Istanbul: The Last of the "Stuff"

All right. At long last. The last of our pictures to Istanbul. Before our boarding our plane on the last day, we visited the Hagia Sophia. Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul. From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the cathedral of Constantinople.The building was a mosque from 1453 until 1934, when it was secularized. It was opened as a museum in 1935.

Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have "changed the history of architecture." It was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years, until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520.

Enjoy these photos of this beautiful church/mosque/museum.

All five of the kiddos. What IS Elijah doing here? And Isaac fell in love with Noah/Rowan's umbrella. He loved carrying it around.