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though my dream is comprehensive world tour,but unfortunately i have no companion for that purpose.Anyone who can join me , please contact me.my email address is dr.talatbutt@hotmail.com, my phone no. is 0092-321-9501376: 0092-300-9501376: 0092-51-57934 | Log entries 71 - 73 of 73 | Page:
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Apr 27, 2009 06:00 PM ISTANBUL-HAYA SOFIA
After visiting blue mosque we walked to the Haya sofia.2-3 min.walk. we paid enterace fee TL20 (euro 10) . no student discount.luggage and bags were scanned at entry point.
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Apr 27, 2009 06:00 PM hagia sofia-continuation
HISTORY:Hagia Sofia (Holy wisdom) is a great and beautiful mixture of Byzantine Christian and Ottoman Muslim Cultures.
First wooden roofed basilica was constructied in 360 AD by the orders of Constantine the Great but unfortunately burnt down largely in 404 during the riots against the forced exile of Patriarch John Chrysostom by emperor Arcadius
.In 405 the church was inaugurated by Theodosus 2 after repair but in Januray 532 again completely destroyed during Nika Revolt.
Shortly after the suppression of riots, Justinian the Great ordered rebuilding of great Church by commissioning Anthemius(mathematician and physicist) and Isidore(Professor of Geometry and Mechanics).Without having previous building experience, these two men created the most significant jewl on the earth.After inauguration on 27th December,537 by emperor,mosaics were finished in the reign of Justin 2 (565-578).
With Earthquakes in 553,557 and at last in 558 ,the main dome and eastern semi-dome collapsed completely.This time Isodorus the Younger rebuilt the dome by elevating it to the present height of 55.6 m and again opened in 562.however ,many earthquakes continued jolting and destroying the domes and the building in coming centuries.
In 726 Leo the Isaurian , impressed by Islamic art, removed all the images ,icons and stautes from Hagia Sofia.
In 1453, Ottoman sultan Mehmet 2 conqured Constantinople and converted it into mosque. After few years Sultan Bayazid added a minaret.
In 16th century ,Sultan Suleman the Magnificient,brought two colossal candles from Hungary and placed them on both sides of mehrab.
To the end of 16th century , during the reign of selim 2, the architect sinan strengthened the exterior of building and added to minarets on the western end of the building and mausoleum of selim 2 to the southeast. In seventeenth century two more mausoleum were added for Murad 3 and Mehmed 3. in 18th century a madrassa(school),kitchen for poors,library and then fountain for ritual ablution were built.
In 1934,the founder of Turkish Republic ,Mustafa Kamal Ataturk, transformed the mosque into museum.Mosaics were uncovered by pulling out the plaster, Original marble floor by removing carpets.
Mosaics depicted Jesus,Virgin Mary,the Saints,the Emperors and the Empresses
ARCHITECTURE: A square nave is covered by central dome. Dome has changed its shape due to repeated repairs and now its diameter ranges from 30.86 to 31.24m. Its.height from the floor is 55.6m. there are 40 arched windows under the dome,permitting the light to enter the nave.The weight of the dome is carried by four concave triangular pendentives onto the four massive pillars on the four corners of rectangular base.Between the pillars dome stands on four arches, reinforced by buttresses during the Ottoman era under antiearthquake architect Sinan.The quality of light coming from the 40 arched windows in the circular base of dome gives it appearance of hovering above the nave.
On the eastern and western ends the arched openings are extended to the semi-dome exedras.
Interior is decorated with multicoloured marbles,white and green with purple porphyry and gold mosaics.
There is a marble jar brought from Pergamon during the reign of Murad 3. It was carved from single marble block.
The yellow and red colour to the exterior was given by the architect Fossati in 19th century.
Imperial gate was the main enterance between the exo and eso narthex. There is a ramp from northern end of outer narthex leading to the upper gallery.
In the upper gallery there is empress lodge and marble door.
There are different beautiful mosaics,:IMPERIAL GATE MOSAIC,SOUTHWESTERN ENTERANCE MOSAIC,APSE MOSAIC,EMPEROR ALEXANDER MOSAIC,EMPRESS ZOE MOSAICS,COMNENUS MOSAIC,DEESIS MOSAIC,NORTHERN TYMPANON MOSAICS,
MINARETS:southwest minaret is build with red brick while the remaining three with white marble. Slender northeastern minaret was built by Sultan Bayazid 2. The two western minarets were built by Sinan architect during the reign of Sultan Saleem 2.
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Apr 27, 2009 06:00 PM from Hagia Sofia to Adana-Aleppo
DEPARTURE FROM HAGIA SOFIA
After visiting greatest surviving wonder of the world, Hagia Sofia for one and half hour we walked to eminonu .it was about 15 min. walk from hagia sofia to eminonu.At eminonu by paying 1.4 TL each we boarded on a ferry and arrived kedikoy after 15-20 min.Kedikoy is asian part of Istanbul.At kedikoy first we found the bus station and E-10 bus was to go to Sahiha airport after about 40 min. So we bought a biscuit pack and one litre juice pack by 3.5 TL and also we bought Borak by 3 TL each and stepped towards E-10 bus.the bus started at 6 pm. It took about half an hour to arrive at the sabiha airport.first we wrongly entered a terminal B but after realizing we came out and then reentered another terminal of sunexpress.After passing through strict security we got boarding passes of sunexpress for journey from Istanbul to Adana. For this journey we had already booked our flight many days back. My ticket was about 35 euros and Adam(my Polish friend) bought the ticket perhaps by 30 euros.
After disembarking at Adana airport at 10 pm ,we reached a taxi and asked him to go to railway station. He said Ok, pay according to the meter.We asked what would be the possible taxi fare. He said probably around 15 TL.but it will be according to taxi meter. Our journey started and Adam asked the taxi driver to start taxi meter . He said ok, ok, but he didn’t start it. At the railway station Adam realized that the distance from airport to station was v.short . therefore he paid 10 TL but taxi driver (in spite of wrongdoing for not using meter )started quarlling..Anyhow I preferred not to involve in arguments and we paid 15 TL. And then we stepped in the station and bought ticket by 35 TL each from Adana to Aleppo(Syrian border city).
The departure time was 12 midnight. The train departed at exact time . only very few people were sitting in train. At around 3 am we were asked to appear before immigration officer of turkey out of train for exit stamp and then train continued its journey and after 15 min. of journey Syrian immigration personnels entered the train and took our passports with them. It took about 30 min.when they returned our passports to us with smiling faces and v.politely. we didn’t leave the train for syrian immigration process.
Next day on 29th April 2009,at 9 am exact we arrived at Aleppo station and walked out to the city centre for about 20 min and looked for some hotel. On the way we also operated atm machine and withdrew 5000 syrian pounds(one us$=app.45 syrian pounds)and at last we found a hotel Somar for $25 per night per twin room. For 2 nights he offered one dollar discount i.e. 49 US$ .
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