23 August 2002 - Afa Sofia & the Blue Mosque, Istanbul

Next to the Topkapi Palace are two of the finest buildings in the history of mankind. How to compare them?

The outside of Aya Sofia is so massive that it is difficult to imagine how tall it is as well.

But once inside, the height soars above you, as impossibly impressive now as it was 1300 years ago.

Since secularisation, the importance of Aya Sofia as both church and mosque has been uncovered.

Sadly, the apparently unsupported dome is currently obscured by what seems endless building work.

Hidden in this obscured pavilion, the sultans used to come to pray unobserved.

The mosaics are being uncovered by the archaeologists.

In the side-galleries, their full Byzantine splendour is visible.

Next door is the Sultan Ahmet Mosque, surrounded by its six minarets.

Sultan Ahmet wanted it to outdo Justinian's great Aya Sofia - but the four massive pillars are visible, as opposed to those of Aya Sofia, which are concealed in the walls.

The paintings are delicate and very beautiful.

It is blue with stained glass, and the magnificent musicality of the chanting make the mosque a truly spiritual experience.