The joke’s on me this time. Ayasofya has been on my life list, like Tadao Ando’s water temple (which I plan to go to in April because while I know it is about energy, time still plays it’s part), and little did I know they have just started a massive renovation on this place. But still- like truly deeply with so much gratitude did I feel the achievement in making it to this place. This need to come to this space formed in the late 90s and almost 30 years later to arrive is a weird kind of parallax feeling.
This version is the 3rd one of this building (the previous 2 from as early as 300 A.D.) and has stood since approx 500 A.D. It can fit a commercial airliner in it – there is no way to wrap one’s mind or metaphorical arms around this place. There is a room where they decided to split Christianity into Catholicism and Orthodox- we decide what we believe and that is never more true than in religion. Ayasofya only recently was converted into a mosque, a political move of which this city has seen many in its multi-cultural history, and so in reality this was the only church I visited in Istanbul. Walking around in various neighborhoods churches are rare sights- making this place even more singular as a landmark.
5 years. Ayasofya was built in 5 years- that’s it. What kind of genius and madness is this? I asked myself, “If this can be built in 5 years, what can I do in 5 years?”
From a content creator ‘Science is Fun’ (which I concur it is): “The deepest lesson may be this: people build monuments to outlive themselves, but what truly survives is the knowledge and curiosity those monuments inspire”. And it is to Ayasofya that I dedicate that quote to.
Address: Sultan Ahmet, Ayasofya Meydanı No:1, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye
Website: ARCHNET write up
