A Talking Picture Page #3

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The Muslims captured

the building in 1453,

and from then on

it was used as a mosque.

Later, in 1935,

it was turned into a museum

on the orders of Atatrk,

the founder of the Turkish Republic.

It's no longer a place of worship,

but a museum.

And since 1935,

no prayers have been said here.

What were they saying?

The guide was saying that

St. Sophia finally ended up

in Muslim hands.

Who were the Muslims?

They belong to the Muslim religion

like we belong to the Catholic religion.

- Is the Catholic religion Christian?

- Yes.

If it belonged to the Catholics,

why did it become Muslim?

- Because they were at war.

- And are they still at war?

No.

That was in the Middle Ages.

Come.

What are the Middle Ages?

The Middle Ages were a period of time

in the history of the world.

The Middle Ages ended

with the reconquest of this city,

which was called Constantinople

and became Istanbul,

as it's called now.

It's a bit complicated, isn't it?

Yes, but I like to know.

Which Middle Ages are we in now?

We're not in the Middle Ages anymore.

Our times, that is to say

the age we are in now,

is called the contemporary age.

Contemporary means now?

That's right.

Contemporary means the present.

And now St. Sophia is a museum.

This way, please.

In all churches,

there is a niche facing Jerusalem.

This is found both in ancient churches

and Turkish churches,

while in all mosques

there is one facing Mecca,

as you can see there.

But in churches that became mosques,

there was a problem,

because Mecca and Jerusalem

are not in the same direction.

You can see the difference better

if you look at the mosaics up there.

The central windows point

in the direction of Jerusalem,

just as that niche there

points to Mecca.

You see it? Not the one in the middle,

but the one to the right of the large one?

The mosaic you can see up there

dates from the 10th century

and represents the Virgin Mary

nursing the baby Jesus.

On the right stands

the Archangel Gabriel.

These two mosaics were plastered over

during the Ottoman empire,

and when the mosque

became a museum...

See these crosses?

What are they?

Look, there's another.

They're marks for the dome

that you just saw.

There are so many.

Yes, there's another...

and another, see?

And yet another at the end.

- You see?

- Yes.

- Did you enjoy that?

- Yes, but it was a bit tiring.

- A bit confusing, isn't it?

- Yes, but it's beautiful.

Can you see

those magnificent monuments?

What are they called?

They're known as the pyramids of Egypt.

They're famous

for their great importance,

and because they represent

the greatest civilization of antiquity.

What does civilization mean?

Civilization is what man

creates and develops

over the course of time

by using his intelligence.

How?

Like the pyramids, for example.

For their great size,

and for the mystery surrounding

the method of their construction.

If it was so difficult,

why did they do it?

They built them precisely

because they were civilized people.

And because they believed

in life after death.

It was one of the kings of Egypt

who had them built

as his burial vault.

There's a story

that another powerful pharaoh...

What's a pharaoh?

That was the name given

to the kings of Egypt.

Well, this pharaoh forced

another people to become workers,

to drag the stones to the top

of each pyramid one by one.

Who were they?

They were the 12 tribes of Israel

who had fled a drought in Canaan.

Hunger had brought them to Egypt,

where there was grain to be had.

And when this pharaoh died,

he was succeeded by another,

who forced these people

to work on the pyramids

as though they were slaves.

- Is that why they were civilized?

- No.

That's not why they were civilized.

There are other reasons.

The history of civilization

is made up of these contradictions.

Man is not perfect,

and he makes mistakes.

- And did they remain slaves forever?

- No.

- Moses freed them.

- Who was Moses?

He was the son of a Jewish woman.

When he was a baby, his mother

was afraid he would be massacred,

so she put him in a basket,

which she set adrift on the river.

The current carried him away,

and he was found by an Egyptian princess,

who liked the child and raised him.

He grew into a strong, wise man.

Years later,

when he discovered his origins,

he became a prophet of the Jews.

But this is a very long story,

my darling.

It happened many

thousands of years ago.

- I'll tell you later, all right?

- All right.

- But you must tell me the whole story.

- Of course I will.

Now it's my turn to tell you a story.

This is a more recent one,

from the time of Napoleon.

Do you know who Napoleon was?

He was a French general

who was famous

for his military genius.

He came here with his French troops

to expel the British, who had invaded Egypt.

Napoleon led his troops into battle,

pointed to the pyramids and said,

"Soldiers, 4,000 years of history

look down upon you. "

- Really?

- Yes.

It was just as this gentleman said.

Allow me to introduce myself.

My name is Luis Miguel.

When I heard this little girl

speaking Portuguese, I couldn't resist.

- I'm...

- I know. You're an actor.

I've seen you perform many times

on the stage in Lisbon.

I'm a great fan of yours.

A fan? What a surprise.

And why not?

You're not unknown, as I am.

You won't be unknown

once you tell me who you are.

My name is Rosa Maria. I'm married.

I have a daughter, Maria Joana.

We're on this cruise to join

my husband, whose name is Joo.

I'm a history teacher,

and I'm visiting these magical places

around the Mediterranean.

I enjoy visiting these places too.

And just as well, because I've now met

a charming history teacher

and her wonderful little girl.

If it's all right with you,

since it's still not very late,

I'd like to invite you for a drink

at a wonderful hotel

that was built for the inauguration

of the Suez Canal.

I'd love to, but...

Please, let's go, Mommy.

It's still early.

Let's go, Joana.

Of course we will, Joana.

Have you noticed

the jewelers' shop windows?

As you can see here in the hotel, there

are many pieces in the shape of a beetle.

They're to be found everywhere.

I knew they were a symbol

of happiness for the Egyptians,

but I never imagined

they were so popular.

They used to be worshipped as gods.

They were the symbol of the sun.

Why?

The beetle goes into his hole at night,

mixes mud with his excrement,

and at dawn brings out a ball of dung.

At dawn

the sun gives light to the living.

At night he goes underground

to give light to the dead.

Now, since we are among the living,

I'd like to show you some paintings

of the inauguration of the canal.

The hotel was built

for the inauguration of the canal

as you can see in this painting.

The Empress Eugenie

is not depicted here,

but she was the guest of honor

at the ceremony.

The pasha of Egypt gave the go-ahead

to the French diplomat Lesseps, who was

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