The Hagia Sophia

October Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Site or Sight”

Confluence of civilizations, east meets west

This picture was taken at the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey.

If a single city were to represent the confluence of the east and west, it would have to be Istanbul, or Constantinople, as it was once known. It is only in Istanbul that you can move between Asia to Europe on a boat and still remain within one city. It is both the gateway to the east and west, depending on how you see it.

To cite the great French conqueror and emperor Napoleon Bonaparte,

“If the Earth were a single state, Istanbul would be its capital.”

And if one site were to represent this confluence of the east and west, it would have to be the Hagia Sophia. The spiritual centre of the ancient Christian world, the Hagia Sophia was the most important church of the Byzantine Empire. When Constantinople finally fell to the Ottomans, the Hagia Sophia would be among their most prized possessions and a symbol of their power, becoming the principal mosque of the Ottoman Empire. Later, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk would convert it into a museum of the secular Republic of Turkey. But recent events have seen it becoming a mosque again.

When you stand before the Hagia Sophia, all those old histories come together. It is all at once the world’s most famous church and mosque. The site is either a great clash or confluence of civilizations, depending on how you see it. But in the end, neither matters. All you take away is a complete feeling of awe at the sight, which will stay with you for many years to come.

The picture was also special to me because it was taken during the pandemic. It also explains why the Hagia Sophia is so empty. At this time, Turkey and Istanbul remained one of the few places in the world that was still open to tourists. My husband and I were among those couples in different countries at that time. I traveled here from Asia, and he came from Europe. In more ways than one, it was truly our gateway to the world.

I’d like to take you back to three other ancient sites that have always left me awe-struck and have been presented here by other great storytellers.

Machu Picchu from Kent Burkhardsmeier

Humayun’s Tomb from Sanghita Pal

And of course, Pompei and the October prompt from Sandi Parsons that got us started.