Istanbul -- our first full day

Our first full day was a fascinating introduction to Istanbul, the early history of the Christian church, and Islam. Our very capable and engaging guide, Ahmet, told us of the oracle in about 660 BC that led to the creation of a city at a beautiful harbor on the Sea of Marmara. We also learned of the decision of the Emperor Constantine to move the capital of the Roman Empire east in order to better control the empire and of a vision Constantine had that led him not only to embrace Christianity but to see ıt as a conquering force. And we learned the meaning of the modern name Istanbul: "Of the City."

The first site we visited was Hagia Sophia, which many of us were surprised to learn has nothiıng to do with a saint named Sophia but refers to two qualities attributed to Christ: Hagia = Devine, and Sophia = Wisdom. Built by the Roman Emperor Justinian between 532 and 537 AD on the site of a Greek temple and two earlier churches, turned into a mosque ın the 17th century, and now a museum, Hagia Sophia is an awe-inspiring basilica with a soaring central dome and is covered with golden mosaics with Christian figures, Roman leaders, and Arabic inscriptions. Just a few of the things that struck us were:

- Justinian's goal was to build a church that would be greater than the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, and he triumphed in his success. Did he build the church for the glory of God or himself?

- As a church, Hagia Sophia is oriented toward the east. As a mosque, it is oriented toward Mecca. So the mirhab -- the arched recess pointing toward Mecca from which the imam leads prayers -- is off-center compared to the stained-glass windows on the eastern wall.

- The early Christian church spread out from this part of the world, something many of us had not appreciated before today.

Our next stop was at the Blue Mosque, a 17th century light-filled mosque covered in floral tiles. (Who knew that tulips are indigenous to Turkey and were taken to Holland from here?) For many members of the group, this was the first time inside a mosque and the first real introduction to the history and practices of İslam. The mosque is beautiful but, like all mosques, is essentially a large, open, carpeted space for prayer with no furnishings except those used by the imams for preaching or teaching -- quite different from the churches we are familiar with.

Other sites and activities included the Hippodrome, where chariot races were held, an obelisk sitting atop a Roman sculpture, and the spice market, where many of us stocked up on spice mixtures and Turkish Delight recommended by Ahmet. We also watched a whirling dervish performance, so hypnotic that some of us couldn't stay awake (or maybe we were just still jet-lagged).

So what about Saint Paul? İn our group reflections, Sean drew out several parallels and contrasts that we will learn more about in the days to come:

- There are debates about whether Constantine really had a vision or made a political decision to embrace Christianity. Some people ask the same question about Paul: Was it a vision or a political decision on the road to Damascus?

- Paul was writing to an early Christian church. Luke reminds us, especially in the first five chapters, of the political context of Jesus's life and teachings, which were in opposition to the empire in power.

- Constantine's vision set Christianity out as a conquering, colonizing force, which is a very different vision of Christianity from Paul's. İ know we are looking forward to exploring Paul's vision as we visit the sites of his missionary journeys in the days ahead.

Carol and Jean