A Look At The History Of Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia, after 916 years of use as a church, was converted into a mosque in 1453 with the conquest of Istanbul by Sultan Muhammad Fatih.
This historic place was also used as a mosque for 481 years and was at the center of many political disputes due to its ideological and symbolic importance.
Justinian I, the Roman emperor, in 532 AD wanted to build a building that would increase the dignity of Istanbul.
He wanted to build a church that has not been built since the time of Adam and will not be built after that.
About 10,000 workers were involved in the construction of this church, and the Bosphorus Basilica remained the largest church in the Christian world for a thousand years.
It is narrated that Justinian I used 150 tons of gold to build Hagia Sophia.
Over time, changes are made in the building.
The great dome of Hagia Sophia is damaged due to an earthquake.
Hagia Sophia, which means holy knowledge, is used as the official church of the Roman Empire.
From the 7th century onwards, almost all Byzantine emperors were crowned in this place.
In 1453, Istanbul leaves Byzantine control.
After the conquest of Istanbul, Sultan Mehmed Fatih, the Ottoman emperor, turned this place into a mosque, instead of the symbols of the cross, the crescent moon was placed, the bells of the church were dismantled and covered with mosaics and wall paintings.
With the addition of the first minaret, Hagia Sophia officially becomes a mosque.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, converted Hagia Sophia into a museum in 1934.
In the process of restoration, Byzantine mosaics were exposed again.
At the same time, Islamic symbols were restored to avoid destruction.
The story of Hagia Sophia can be seen everywhere.
The names of Allah and Muhammad on both sides and behind them the image of Jesus in the arms of the Holy Mary attract attention.
There are also 40 windows on the big dome.
These windows are installed to prevent the dome from cracking and light entering the building.
The most important mosaic of Hagia Sophia is a work that was done in the 14th century on the wall of the south gallery of this building.
Despite the fact that this mosaic is not completely restored, the faces are fully recognizable.
The image of Jesus in the middle, Mary on the left and his apostles on the right side of the mosaic can be seen.
In front of Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque or the Sultan Ahmed Mosque is located.
A group of people have always been in favor of turning Hagia Sophia into a mosque after the conquest of Istanbul and consider this action as a symbol of the conquest of Istanbul.
According to them, this Islamic heritage should be protected.
Bartolos I, from the Patriarchate of the Roman Orthodox House, has been asking for permission to hold Christian rites and worship in Hagia Sophia for years.
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According to him, looking at the history of Hagia Sophia, we can see that it was built for the worship of Christians.
In the past, plans have been submitted to the Turkish parliament to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque, but each time these proposals have been rejected by the mosque.
Hagia Sophia has been registered in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1985.
