Buildings can carry centuries of secrets and history within their foundations and walls.

Hagia Sophia, the architectural marvel that still stands in Istanbul, Turkey, is one such palimpsest (see definition and hear pronunciation below).

Originally built as a church, it was turned into an Islamic mosque in 1453.

Nearly 500 years later, Hagia Sophia was transformed into a museum.

Now, certain factions of the Turkish government are considering whether it should become a mosque again.

Only the future will tell what’s in store for this building.

Cool word vocabulary question of the day: What do you think can be learned from palimpsests like Hagia Sophia?

Palimpsest: Something that has changed over time and shows evidence of that change; an old document whose original writing has been replaced with new writing.

Click to hear the pronunciation of palimpsests.

https://coolwordclub.com/wp-content/uploads/palimpsests.mp3