Liturgy in Hagia Sophia!!! Hagia Sofia is the Byzantine Orthodox Christian Church of the Holy Wisdom of God in Constantinople. (For us the Greeks, it's still Constantinnople, Asia Mior and not Istanbul, Turkey! Turks even made a whole song "Istanbul is not Constantinople, but they cannot beat history, no matter how militant a propaganda they launch because of their barbaric hatred and aggression). Touching moments in Orthodox Christianity. In 1453, Hagia Sophia, the symbol of Orthodoxy, fell to the Turks. Its melodies stopped for centuries. Until that moment: a Byzantine choir was finally given permission to chant for just a few hours conducted by Head Chanter Panayiotis Kavarnos who later on became "Fr. Nikodemos Kavarnos", as he was ordained a Greek Orthodox Archmandrite (lowest rank of high priest who is a monk, but is appointed to a Parish). It was just in a form of a concert as Turkish government does ot respect human rights and freedom of religion and does not allow Christians to pray inside Hagia Sophia!!!