11TH NOVEMBER, 2011

(11th Anniversary of Nawang’s Supreme Sacrifice)

Lots of 11s on this anniversary. It is the 11th anniversary of Nawang’s supreme sacrifice, it falls on 11/11/11. He was shot around 11am on 11/11/2000.

Charu and I were in Istanbul. This city has been at the centre of religious conflict of most of its history and today stands strongly as secular country. Many of the religious places in the city have a history of being used as churches and then as mosques. The Chora Museum is a place which really brings this history to life.

The Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora (the Chora Museum, Mosque or Church) is considered to be one of the most beautiful surviving examples of a Byzantine church. The church is situated in Istanbul, in the Edirnekapı neighborhood, which lies in the western part of the municipality (belediye) of Fatih. In the 16th century, during the Ottoman era, the church was converted into a mosque and, finally, it became a museum in 1948. The interior of the building is covered with fine mosaics and frescoes. (from Wikipedia. More about the Chora Church on Wikipedia)

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