Built in the 6th century, Hagia Sophia -- Greek for “Holy Wisdom” -- was Christendom’s greatest and most celebrated church. After parrying centuries of jihadi thrusts from Arabs, Constantinople -- now Istanbul -- was finally sacked by Turks in 1453, and Hagia Sophia’s crosses were desecrated, its icons defaced. Along with thousands of other churches in the Byzantine Empire, it was immediately converted into a mosque, the tall minarets of Islam surrounding it in triumph. Los Angeles Times

ύριε, ἡ ἐν πολλαῖς ἁμαρτίαις περιπεσοῦσα γυνή,
τὴν σὴν αἰσθομένη θεότητα,　(you are a very quick-witted woman, the divine deity)

Oh Lord, my God,  I fell asleep
No longer in a state of grace
No longer a beautiful woman,
Beloved by the Emperor,
But a harlot, like Mary Magdalene,
A sister of the Christ
Dazzled by his beauty,
By an acre of sorcery,
By a terrible moon
By the time of the month
By everything the moon said.
Still, nothing comes too soon.
So, give me your tears, Lord,
Let me wash your feet,
Let me wash away your Golgotha fear
We all die, Lord
Only yhe place of the skull lives
Deep within the waters of the sea
Tides rise in my heart - for thee, Lord,
Only for thee. 
Listen to the sighing of my heart, Lord,
Your bedroom is empty, Lord,
Let me so-destroy your thighs,
That sin will end and you will live, my Lord.
Rise and forgive me, forgive, Kassia, 
In the Paradise Of the Twilight,
I cry. I fear. Hide me away, Lord. I am ashamed
Of your light, Lord, you see me, truly, as I am.
Now, I have become one of the crowd
At the crimson gates of Constantinople
The abyss opens up before me
How do I make up my mind to live,
My sanctified Saviour?
For I am not your servant, Lord,
But your lover.