Istanbul: Places
Photos & Words: Salina Christmas

The arches and columns of Aya Sofia, formerly Hagia Sophia ("The Divine Wisdom Church").

This is the Islamic bit, what remains of the Aya Sofia Mosque.

A slight variety of characteristics were permitted to reflect the local preferences, but like many buildings in Islamic architecture, sunlight, abstract motifs, arabesque or a repetition of patterns and space play a big role in providing the flavour of a mosque.

It's about bringing time and space together. To understand it, walk past columns. See how perspective changes, how the shadows and light fleet from one corner to another as you move.