but the byzantine empire collapsed in the 15th century, and hagia sophia was turned into a mosque.e plastered over, and new religious symbols replaced the old. this church was built to face jerusalem. mosques face mecca. when hagia sophia became a mosque, they couldn't move the church, but they could move the focal point of the praying. notice how the prayer niche is just a little bit off-center. that's because it faces mecca. - today on america's test kitchen, becky prepares peri peri grilled chicken, adam reviews the latest grill gadgets in the equipment corner, and bridget makes pita bread salad with tomatoes and cucumbers. right here on america's testkitchen. america's test kitchen is brought to you by dcs. dcs: manufacturers of professionally styled indoor and outdoor kitchen equipment.

but the byzantine empire collapsed in the 15th century, and hagia sophia was turned into a mosque. christian mosaics were plastered over, and new religious symbols replaced the old. this church was built to face jerusalem. mosques face mecca. when hagia sophia became a mosque, they couldn't move the church, but they could move the focal point of the praying. notice how the prayer niche is just a little bit off-center. that's because it faces mecca. >>> hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo. north korea is preparing for a massive celebration on saturday, it marks the 105th anniversary of the birth of founder kim il sung. countries in the region are on alert because pyongyang has often conducted military tests on memorial days. north korea's leader and senior officials attended a commemorative event on friday. the head of the country's parliament said kim il sung's achievements paved the way for his country to become a nuclear power. foreign journalists have been allowed to cover the festivities in pyongyang under the strict supervision of officials. they visi