We also visited three other famous landmarks in Istanbul.  They had been built more than 1500 years ago, converted to mosques 600 years ago, then two were converted into museums, while the third remains as an active mosque.  The image above is the central dome from the church of St. Saviour in Chora.

Chora is the most completely restored historic church we have seen, and is home to one of the world’s finest collections of Byzantine art, with more than 100 mosaics and frescoes.  Originally built in the 4th century AD (1700 hundred years ago!), the city was conquered in 1453, and turned into a mosque 50 years after that.  Fortunately, the Muslims did not destroy the original artwork, but only placed a layer of plaster over it.  Restoration work began in 1948, removing the plaster and exposing the gold mosaic tiles of the original art.  The lower right image above shows one of the mosaics still partially covered in plaster.

Eyüp Sultan Mosque was initally built as a monastery in the 5th century AD, and the village is now a place of pilgramage for muslims from all around the world.  Eyüp was conquered by the Crusaders in 1204, sustaining very little damage.  It remained a monastery until 1581, when the Ottoman Empire prohibited Christians from living in the area, and converted it into a mosque.  It is still an active mosque, and chosen as a burial site by the elite with their mausoleums lining the  streets surrounding the mosque.  The courtyard was also great for people watching.  The boy in the lower left image had just taken part in a circumcision ceremony.

Hagia Sophia is another historic Christian church, built in the 6th century AD (note the progression here, of roughly 100 years between each of these three being built).  It had the largest dome in the world for 1000 years, until the 16th century, having been converted to a mosque a century earlier.  The building is now a museum, and under active restoration (middle left shows scaffolds).

Of course, anywhere photography is allowed these days, selfies are sure to follow (upper left and upper center)…  This is still considered a highly religious site by both Muslims (upper right) and Christians.  Outside the church walls, the tombs of numerous sultans are free to enter and view (bottom row), and were built with intricate tile work as you might find in jewel boxes.