Photo Galleries of the Various Institutions and Ministries of the Diocese

2014 International Orthodox Youth Workers Forum - Day 2 - Tour of Hagia Sophia

Forum Day 2 -- On the way to Hagia Sophia

Forum Day 2 -- Hagia Sophia from the outside

Forum Day 2 -- Hagia Sophia from the outside

Forum Day 2 -- Part of the Forum's participants as we visited Hagia Sophia

Forum Day 2 -- Leaving Hagia Sophia was this beautiful archway and icon

Forum Day 2 -- Hagia Sophia was massive, but beautiful

Forum Day 2 -- You could spend days in Hagia Sophia

Forum Day 2 -- Not all the mosaics have been uncovered, but the ones that have literally take your breath away

Forum Day 2 -- The ceilings at Hagia Sophia captivated your attention with their beauty -- kept our minds looking up toward God

Forum Day 2 -- Walking through Hagia Sophia for us was not just a tour through a museum -- for us it is still a church

Forum Day 2 -- The whole structure of Hagia Sophia made you look up toward God.

Forum Day 2 -- Each place you looked in Hagia Sophia, whether over a portal or along a hallway, the mosaics drew you to them.

Forum Day 2 -- It was amazing -- the beauty of stone and marble used to build a church

Forum Day 2 -- You could picture it with just natural and candle light

Forum Day 2 -- And how the hymns must have echoed up and down the hallways

Forum Day 2 -- We were fascinated by the intricacy of the stonework

Forum Day 2 -- and the beauty of the colors

Forum Day 2 -- And the repeated call of the icons

Forum Day 2 -- some of which were partially destroyed. But still even just a portion was beautiful

Forum Day 2 -- When you are there you know why it is one of the Wonders of the World

Forum Day 2 -- The Great Church at night

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