The story begins in the Hagia Sophia. Located in Istanbul — a city previously known as Constantinople, the capital of Byzantine Christianity — this great place of worship was originally built as a Greek Orthodox church in the 4th century. The church became a mosque after the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire in 1453. In the 1920s, it...read more
The story begins in the Hagia Sophia. Located in Istanbul — a city previously known as Constantinople, the capital of Byzantine Christianity — this great place of worship was originally built as a Greek Orthodox church in the 4th century. The church became a mosque after the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire in 1453. In the 1920s, it was common for young boys to pretend to pray at the Hagia Sophia in order to pry out mosaic stones from the walls and sell them to tourists in the marketplace. Inspired by this tale, we’ve crafted our Hagia Sophia Bracelet, jewelry that stars regal amethyst, sunny orange citrine, deep green peridot, ruby red garnet and icy blue topaz.