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Some of the heavy abutment work added to stabilize the building over the
centuries.
The dome isn't supported directly underneath by columns, giving the interior a huge sense of huge space. Instead, the load is spread out through the walls, which eventually started to crack, bulge and buckle. Still, quite a trick for 537 A.D. Earthquakes are common here, but the reinforcements have, largely, stood the test of time. |
My Favorite 20 Images of Turkey
More Istanbul:
Aya Sophia
Notable Mosques
Monuments
Topkapi Palace
Bosphorus and Golden Horn
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