In the Museum of Ayia Sofia (or St. Sophia's Cathedral) in Istanbul, I have long wanted to get away. I flew to Istanbul on July 22, 2013 and settled in a hotel in the historic center of Sultanahmet. Although we and visaver with Turkey, we decided to buy tickets for the plane and order a hotel through the tourist operator, as this is, on the one hand, reliable, and on the other, it guarantees a shuttle to the hotel and back to the airport. All the most famous cultural monuments of Istanbul are in Sultanahmet, five minutes walk from our hotel. Therefore, if you are planning a trip to Istanbul not for clothes and sweets, but a cultural and historical nature, then better buy tickets in Sultanamet and through a travel agency. So you not only do not spend money on transport, but not get lost. In Istanbul lives at least 15 million people, English owns not so much, as I would like, and the Russian almost no one understands. Therefore, make advantage of the adventure in search of the hotel and make out through a travel agency.
In the hotel we bought the Istanbul map: I was in Russian, but I repeat - in Russian in the center of Istanbul do not understand.
Ayia Sofia is located near the Blue Mosque. But the entrance to the blue mosque is free, and in Ayia Sophia is paid. We paid 25 Turkish Lear (100 hryvnias, or $ 12.5). The ticket was given to us very beautiful, but it was necessary, as in the subway, omit in the turnstile. Otherwise, no way go. We did not ordered a guide, we went threesome. Although heard a guide spent an excursion for a group of tourists in Russian. That is, this service is present. But the group was organized, that is, again, it will be necessary to chat with the representative of the travel agency. I note that this is a museum, not a mosque, so we were calmly let down in a cap, jeans and did not require covering our heads and remove the shoes as you need to do in mosques. That is, we walked along the museum, along with hundreds of other tourists from all over the world. There were no prohibitions in the photo either, although the background was somnounted in a dark. The inscriptions on the exhibits were duplicated in English.
We were struck by the magnificence of the decoration: the museum connected the features of Muslim and Orthodox art. There were a lot of frescoes and clay products. Arches and clay columns fascinated. And also surprised more fifty windows placed in the upper part of the cathedral.
Unique is the golden floor with mosaics. Do not forget about the so-called copper "crying column." People believe that you need to put a hand in a special hole in the column, feel moisture (it is still "crying") and immediately make a desire. And very soon it will certainly come true. In the so-called "cold window" blows a cool wind, even if the street is very hot and stuffy.
It is known that in the 1930s, the restorers were removed from the frescoes and mosaics layers of plaster. Thanks to this, in the cathedral, you can see both Orthodox trains (images of Our Lady and Jesus Christ), and the Muslim presence in the form of a quotation from the Quran. Also in the cathedral there are graffiti placed on the railing in the upper gallery. From the Orthodox elements of the decoration - frescoes and mosaics, including the Byzantine Emperor of Justinian. Muslim - Minarets, Mihrabs, Sultan Lodge.
In principle, we had to walk quite a lot on the museum, even descending down into the dungeon. Therefore, I would advise you to wear comfortable shoes. For example, I was in sneakers and jeans. I repeat: this is a museum, here you can talk, taking pictures, do not need to cover your head, remove shoes, wear a skirt.
Excursion will be interested in lovers of history and culture. Children will hardly be interesting, rather elderly and young people. But only with a tourist handling.
Special "pitfalls" did not notice. You behave decently, taking pictures.
We were on the excursions on July 23, 2013. It was warm enough and comfortable. I would also advise you to go to the warm season so that you can enjoy the beauty of the architectural structure.
Visit Ayia Sofia would advise all friends, especially in religion. I myself would not go again, as I love more active rest, and I was a little bored in the cathedral. But for the overall development and horizons, it is just a great journey into the past.
