It's a church. It's a mosque. It's Hagia Sophia. - Kelly Wall
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/it-s-a-church-it-s-a-mosque-it-s-hagia-sophia-kelly-wall If walls could talk, Turkey's Hagia Sophia would have an abundance of stories to tell....
==========
They say that if walls could talk, each building would have a story to tell, but few would tell so many fascinating stories in so many different voices as the Hagia Sophia, or holy wisdom. Perched at the crossroads of continents and cultures, it has seen massive changes from the name of the city where it stands, to its own structure and purpose. And today, the elements from each era stand ready to tell their tales to any visitor who will listen. Even before you arrive at the Hagia Sophia, the ancient fortifications hint at the strategic importance of the surrounding city, founded as Byzantium by Greek colonists in 657 BCE. And successfully renamed as Augusta Antonia, New Rome and Constantinople as it was conquered, reconquered, destroyed and rebuilt ...
==========
They say that if walls could talk, each building would have a story to tell, but few would tell so many fascinating stories in so many different voices as the Hagia Sophia, or holy wisdom. Perched at the crossroads of continents and cultures, it has seen massive changes from the name of the city where it stands, to its own structure and purpose. And today, the elements from each era stand ready to tell their tales to any visitor who will listen. Even before you arrive at the Hagia Sophia, the ancient fortifications hint at the strategic importance of the surrounding city, founded as Byzantium by Greek colonists in 657 BCE. And successfully renamed as Augusta Antonia, New Rome and Constantinople as it was conquered, reconquered, destroyed and rebuilt ...
