Posted on September 1, 2018
The Westminster Abbey is a magnificent piece of architecture housing more than a thousand years of British royalty history making it one of the most visited places in London. Unfortunately, photography is prohibited inside the cathedral so the closest to the interiors I could photograph was its courtyard. It would have been awesome to capture the interiors but the courtyard provided me with good enough lines, shapes and shadows. Most photographs we see online are usually the facade of this building but I decided to skip that angle and went for this. I know it does not scream Westminster Abbey but they always say not to capture the obvious so here’s one taken from behind the abbey.
Posted on July 22, 2016
The Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya in Turkish), which means Holy Wisdom, is a grand piece of architecture that beautifully defines the Istanbul skyline. According to our tour guide, it was originally an Orthodox church which was turned into a mosque and eventually converted into a museum. It was truly a humbling experience to stand before this ancient wonder and be able to walk along its endless halls and explore its grand chambers. Inside was generally empty except for a few relics and lighting fixtures, however, the walls and ceilings are covered with a spectacular array of religious artwork. It was fascinating to see Christian and Muslim symbols beautifully complementing each other. I think the world can learn from the walls of Ayasofya on how to coexist harmoniously despite our differences. Sadly though, recent developments in Turkish politics may eventually lead to reviving this museum back into a mosque. I just hope the people of Istanbul decide to retain this as a symbol of secularism where people from all faiths can enjoy the beauty and wonder of this great human achievement both in construction and architecture.
Posted on December 23, 2015
With the Star Wars film hitting theaters just a few days ago, I thought this photo would be a nice tribute to one of my favorite films as this interesting looking building reminds me of one of their sets. This is actually a church in the island of Mykonos (town is also called Chora) in Greece. I love the contrast between the blue sky and the white-washed walls…very Greek flag indeed! But going back to Star Wars, I can picture the robot C-3PO walking out of that door and happily blurting out “May the force be with you”!
Posted on December 12, 2015
The altar at the St. Peter’s Basilica is adorned with works by Gian Lorenzo Bernini who is revered as the greatest architect and sculpture of the Baroque period. He created the baldacchino, which is the four poster pavilion-like structure in front of the altar and just right below the basilica’s famous dome. The altar also feature another one of his works called the “Cathedra Petri” or throne of St. Peter, which is the golden sculpture right in the middle of the photo. Gladly, they cordoned off the altar section of the basilica thus allowing me to photograph it minus the chaotic tourist crowds.
Posted on November 27, 2015
I discovered this old church/monastery in North Miami, Florida while waiting for my Filipino friends for lunch. The restaurant was just across the street from the church and with Filipinos being fashionably late, I decided to use my waiting time to explore the compound. I learned that this church was originally built in 1133 in Sacramenia, Northern Spain and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In 1925, William Randolph Hearst bought it and had it dismantled stone by stone then shipped to the United States in 11,000 crates. It was again bought by two entrepreneurs who wanted to turn it into a tourist attraction taking them 19 months to rebuild the entire church. In 1953 Time Magazine called it “the biggest jigsaw puzzle in history”.
Posted on November 2, 2015
St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican is the heart of the Catholic church where millions of devotees pilgrimage to celebrate their faith and devotion. During my trip to Rome last year, my Catholic upbringing dictated that I should pay Vatican a visit. I spent an entire day visiting the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and the St. Peter’s Basilica and the amount of art amassed by the church blew away my imagination. Vatican’s grandness is an obvious reflection of the massive power of the Catholic Church.