the building housed the third International Stamboul Biennial in 1991, the Project ne'er reached its long run goal.

From then on, numerous establishments and people wanted to ascertain a deposit of contemporary Art in Stamboul. sadly, these initiatives failing for lack of appropriate area or attributable to difficulties in getting artworks to make the core of the permanent assortment.

The fate of the Project modified all over again in 2003, once the fourth warehouse on the Galata pier, close to the Mimar Sinan Academy of Fine Arts, served because the main venue for the eighth Stamboul Biennial. when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gave his approval for the permanent use of the location, the Project’s main obstacle was removed. The 8,000 centare dry loading warehouse, in hand by the Turkish Maritime Organization, was remodeled into a contemporary deposit building with all corresponding functions.

Description of  Modern Arts Museum istanbul :

 

 The Modern options exhibition area on 2 floors: work from the museum's permanent assortment, further as a store and eating house, area unit set on the highest floor, whereas temporary exhibitions area unit set on the lower floor, beside a cinema and humanities library.

Museum of Modern Art Istanbul

"Van Gogh"- video :

Sadberk Hanım Museum , museum in istanbul , turkey

Sadberk Hanım Museum,,,,,

The Sadberk Hanım Museum (Turkish: Sadberk Hanım Müzesi) is a private museum located at the Bosporus in Büyükdere neighborhood of Sarıyer district in Istanbul, Turkey, which was established by the Vehbi Koç Foundation in memory of Vehbi Koç’s deceased wife Sadberk. The museum is open every day except Wednesdays.

 Sadberk Hanım Museum - outside :

 

 The building was purchased by the Koç family in 1950, and was used by them as a summerhouse until the decision to convert it into a museum was taken in 1978. The conversion into a museum was carried out between 1978 and 1980 according to a restoration project that had been prepared by Sedat Hakkı Eldem. It opened its doors to the public on October 14, 1980 with the Sadberk Koç collection on display.

 History of Sadberk Hanım Museum :

 

 Sadberk Hanım Museum was founded by Koç family in memory of Vehbi Koç’s decedent wife Sadberk Hanım. Sadberk Hanım Museum is consist of two apart buildings. One of them is a structure which was built in nineteenth century, and called Azaryan Yalısı" while the other one is a structure which was built in twentieth century, and called “Sevgi Gönül Binası” (Sevgi Gönül Wing).
The Azaryan Yalı was purchased by Koç family, in 1950 and used as a summer house for years. The building had been restored between 1978 and 1980 years by a project which was belong to Sedat Hakkı Eldem. After the restoration was completed, it was opened as a museum on October 14th 1980 to exhibit the collection of Sadberk Koç.
The other building was purchased by Koç family to exhibit the Kocabaş works which were added to Sadberk Koç’s collection in 1983. The building was also restored by a project which had been prepared by İbrahim Yalçın. Restoration of the building was completed in two years and opened on October 24, 1988 as a museum with a name of “Sevgi Gönül Binası” (Sevgi Gönül Wing).

Video Sadberk Hanım Museum,,,,

Calligraphy Museum, museum in istanbyl , turkey

Calligraphy Museum,,,

 

The Istanbul Museum of Calligraphy houses one of the richest collections of calligraphy art in the world. It is situated inside a former medrese (religious school) which formed part of the Beyazit Mosque complex. The building, which later also served as the local library, surrounds a pretty courtyard. 

 

Calligraphy Museum - overview :

 

The Islamic art of calligraphy was born out of artists' desires to express themselves under a religion where the production of images of people and animals was forbidden. During the years of the Ottoman Empire, calligraphy flourished and many of the most beautiful examples of Islamic calligraphy were produced during this time period.

The Istanbul Museum of Calligraphy houses a large collection of medieval calligraphy including Korans, wall hangings, tools, official documents and 'tugra'- seals containing the signature of sultans.

Calligraphy Circle :

 

Also on display are examples of calligraphy from Sultans Abdülmecid, Ahmed III and Mahmut II- who were experienced calligraphy artists - and a Koran reading desk which belonged to Sultan Abdulhamid II. There are also examples of calligraphy on stone, glass and tile.

video Calligraphy Museum :

 

 Frommer's Review :

The fine art of calligraphy was the most important one in the Ottoman Empire. Sultans Beyazit II and Ahmet III were themselves masters in the art, and some of the more elaborate imperial seals (or tugra) were set to paper by their hands. Dedicated entirely to this art, the Museum of Calligraphy is the only one of its kind, housed in what was originally the medrese of the Beyazit complex, and in the 20th century, a municipal library. The museum exhibits illuminated Korans from all over the empire, tugras, official documents in elaborate script, and various tools of the trade, all displayed in the evocative workrooms set around a porticoed courtyard. The museum was closed for restoration on my last visit, so call ahead before going.

Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum , museum in istanbul , turkey

Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum

The Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum (Turkish: Türk ve İslam Eserleri Müzesi) is a museum located in Sultanahmet Square in Eminönü district of Istanbul, Turkey. Constructed in 1524, the building was formerly the palace of İbrahim Pasha, who was the first grand vizier to Suleiman the Magnificent.

 

The collection includes notable examples of Islamic calligraphy, tiles, and rugs as well as ethnographic displays on various cultures in Turkey, particularly nomad groups. These displays recreate rooms or dwellings from different time periods and regions. 

Description of  Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum,,,

 

 The museum is housed in the restored Palace of Ibrahim Pasha, a sumptuous residence built by Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent's Grand Vezir (and intimate friend) Ibrahim Pasha (served 1523-1536). What you see is only part of the original structure, whose foundations date from about 1500.

Ibrahim Pasha was such a close friend and confidant of Süleyman's, and had such influence over the monarch, that the sultan's wife, Roxelana (Hürrem) was worried. When Ibrahim supported the candidacy of Prince Mustafa to be successor to the throne, rather than that of Roxelana's son Selim, Roxelana acted.

view  Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum:

 

 The best art was religious art during the Ottoman Empire, just as it was in medieval Europe.

Turkish carpets, illuminated Kur'ans, calligraphy (at which the Ottomans excelled), carved and inlaid wood, glass, porcelain and stone are well displayed..

video Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum :

 

 Istanbul's Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art (Türk-Islam Eserleri Müzesi), on the Hippodrome across from the Blue Mosque (map), is a treasure-house of beautiful objects from the Ottoman (14th to 20th centuries), Seljuk (11th to 13th centuries), and earlier periods beginning in the 8th century.

Atatürk Museum , museum in istanbul , turkey

Atatürk Museum :

 House where Ataturk lived and worked before the War of Independence during his stay in Istanbul between 1918 and 1919, originally was built in 1908 and restored by the Municipality of Istanbul in 1943, opening to the public in 1981. Top floor of this building was reserved to His mother Zubeyde Hanim and His sister Makbule, meanwhile Ataturk used middle floor for himself and lower floor for His loyal officer.

About Atatürk Museum :

 

 Atatürk Museum (Turkish: Atatürk Müzesi) is a historic house museum dedicated to the life of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Turkey. It is located in the district of Şişli, on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey.
It is located in a three-storey house built in 1908. Atatürk rented the house after returning from the Syrian Front and lived there with his mother and sister. He lived there until May 1919 when he went to Samsun. The building was bought in 1928 by the Istanbul Municipality and Atatürk's belongings were stored there. The house was converted to museum and opened to visitors on June 15, 1942 as Atatürk Revolution Museum.

 Newly-acquired Ataturk Memorabilia in the Rahmi M. Koç Museum in Istanbul

 

 Many may visit the Museum simply to relive the novel, others to visualize it in object, others to commemorate the author’s legacy, and others to satisfy a curiosity for the absurd. But like any museum, there are two types of visitors for whom this very site exists. The first are those who come to reaffirm, commemorate, and satisfy their faith in what is, and the second are those who come to deconstruct and unsettle the orderly. The prior see the museum as a compliment to what exists, reifying it and the latter see it as an corruption of what is. From the little that has been written so far about the museum, it appears even the Turkish press has embraced the prior. It is seen as one in a long string of museums worldwide dedicated to the celebration of writers such as the Dickens House and Museum, the Musee de Victor Hugo in Paris (built in 1903), and the Alexander Pope grotto-turned-museum. However, I have a nagging suspicion that while the majority of visitors to this museum will be those who admire and embrace, Pamuk’s intention is to deconstruct and gently satirize history—individual and collective—in modern Turkey.

Ataturk Museum,Osmanbey,Istanbul

 Nothing that special but if you fancy a short trip on the metro from Taksim, then this does it.
Ataturk lived here with his mother after returning from the Syrian front.
He held secret meetings here before going to Samsun to start the war of independence.
Contains pictures and personal belongings.

Fethiye Mosque (Pammakaristos Church) Museum , MUSEUM IN ISTANBUL , TURKEY

Fethiye Mosque (Pammakaristos Church) Museum,,,,

 Pammakaristos Church, also known as the Church of Theotokos Pammakaristos (Greek: Θεοτόκος ἡ Παμμακάριστος, "All-Blessed Mother of God"), in 1591 converted into a mosque and known as Fethiye Mosque (Turkish: Fethiye Camii, "mosque of the conquest") and today partly a museum, is one of the most famous Byzantine churches in Istanbul, Turkey. The parekklesion, besides being one of the most important examples of Constantinople's Palaiologan architecture, has the largest amount of Byzantine mosaics in Istanbul after the Hagia Sophia and Chora Church.

Location of Fethiye Mosque (Pammakaristos Church) Museum

 

 The building is located in the Çarşamba neighbourhood within the district of Fatih inside the walled city of Istanbul. Theotokos Pammakaristos overlooks the Golden Horn.

 History of Fethiye Mosque (Pammakaristos Church) Museum 

 

 According to most scholars, the church was built between the eleventh and the twelfth centuries. Many historians and archaeologists believe that the original structure of the church can be attributed to Michael VII Ducas (1071–1078), others put its foundation in the Comnenian period. It has also been suggested by the Swiss scholar and Byzantinist Ernest Mamboury that the original building was erected in the 8th century.
A parekklesion (a side chapel) was added to the south side of the church in the early Palaiologan period, and dedicated to Christos ho Logos (Greek: Christ the Word).[3] The small shrine was erected by Martha Glabas in memory of her late husband, the protostrator Michael Doukas Glabas Tarchaneiotes, a general of Andronikos II Palaiologos, shortly after the year 1310. An elegant dedicatory inscription to Christ, written by the poet Manuel Philes, runs along the parekklesion, both outside and inside it.
The main church was also renovated at the same time, as the study of the Templon has shown. Following the fall of Constantinople, the seat of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate was first moved to the Church of the Holy Apostles, and in 1456 to the Pammakaristos Church, which remained as the seat of the Patriarchate until 1587.
Five years later, the Ottoman Sultan Murad III converted the church into a mosque and renamed it in honor of his Fetih (Conquest) of Georgia and Azerbaijan, hence the name Fethiye Camii. To accommodate the requirements of prayer, most of the interior walls were removed in order to create a larger inner space.
The complex, which was neglected, has been restored in 1949 by the Byzantine Institute of America and Dumbarton Oaks, which brought it back to its pristine splendor. While the main building remains a mosque, the parekklesion has since then been a museum.

 Architecture and decoration in Fethiye Mosque (Pammakaristos Church) Museum 

 

 The Comnenian building was a church with a main aisle and two deambulatoria,[6] and had three apses, and a narthex to the west. The masonry was typical of the Comnenian period, and adopted the technique of the recessed brick. In this technique, alternate coarses of brick are mounted behind the line of the wall, and are plunged in a mortar's bed, which can still be seen in the cistern underneath and in the church.[1] The transformation of the church into a mosque changed the original building greatly. The arcades connecting the main aisle with the deambulatoria were removed and were replaced with broad archways to open up the nave. The three apses were removed too. In their place toward the east a great domed room was built, obliquely with respect to the orientation of the building.
On the other side, the parekklesion represents the most beautiful building of the late Byzantine period in Constantinople. It has the typical cross-in-square plan with five domes, but the proportion between vertical and horizontal dimensions is much bigger than usual (although not so big as in the contemporary Byzantine churches built in the Balkans).
Although the inner colored marble revetment largely disappeared, the shrine still contains the restored remains of a number of mosaic panels, which, while not as varied and well-preserved as those of the Chora Church, serve as another resource for understanding late Byzantine art.
A representation of the Pantocrator, surrounded by the prophets of the Old Testament (Moses, Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Micah, Joel, Zechariah, Obadiah, Habakkuk, Jonah, Malachi, Ezekiel, and Isaiah) is under the main dome. On the apse, Christ Hyperagathos is shown with Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist. The Baptism of Christ survives intact to the right side of the dome.

sorce : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pammakaristos_Church

 

 

St. Savior in Chora (Kariye) Museum , museum in itanbul , turkey

St. Savior in Chora (Kariye) Museum , museum in itanbul , turkey

The Chora Church, or Kariye Museum in Turkish, has one of the best examples of Byzantine mosaic art. The museum today is located at Kariye neighborhood near Edirnekapi city walls over the Golden Horn. Originally a Christian church, it was converted into a mosque after the Conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans, and after the Republic it became a museum.

view of St. Savior in Chora (Kariye) Museum , museum in itanbul , turkey,,

 

The church was originally built in the early 5th century outside the first wall of Constantinople, as the name Chora means "countryside" in Greek. It's original name was St. Saviour in Chora and it was a small monastery just outside of the city. Later on, it was destroyed by earthquakes and abandoned for many centuries until the area was inhabited after the city walls were enlarged thus the neighborhood remained within Constantinople.

Chora church was rebuilt in the 11th century by Maria Ducaena, the mother-in-law of Alexius I Comnenus. It was restored in the 12th century by Isaac Comnenus after some earthquakes and finally rebuilt again by Theodore Metochites, responsible of the Byzantine treasury and the art at that time, in the 14th century. Most of the mosaics and frescos we can admire today are from this last restoration.

byzantine chora museum :

 

 History of St. Savior in Chora (Kariye) Museum , museum in itanbul , turkey

The first church on this site was built in the 4th century as part of a monastery complex outside the city walls of Constantinople. This is the reason for the "in Chora" part of its name - chora zonton means "in the country" in Greek. The present building dates from the 11th century.

The interior was restored and richly decorated with mosaics and frescoes in the early 14th century by Theodore Metokhites, Grand Logothete of the Treasury.

When the church was converted into a mosque in the 16th century, the Byzantine mosaics were covered in plaster. This protected them for several centuries. They were first uncovered in the 19th century, but the government ordered that those in the prayer hall section of the mosque be re-covered.

American archaeologists uncovered the mosaics for good during World War II and the church-turned-mosque became a secular museum in 1947.

 

When the church was converted into a mosque in the 16th century, the mosaics were plastered over. A 19th-century architect uncovered the mosaics but was ordered by the government to re-cover those in the section of the prayer hall. American archaeologists Whittemore and Underwood finally uncovered these masterpieces during World War II, and although the Chora became a museum in 1947, it is still often referred to as the Kariye Camii.

video St. Savior in Chora (Kariye) Museum , museum in itanbul , turkey

 

 The Kariye Museum has the best Byzantine mosaics in Istanbul, similar to the ones in Ravenna - Italy. Many mosaics in the narthex and inner narthex describe the life of Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary, with citations from the Old and New Testaments. In the Paraclesion, which is the side corridor, you can view great frescoes such as the Resurrection (Anastasis) or the last judgment (Deesis). In the nave, the Dormition of the Virgin (Koimesis) mosaic is impressive. During the visit of the church you're not allowed to use flash while taking photographs.

Haghia Sophia (Aya Sofya) Museum , mussem in istanbul , turkey

 Haghia Sophia (Aya Sofya) Museum , mussem in istanbul , turkey

The ancient Byzantine church, built by Justinian I between 532-537 AD after the Nika Riot, was later converted to a mosque with the addition of minarets in mid-15th century. The remarkable structure with its 56m high immense dome is a museum today in which you can see both Christian and Islamic art. There are good examples of the Byzantine mosaics as well. For about 1000 years this was the largest church in the world, and glory of the Byzantine Empire.

 Haghia Sophia (Aya Sofya) Museum , mussem in istanbul , turkey - Overview

 

 Hagia Sophia, once the greatest church in the Christian world until its conversion into a mosque in 1453, is now one of Istanbul’s most well known and breathtakingly beautiful museums.

The Byzantine emperor Justinian I had Hagia Sophia built, in all its glory, in under five and a half years. Completed in 537AD, this patriarchal basilica remained the largest cathedral in the world until 1453, when Constantinople was conquered by Ottoman armies and Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

Prior to its conversion, the interior walls were covered with marble and porphyry, as well as beautiful mosaics which included 30 million gold tiles depicting various religious scenes. Its massive columns are made from granite.

Hagia Sophia is rectangular in structure, measuring 70 metres by 75 metres with a massive central dome. Its dome made it the focus of intense architectural interest and wonder; with a height of 55.5 metres and a diameter measuring 31.24 metres, it appears to float on its arches. This was achieved by the construction of triangular piers at the corners of the base and by a sequence of arched windows under it, allowing vast amounts of sunlight into the building.

The Crusaders ransacked Hagia Sophia in 1204. In the wake of their destruction and desecration they also robbed the cathedral of many of its relics, shipping them to Venice, and replaced its Patriarch with a Latin bishop. This event ultimately served to divide the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches.

Hagia Sophia was used as a model for many other mosques including the Blue Mosque which stands opposite it. During its conversion to a mosque, all the traditional Christian elements such as its altar, bells and iconoclasts were removed. As Islam prohibits the representation of figures, the mosaics and frescoes were plastered over and replaced with geometric designs, gold, wood and mother of pearl. Two minarets were later added, along a prayer niche, pulpit, ablutions area, tombs and an elementary school. Large medallions inscribed with Islamic calligraphy were suspended from the mosque’s dome in the 19th century and are still visible today.

The Museum’s Upper Gallery, where the church council would sit, includes many of the best preserved mosaics and Christian imagery, while the lower level contains the greatest concentration of Islamic art and functional elements of a mosque.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the secular Turkish Republic, had Hagia Sophia converted into a museum in 1935 following extensive restoration led by Thomas Whitmore of the Byzantine Institute of America. In the process, a compromise had to be made as many of the covered Christian mosaics and icons were exposed, resulting in the destruction of the Islamic art which had replaced it. In this regard, the restoration project has attempted to strike a balance between the two religious styles. The Museum’s restoration is ongoing, visible by the scaffolding inside.

 The interior of Hagia Sophia Ayasofya-Istanbul

 

 According to many Hagia Sophia, is the prime example of Byzantine architecture. We made it to Hagia Sophia on our first full day in Istanbul and manage to beat the lines by purchasing a Museum pass which you can find just next to the main entrance being sold from a mini-van. Once inside, the grandor and history of the mosque/church was all around us. It looks old, and I was a bit surprised but how some of it looks so rundown, but I guess that is what time does.

Hagia Sophia as a long history, and particularly impressive are the early 13th century mosaics on the second floor. Many of them were covered for hundreds of years due to its conversion to a mosque. Also impressive to me, and the subject of this photograph, are the chandeliers on the main hall and throughout the building. You can’t see it here, but they are just above your head as you walk about.

From a photograph perspective, this shot was made at ISO 800 at f4. I’m continuously impressed at how good the files out the Canon 5D Mark II are. I purposely composed the people out of the shot, and had to skew the right bottom corner a bit in Photoshop to remove some of the heads that poked out, and align the image a little bit. During post, I applied individual curve layers for each major section of the interior. I then used a black and white layer to de-saturate the image, and brought some of it back on the lights of the front most chandelier. I then toned the image slightly with another curves layer, and finaly added a vignet.

video of Haghia Sophia (Aya Sofya) Museum , mussem in istanbul , turkey

 

This is a short video of the interior of the Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia) Museum in Istanbul, Turkey. The magnificent Ayasofya was originally built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 537 AD, and it was used as a church for 916 years. It then became a mosque for 481 years, and Turkey's first President, Atatürk, declared it a museum in 1935.