Contesting the Byzantine Past: Four Hagia Sophias as Ideological Battlegrounds of Architectural Conservation in Turkey

Aykaç, Pınar

doi:10.1080/2159032x.2019.1670502

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…In the same study, she maintained that the conversion of these works to mosques was a manifestation of the current political environment challenging the secular republic. In summary, with these and similar comments, those who are against Hagia Sophia operating as a mosque emphasize that the work has a multi-layered identity, that it has a symbolic meaning for diverse groups and in this way represents the secular republic [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…This discussion continued at an academic level as well. For example Aykaç (2018) stated that it was common practice to convert Byzantine monuments into museums in the first years of the Republic. She argued that these museums were instrumental in alienating the secular nation-state from its imperial and Islamic Ottoman past and presented an official narrative of the early Republican ideology.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Conflict over the Use of Hagia Sophia: The Legal Case

Çoruhlu

Uzun

Yıldız

2020

Land

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The historical progress of Hagia Sophia encompasses four different periods. Dating back to 360 AD, this unique structure was the largest church built in Istanbul during the Roman Period. In the second period, Fatih Sultan Mehmet conquered Istanbul in 1453 and personally dedicated Hagia Sophia to his foundation as a mosque. In the third period, upon the founding of the modern Republic of Turkey, Hagia Sophia was transformed into the Museum in 1934. Finally, in 2020, the structure was converted once again to a mosque by a court decision. Ongoing discussions today have suggested that the structure be used as a mosque, a church, or a museum. In this study, the ownership rights of the monument and its cultural heritage status have been examined within the framework of rulings of the European Court of Human Rights. The study evaluates the 1934 decree preventing the owner of the property rights from being given authorization over the monument. The results indicate that there was a legal obligation to grant the use of Hagia Sophia/Ayasofya as a mosque in accordance with the property rights of Fatih Sultan Mehmet, who proclaimed the establishment of its foundation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%