Hagia Sophia

It was like coming
out of a tomb—leaving
the Church of Divine Wisdom—
trying to ignore the tourists
and cameras that blocked exits,
upper galleries and nave.

Built more
than 1400 years ago
it stands as the epitome
of Byzantine art—
a monument to Christianity and Islam
that earthquakes and fires
have failed to undermine.

Restoration of gold mosaics
is obscured by scaffolding
nearly two hundred feet high.
A mihrab in the apse
points in the direction of Mecca.
Elsewhere, Christ sits
on a throne with an emperor
kneeling before him.

Marble slabs have been cut
in mirror images
that resemble a Rorschach inkblot test.
Positioned side by side
they support a golden dome
resembling the celestial spheres.

Above the bronze Splendid Door
a gold mosaic depicts
Christ sitting on his mother’s knee—
awaiting thirty-three years
of life and eternity.

Across the road
in a watery haze of light
the Blue Mosque with its dome and six minarets
shines like a shell-backed creature
emerging from the sea.

Istanbul, 14/6/08