Calligraphic roundels of Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey
Visitors to Istanbul’s Hagia Sofia seemingly dwarfed by the huge calligraphy panes hanging there. There are eight such panes which are a feature of Ottoman mosques. They were written by Kazasker Mustafa Izzet Efendi in the 19th Century The one on the left spells the name of Allah, the one on the right the name of Abu Kadr, the first Muslim Caliph (equivalent to the Catholic Pope). Originally a Christian basilica in Constantinople Hagia Sofia/Sophia, was the largest Christian church for almost a thousand years. It was converted into a mosque after the fall of the city to Turkish invaders in 1453. In 1935 it became a museum. Since then there have been repeated calls for the museum to be converted into a mosque again. These became more strident following the 2015 acknowledgement by Pope Francis of the Armenian Genocide. In 2016 Muslim prayers were held in Hagia Sophia for the first time in 85 years. In 2017 a recitation of the Quran and prayers in Hagia Sophia were televised live on state-run television. This was followed by the conversion of the museum once again into a mosque.
Size: 5472px × 3648px
Location: Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey
Photo credit: © Frank Nowikowski / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: arabic, art, caligraphy, calligraphic, calligraphy, erdogan, europe, famous, galligraphic, galligraphy, hagia, holiday, interior, islamic, istanbul, museum, place, roundels, sofia, sophia, tourism, turkey, turkeya, turkish, turkiye, writing
