Tourism in Hagia Sophia
A cultural highlight of the world, the 1,500-year-old wonder of Istanbul was once a church, mosque, museum, and mosque again.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the country's most popular tourist destination, and the controversial spiritual center of both the Christian and Islamic empires.
Turkey has drawn up plans to convert the 1,500-year-old Hagia Sophia, a museum since 1934, into a mosque in the mid-2020s. It has become a target in recent years for religious organizations aiming to turn it once again into a place of Islamic worship.
Many people were shocked by this development. UNESCO claimed it was not aware. Millions of Orthodox believers reside in Greece, which has stunned the Eastern Orthodox Church. Greek Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni stated, "The nationalism displayed by President Erdogan... has set his country back six centuries." Pope Francis expressed his grief at Sunday prayers, saying he was "very sad". Others were concerned about the wonderful mosaics and artwork from the Byzantine
a period
According to experts, the site may be able to adapt and continue to serve as a tourist destination. According to Jonathan Bell, Vice President of Programs for the World Monuments Fund, "Our main concern is for the authorities to ensure proper preservation and public access to the site." I believe it can be a place of worship more fully and preserve its original purpose, and if other safeguards exist, it can serve as a World Heritage Site.
Beloved of two religions
Constructed in the sixth century as the cathedral for the capital of the Byzantine Empire (also known as the Eastern Roman Empire), the current Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque in 1453 after the Ottomans conquered Constantinople. Until 1934, when the Turkish government turned it into a museum, it was still a place of prayer for Muslims. UNESCO added Hagia Sophia to its list of World Heritage Sites in Historic Istanbul after more than 50 years.
More than 3.7 million people visited the architectural marvel in 2019 alone. It is known for its Byzantine architecture, intricate mosaics, and religious significance to both Christians and Muslims. Right now, "it remains unclear to cultural heritage professionals...how a World Heritage site can be altered or modified," according to National Geographic's Christine Romey.
On July 10, Turkey's Council of State, the country's highest administrative court, upheld a religious group's argument that the historic structure was still the personal property of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, who conquered Constantinople, and that the 1934 decision to secularize Hagia Sophia was. So illegal. A few days later, Hagia Sophia was reported to have held its first prayers inside, and the Turkish president said the mosque would continue to welcome people of all faiths and nationalities.
However, the future of Hagia Sophia is still uncertain. Many of Turkey's neighbors, notably Greece and Russia, condemned the decision, arguing that the structure, as a museum, represents the coexistence of Christianity and Islam and a link between eastern and western cultural traditions.
UNESCO said in a statement that it "deeply regrets the decision of the Turkish authorities, which it took without prior discussion," and that it "calls for the preservation of the universal value of world heritage." According to the World Heritage Charter, Turkey must notify UNESCO in advance of any changes to the building's status, and the World Heritage Committee will then review the changes if necessary, according to Rumi.
However, restoring Hagia Sophia as a regular site of worship would not necessarily invalidate its designation as a World Heritage Site. The 20 percent or so of Vatican City and the Jameh Mosque in Isfahan, Iran, are two of more than a thousand sites added to the World Heritage List because of their spiritual or religious significance.
Workers made substantial alterations once the building was designated a museum, such as painstakingly scraping off plaster to reveal buried mosaics. Along the long upper gallery, they are partially visible and dazzled by the luster of the golden tiles. Turkish officials announced that as a result of the recent change in the status of the building, all images of Christian figures in the main hall during prayer will be covered.
prior knowledge
Dominating the Istanbul skyline, Hagia Sophia is located in the heart of Sultanahmet district, next to the Blue Mosque and a short walk from Topkapi Palace. Tour guides will tell you that at the time of the church's original construction, people thought it was so wonderful that it must have had heavenly guidance to help create it.
It is interesting to explore the outside of the mosque, although many people visit the old building to admire its inner wonders. The innovative design of the structure is embodied in the four minarets of Hagia Sophia, the fountain in the Sebian (elementary) school, the clock room, and the treasury building. Outside the structure are the mausoleums of the Ottoman sultans, which are also curious to visit.
Hagia Sophia, the country's most famous tourist destination, is still open to visitors. The Turkish government has just announced that there will be no entry fee and that all mosaics will be visible, except at prayer time, in which case the building will close an hour before prayer time and reopen 30 minutes later.