Congratulations Tom H., Allison B., and Dawn R.! The mystery photo is of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey. (I’m impressed!)
As an archaeology minor in college, I had quickly become familiar with its name, meaning “Holy Wisdom,” but the true impact of such a famous building doesn’t hit you until you walk through its original doors (some 1,500 years old) and look up. Only then does the color and light of a building so old become significant and real.
One of my favorite moments in Turkey was when I stood dead center on the ground floor of Hagia Sophia and looked straight up at the oculus above. No slide show in an archaeology class can elicit how exciting it is to stand in a building you once studied in a country far, far away. Obviously, not everything can be learned in a classroom…
Here are a few more photographs of the beautiful Byzantine building which, for almost 1,000 years, was the biggest cathedral in the world!
*NOTE: If you didn’t get a chance to guess the Mystery Snapshot, don’t worry! Wednesdays are now Mystery Snapshot days, so there will be plenty of opportunities to get an honorable mention. Stay-tuned!
Jesus HS
Interior HS
Blurry Oculus Under Construction
Light HS
HS Door w Orig Floor
Hagia Sophia
Side view of Hagia Sophia, with Turkish rugs and lights for sale
Travels with Tavel 
Great angles!