Hagia Sophia on a sunny day in January 2013
Twelve items make a dozen, and twelve months make a year. But what do twelve years make?
A few Google searches brought me to the conclusion that while everyone agrees that ten years is a decade, it’s harder to reach a consensus on what to call a period of twelve years as none of the proposed words sound familiar. Nevertheless, there is one thing I feel more as I get older: time seems to move faster now than when I was much younger. The night before I started writing this post, a music video popped up on my YouTube homepage. When I noticed that it was first uploaded six years ago, I was completely taken aback because it only felt like yesterday when it came out and I started listening to that song.
So, how does it feel going back to a place twelve years after your first visit? Change is inevitable, but this can be even more palpable and dramatic at some sites.
When I first set foot inside Hagia Sophia – that iconic sixth-century church erected by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I – in January 2013, I was part of a six-person group from Jakarta on a company outing. It was a maiden trip to Istanbul for all of us, but none of them shared my level of enthusiasm for history. Back then, the former church – which was converted into a mosque following the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century, then reopened as a museum in 1935 under the secular Republic of Turkey – saw a steady stream of visitors from all over the world walking underneath its magnificent central dome. An image of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child directly above the mihrab (a niche that indicates the direction of Mecca) was a reminder of the edifice’s long and fascinating history.
We did explore the ground floor of the ancient monument. However, as I noticed the weary faces of the rest of the group, I knew they wouldn’t survive another hour at this otherwise engrossing site. We left the structure without checking out the famous mosaics adorning its upper gallery, but I made a promise to myself that one day I would return with a travel companion who is as excited for Hagia Sophia’s history as I am.
The main entrance to the compound back then was through that passageway on the left
When Byzantine and Ottoman architectural elements collide
Fragments of the ancient structure
One of the parts of the monument that is off-limits to most visitors today
The inner narthex of Hagia Sophia
Walking on the ground floor of the ancient monument in 2013 when it was still a museum
On my first visit, I only saw glimpses of the upper gallery
The Virgin Mary and the Christ Child next to calligraphy spelling out Allah
This formerly quiet street is now where you can find long lines to enter the monument
When I was looking up my old photos of Hagia Sophia, I realized that not every day was sunny with blue skies when I visited the site
The fluffy cats at Sultanahmet Square, right next to the Blue Mosque
I had been telling James how much I loved Istanbul and how I wanted him to see what I saw in this city that is so rich in history. But this only materialized earlier this year as part of our two-week trip to Mexico where we made two stopovers in Istanbul on the way to Mexico City and back to Jakarta. The weather in Turkey’s largest city was not ideal with gray skies persistently hovering above our heads, a stark contrast to the mostly sunny days when I went for the first time. But many things felt familiar: the friendly and fluffy cats still roamed the streets and parks in the city, simit (a circular bread encrusted with a generous amount of sesame seeds) vendors were a common sight, the Galata Bridge was lined with men and their fishing rods, and the modern trams remained a reliable mode of transport. But I noticed some changes too.
The metro station at Taksim Square was a far cry from the clean and sleek station I remembered from 2013, the line to enter the Sultanahmet Mosque (also spelled Sultan Ahmed Mosque, but better known as the Blue Mosque) was much longer than twelve years ago, and the entrance to Hagia Sophia… wait, where is it?
Relying on my memory to find the way to go inside this colossal ancient church, I was surprised to find out that what was the entrance is now the exit. Instead, we had to go to a street to the east of the compound, join the line to buy the tickets (which now cost much more than on my first visit), and queue behind another long line to enter the monument. As we were progressing at a snail’s pace, I noticed that one of the minarets added under the Ottoman rule was covered in scaffolding as part of an ongoing effort to reinforce the entire structure to anticipate future earthquakes.
The ground floor, which is now off-limits to most visitors, was covered with green carpets for Muslims to pray. This is a result of the 2020 annulment of the decision taken by the staunchly secular Atatürk government to establish this compound as a museum more than eight decades ago. Now, Hagia Sophia is once again a mosque. Apart from the carpets, it was evident how changes were made throughout the premises without damaging the original structure. The Virgin Mary and the Christ Child are now hidden behind a white veil and can only be partially seen from certain angles. The upper gallery, however, the very reason why I had wanted to go back to this place, remains open to visitors.
As we emerged in this upper parts of the ancient structure, it was once again evident why even after more than 1,500 years since its completion, Hagia Sophia still leaves a deep impression on those who have seen it in person. We joined the others marveling at the incredibly well-preserved mosaics depicting past emperors and empresses of the Byzantine Empire side by side with the Virgin Mary and the Christ. These pieces of religious art were undoubtedly brilliant, but the scale of the very monument they adorn made this ancient sanctuary feel even more spectacular. It’s hard to impress people who are sleep deprived, but we certainly were more than impressed. We were wonderstruck, as you can also read in James’s account. I left the compound with an even deeper sense of admiration for Hagia Sophia.
At first, the plan for the day included a visit to the Blue Mosque (which we ended up skipping due to the long line) and the Basilica Cistern, all conveniently located in the area. But the fatigue from the 12-hour overnight flight from Jakarta started to kick in. We knew it would be wiser to save both places – and the other historic sites in the city – for another trip, as Istanbul itself definitely deserves more than just a brief stopover. We grabbed two simits and freshly-squeezed pomegranate juice instead (the latter tasted much better than what I had in the city twelve years ago), and headed back to our hotel near Taksim Square to rest before taking the second leg of our long journey to Mexico City at midnight. And just like a dream, our visit to Istanbul ended.
In early 2025, the same square was still filled with many fluffy cats like this one
Seeing Hagia Sophia in a different light
Viewing the interior of this magnificent monument from the upper gallery (notice how in 2025 the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child image is hidden behind the white veils)
One of the intricate mosaics I didn’t see twelve years ago
It is not an understatement to say that this is truly one of the most magnificent ancient structures still standing today
Seeing the crowds at the other side of the upper gallery (with mosaics above it only a few people have access to)
This 12th-century mosaic depicts the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child flanked by John II and Irene, emperor and empress of the Byzantine Empire
This 11th-century mosaic, on the other hand, depicts Christ Pantocrator with Constantine IX and Zoe
This 13th-century mosaic was commissioned to mark the end of 57 years of Roman Catholic use of Hagia Sophia, and the return to the Orthodox faith
Despite the large crowds, the spacious upper gallery did not feel cramped
This 11th-century tympanum mosaic depicts the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child as well as Constantine I (on the right) with the model of Constantinople and Justinian I (on the left) with the model of Hagia Sophia
Simits and refreshing pomegranate juice to wrap up our visit to Hagia Sophia
What an Amazing World! 
wow
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Hagia Sophia really is that impressive.
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I just finished reading The Architect’s Apprentice by Elif Shafak that tells the story of building these mosques in Istanbul. It is a wonderful book that you would enjoy if you haven’t already read it. How wonderful to see your photos!
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Thanks for the recommendation, Angeline. It sounds like the kind of book I would enjoy.
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Agree! A fantastic book!!! Wonderful photos Bama! I really need to get here some day!
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OK, I really really need to read this book then. Thanks Anna and Angeline for bringing it to my attention.
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It’s very beautiful and I always imagined that I would see it myself one day, Bama. Thanks for sharing your lovely photos xx
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I really hope you’ll get to visit Hagia Sophia one day, Jo. It looks magnificent in photos, but it was even more spectacular in person.
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Nar suyu! My favourite to end your lovely post
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And I swear it tasted much better and less astringent than my first time. Or maybe back then I just happened to go to the wrong vendor.
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Beautiful photos, Bama! I’m glad you got to visit again and this time with James. The Hagia Sophia was in an action movie I saw once – might’ve been Bourne or Mission Impossible – but either way, it made a big impression on me and I’m glad to see it through your eyes.
The history and architecture speak for itself and it’s nice you got to see it in two different perspectives. The candle (or electric?) lights make the stone light up beautifully!
And I hear you on the passage of time, it just flies by now. I can’t believe it’s the end of another year!
And those fluffy cats are so cute! They look very well fed in Istanbul! 🤣
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Thanks Ab. I think Hagia Sophia was also featured in one of James Bond movies. It might have been Skyfall. But it is undoubtedly one of the most awe-inspiring ancient monuments still standing today.
I also felt that on my second visit, the lighting inside the former church was much better. It really highlighted the structure’s grandiose scale from the inside.
The fluffy cats were one of the main reasons why I fell in love with Istanbul when I first came in 2013. And I was happy to find out that they were just as cute as how I remembered them when I went back to the city earlier this year. They are surely well fed!
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Ahh James Bond, not Bourne. I was close, same genre! 🤣
I think it’s time you get a cat! 🥰
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There is this cat called Toby who often hangs around the garden near my apartment. Whenever I call his name, he automatically rolls on his back, knowing that I would give him a belly rub. But I guess I’m just not ready to get one.
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My experience has been that cats adopt you, not the other way around. 🤣 You’ve been warned!
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Haha, that’s very true! 🤣
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Well now I have to return to Hagia Sophia too. When we were there, only 2 or 3 years ago, the upper level was closed so we could only see those frescoes from below. Even without getting upstairs, it remains one of my favourite buildings in the world. What a great stopover on a long flight! Maggie
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I wonder if what I saw earlier this year was a result of a restoration work that happened during your visit. The upper level felt really bright and airy despite the fact that it was cloudy outside. I’m glad we decided to pay Hagia Sophia a visit before taking the long flight to Mexico City later that night!
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You’re probably right, lucky you to be able to see the newly restored upper floor.
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It’s true that time seems to move a LOT faster as we get older! For some reason, I still believe 2020 was just two years ago, when in fact it’s been almost six years! Any case, your return to Istanbul 12 years later looks like a fun one: it sounds like a lot has changed since then. I visited the Hagia Sophia in 2019, the year before it became a mosque, so I was able to tour ground floor. But I believe the second level offers even more sublime views, more comprehensive and awe-inspiring to those who practice Islam and those who do not. Thanks for sharing, Bama!
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I know, right? That’s why now I try to be more mindful of the time I spend for doing things, because time is fleeting, indeed. It’s nice that you went to Hagia Sophia in 2019. Did you also visit the Blue Mosque? I wonder if the line to enter the latter was already very long six years ago.
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Yes, I also visited the Blue Mosque! There was a line to get in, but as I was on a guided tour, I was able to bypass it 😆
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Oh that’s smart! 😆
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As I was feeling the same notion about time seeming to move faster now than when I was much younger, I had to look into it and discovered that it is because childhood is full of new things (first day of school, first bike ride), which the brain records vividly, stretching out perceived time. As an adult, life becomes more routine, and fewer new memories are made, causing days and years to feel compressed. Now that there’s access to the upper gallery for a fuller view, I want to finally see the Hagia Sofia with my own eyes even more. What a truly magnificent masterpiece of Byzantine engineering. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
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That’s an interesting analysis, Aiva. I wonder if we keep trying new things and learning new skills time will not feel as fleeting as an adult. Worth to try! You should go to Hagia Sophia sooner than later, because from the look of it, I believe it will become even more popular in the future. Have a good day too!
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During my second visit to Istanbul, I did not feel like revisiting Hagia Sophia; I wanted to keep it in my memory as a place where several histories converged. I hope that future rulers will be able to reverse this step backwards. However, your visit shows that it is still possible to perceive the immense volume contained within the thousand-year-old vault.
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I understand what you mean about keeping a place in your memory. There is this very special and secluded beach on the island of Lombok in Indonesia. It was very beautiful and serene, to the point where I don’t want to go back there because I’m worried that it will change. I personally think that Hagia Sophia should have stayed as a museum, especially with such an enormous mosque right next door. But I’m glad to find it still as magnificent as how I remembered it from my first visit.
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I second that about how time seems to move faster as I get older. It’s always neat to return to a place and to see how much you remembered and how much has changed. Hagia Sophia is beautiful. Glad you were able to return to explore it more fully. And those cats are very adorable!
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I’m ‘glad’ I’m not the only one who feels that time seems to move faster as we get older. But as Aiva pointed out in her comment, probably this is because as adults our daily lives are filled with routines as opposed to children who perceive things around them differently. Hagia Sophia was just as beautiful and spectacular as it was in 2013. And I was so happy to find out that there were still a lot of cute and fluffy cats in the area!
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Wow – what a sight! I just know of it but nothing about the history.
Cats! I love cats.
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Such an impressive building, isn’t it? It felt even more grand in person. Since you love cats, I think you would enjoy Istanbul, Matt. The city has among the cutest and fluffiest street cats I’ve ever seen.
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Funnily enough, we also visited Istanbul in 2013 (in Aug) so it was great to see your pictures. I had read that Hagia Sophia had become a mosque again and I was concerned that the Christian mosaics would be covered as they were when it was first converted to a mosque in the 15th century. So it is good to see that they are still visible though I am not certain if the work to uncover the rest of the mosaics is still ongoing. It is indeed a magnificent place and so well worth a long visit. (Suzanne)
P.S. I can confirm that time moves faster as you get older…
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The weather must have been nicer in August! When the Turkish government announced that they converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque again, the mosaics were also what I immediately had in mind. I was relieved to find out that they’re still pretty much accessible to the public. Its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site also ensures its protection, although I’m not aware about any ongoing work to uncover the rest of the mosaics. I hope they keep doing it for the sake of humanity.
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It truly is such an amazing place, one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited that’s for sure. 12 years go by too quickly now – like you, as I get older, the years seem to fly by!
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And it’s mind-boggling to think of its age! It’s amazing that it’s still standing almost 15 centuries after it was built. As we’re nearing the end of 2025, I thought to myself, where has the time gone?
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I am impressed by your determination to explore during a layover. The planning must have been complicated but so worth it! Bama, I am now determined to go see the Haiga Sophia again. I was there in 2000, and I just loved the idea that the amazing historical building had served such varied purposes over the years. I am sad that parts of it are not open to visitors anymore, but I am very relieved the custodians are taking care of the entire building. I witnessed so much destruction of historic Christian murals in Turkey by people who did not value that part of their history. I think it’s appropriate for the current occupants to use it as they like, as long as they keep it protected, at least for historians. Then all humanity can benefit from it through official photos and books.
You have made such interesting comparisons in your observations, and now I want to find my scrap book of my trip so long ago, and see what I have in photos. If I recall correctly, Haiga Sophia was filled with scaffolding inside, which made it hard to fully appreciate. I, too, remember the cats in Turkey – everywhere! Your photos are outstanding. I am going to James’ post next to see what his perspective was. Thank you for taking us along. I am eager to hear about your time in Mexico City, too.
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Whoops, I spelled it wrong! But now I’ve got it: Hagia Sophia 🙂
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Visiting Hagia Sophia for the second time was really worth the effort and planning. I remember taking the long metro journey from the airport that morning, checking in our hotel, and heading straight to Hagia Sophia. By the end of the visit we realized we just didn’t have the energy to check out the other historical sites in the area. It’s better to keep them for our next trip, and we’ll make sure it won’t be just a brief stop!
I agree with what you think about the importance of preserving those mosaics because they don’t just belong to one nation. They belong to humanity. If you ever return to Istanbul, I wonder what you would think of the changes that had happened since your first trip.
I actually really enjoyed Mexico City. The museums were spectacular, the historical sites impressive, and the food delicious. Some things could definitely be better though, but overall it was such an interesting place to explore.
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A place I have always wanted to visit but still haven’t. I have never seen photos like yours of other parts of Hagia Sophia. Thanks for sharing.
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The pleasure is mine, Mallee. I hope you’ll get to see Hagia Sophia in person one day!
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I can also vouch for The Architect’s Apprentice by Elif Shafak, Bama. She is a great writer, and her writing is worth exploring for all sorts of reasons.
I’m so glad that Hagia Sofia survived throughout the ages, no matter in which format. So often historical buildings were completely destroyed by whomever conquered a place. When Michael and I visited Istanbul in February I felt a bit disappointed that we could no longer access the ground floor, as I think the immensity of the space can only be fully appreciated from down below, but seeing those mosaics close-up is still a very special experience.
We encountered no queues at either Hagia Sofia or the Blue Mosque first thing in the morning, but there were long queues later in the day, despite it being winter. Topkapi Palace was a different matter altogether, even early in the morning. Perhaps the fact that it was pouring with rain made it worse. It must be hell to visit in summer.
I love Istanbul though, and there are many other wonderful places to visit hardly anyone goes to. Including a small, free cistern in Gülhane Park, which had amazing art pieces exhibited, and not another soul in sight.
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I will definitely buy that book, Jolandi. Three persons recommending the same book is enough to convince me that I shouldn’t give it a miss.
Ahh now I know why the queues were so long when we were there: because we didn’t arrive early enough. I guess the next time we’re in Istanbul we’ll make sure to visit this area first thing in the morning. I don’t even dare to think of going in summer.
I loved Istanbul on my first visit. But the second time was too short for James to truly appreciate it. At first, I even had the idea of taking the ferry to get to the Asian part of the city, but we were just really tired from the long flight from Jakarta.
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Well, you and I were once possibly in the same place at the same time … I was in Istanbul and Hagia Sophia in January of 2013! The strange thing is that I distinctly remember being able to wander on the ground floor AND it was covered with a green-ish carpet on which many people were praying. I remember all of that because the carpet felt squishy and I felt uncomfortable (like I was intruding) roaming around while people were praying. Your photos from 2013 do not show the carpeting, and you also mention that the carpeting was added when it turned back into a mosque in 2020. This is a mystery to me! I will have to dig out my old photos (not on this Mac) to see if I see the carpet! Meanwhile, I have gone off on a major tangent on your post; it was very fun to read about both of your visits for many other reasons!
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After much investigation of my own old photos as well as online ones, I think I must have been thinking of the Blue Mosque. It was a functioning mosque open for visitors and prayers then, and it had a carpet! I thought it was such an indelible memory, and maybe parts of it were, but apparently the actual place did not stick in my head!
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Ahh that’s what I thought as well, because I think most people (including me) would go to both places on the same day since they’re in the same area.
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It’s crazy to think that we might have bumped into each other 12 years ago! I believe Hagia Sophia was exclusively a museum back then. That makes me wonder if that carpet you remember was actually at the nearby Blue Mosque. But on my second visit I couldn’t even get a glimpse into the latter because the lines were just too long. Had we not been too tired we would have probably been patient enough to join the queues though. But it was still nice to revisit one of my favorite cities on the planet, albeit very briefly.
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