Fire, Justice, Enduring Faith... Hope

Mr. Necdet Agir

On the peninsula which gently juts out into the Marmara Sea overlooking the entrance to the Bosphorus Strait the Topkapi Palace prominently adorns the hilltop.  In its shadow sits the Hagia Sophia and just beyond that the Blue Mosque.  Each of these unique places hold a rich and intriguing history of a land that has been the object of both fascination and conquest by Sultans, Kings, and Emperors alike.  From Constantine, to the Orthodox Patriarchs, to the powerful Ottomans this small piece of real estate has been the center of governments and religion, culture and commerce for nearly 17 centuries.  Our day was spent traversing craggy stone walks through lush gardens and ancient architecture; and in this journey today some jewels shimmered.  The shimmering was both from some of the amazing collections rich with sparkling gems held by the Turkish government and on display at the Topkapi Palace and more importantly jewels shimmered from lessons learned in today’s sojourn.  It is on the latter that I will focus for now.

Entrance Topkapi Palace

Golden Ball of Fire

We were blessed to have Ministry of Culture and Tourism's Necdet Agir as our guide and teacher.  He possesses a sage spirit, a keen mind, and an affable good humored disposition.  We learned many things under his tutelage today.  Among the jewels today this: at the entrance to Topkapi Palace, before you go through the massive palace doors and move from the public grounds surrounding the Palace to its several inner sanctums, there hangs an object over the door that looks like it might be a golden egg or a golden tear drop.  One might casually dismiss it as an object of architectural artistry and simple beauty, but one would be wrong to do so.  This golden object represents a ball of fire and it is there for only one purpose, to serve as a reminder to the Sultan of his human frailty.  Imagine, the most powerful man in the world reminded daily in his comings and goings of his frail human soul.  It is there to remind the Sultan of his high calling to live a life of compassion, kindness, and concern for his people.  It is there to remind him to always seek their best interests, to see to their earthly and spiritual needs, to extend the reach of the power of his kingdom around them as a shroud of protection and care, lest he ever forget.  For if the Sultan were to forget his high calling to the care of his people it would surely spell the destruction of his immortal soul.  This ball of fire is the fire of eternal destruction which a careless monarch, interested only in his own well-being, comfort, and wealth would surely suffer.  Imagine such a stark warning adorning the homes of those who lead nations today.  Would it perhaps remind them of the eternal value of seeking good for others above yourself?

A Sign of Justice

Another jewel of Topkapi: above the door opposite the "Private Audience Hall and Chamber of Petitions" there is a sign.  This sign would be viewed by the Sultan each time he steps out on the porch of the Audience Hall to greet someone coming to seek his help or aid.  It is a quotation from the Qur'an which invokes the monarch to always act with justice and fairness in every matter.  In this brief verse the whole of this leader's personal mission and calling is summed up.  It reminds me of the Hebrew Scripture which calls us to "...do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God."  It is also an encouragement for us to always see the signs, despite whatever circumstances we may face, that we are called to this noble understanding in all of our dealings.  We are called to treat one another with respect, dignity, concern for the well-being of the other, and kindness.  If world leaders and those entrusted with positions of responsibility lived this way each day, what a better world we would share.  Just as important is that each of us live our lives in this understanding; may each of us see the signs and remember our high calling as we meet along the journey with others.

The Blue Mosque seen from the window of Hagia Sophia

One final jewel: from an upstairs window of the Hagia Sophia (Greek meaning "Holy Wisdom; Turkish: Aya Sofya) there is a magnificent view of the Blue Mosque.  It is framed between the buildings and domes of the ancient Church, become Mosque, become historical museum.  Though there is some dispute as to when the first portion of the Church was built it is certain that it was dedicated in 360 CE and served as the Basilica Church of the Byzantine Empire when Istanbul was known as Constantinople.  The current massive Basilica was built by Emperor Justinian I and is the third Church structure on this site; it took 30 years to build (dedicated in 562 CE).  In 1453 Sultan Mehmed II laid siege to Constantinople and converted Hagia Sophia Basilica into the Ayasofya Mosque.  The Church was dilapidated, but the monarch made it clear that the elaborate mosaics of the old Church were not to be destroyed, rather simply plastered over.

Today many of these magnificent gold leafed mosaics have been carefully uncovered by the Turkish Ministry of Antiquities in what is since 1935 a museum.  Hagia Sophia / Ayasofya a house of two worlds of worship ever intertwined and seeking a place in a complex world.  The Sultan Ahmed Mosque known as the Blue Mosque because of the beautiful turquoise tiles that give it an amazing blue radiance remains, since 1616 CE, an active house of worship.  Side by side and intermingled these worlds exist - today in Turkey - in peace and friendship.  A model for a world which we must all help to forge, bringing a light of kind relationship which will dispel all darkness and fear.  In these ancient symbols, woven together in the peacefulness of modern Turkey, each one respected and valued, I find hope for our world.  May each of us find peace in our shared journey on this small and fragile planet that we all call "home."

Dome of the Blue Mosque

Mosaic of Mary and Jesus-Hagia Sophia