Fodor's Expert Review Aya Sofya

Trabzon's best-known Byzantine monument is this well-preserved 13th-century church that was converted into a mosque in Ottoman times. It sits on a bluff overlooking the Black Sea and inside, the highlights include wonderful Byzantine frescoes housed in the west porch: technicolor angels on the ceiling, Christ preaching in the Temple, the Annunciation, and the wedding at Cana—all executed in a style that shows strong Italian influences. Often overlooked is the graffiti of ships, carved into the outside of the apse by sailors for good luck. A shaded tea garden near the entrance is a popular place for breakfast. Some of the Byzantine-era frescoes in the central dome have been covered by white, umbrella-like fixtures because images are forbidden in mosques.