Istanbul Guide

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2nd century BC. This originally adorned a pagan temple in Tarsus and was brought to İ stanbul by Emperor Theophilos in 838. As you reach the gate, be sure to look back to admire the 10th-century mosaic of Constantine the Great, the Virgin Mary and the Emperor Justinian on the lunette of the inner doorway. Constantine (right) is offering the Virgin, who holds the Christ Child, the city of İ stanbul; Justinian (left) is offering her Aya Sofya. The doorway to your left just after the Beautiful Gate leads into a small courtyard that was once part of a 6th-century baptistry . In the 17th century the baptistry was converted into a tomb for Sultans Mustafa I and İ brahim I. The huge stone basin displayed in the courtyard is the original font . To the right after you exit the main building is a recently restored rococo style ş ad ı rvan (ablutions fountain) dating from 1740. Next to it is a small sib yan maktab (primary school) also dating from 1740. The small structure next to the gate is the muvakkithane (place where prayer hours were determined), built in 1853. The first of Aya Sofya’s minarets was added by order of Mehmet the Conqueror. Sinan designed the other three between 1574 and 1576. After exiting the museum grounds, walk east (left) and turn left again on Bab ı hümayun Caddesi to visit the Aya Sofya Tombs (p78). SULTANAHMET & AROUND AYA SOFYA