Museum shows changes in Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia

ISTANBUL

The Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry has transformed an ancient land registry office building in Istanbul's Sultanahmet Square into a museum that narrates all the changes in Hagia Sophia from its initial construction to the present day.

After nearly three years of work, the museum began to host artifacts stored in Hagia Sophia’s warehouses, as visitors can also benefit from a digital guide that explains the history of the structure.

Providing information about the museum, art historian Hayri Fehmi Yılmaz stated that Hagia Sophia, one of the world's most exceptional and influential monuments, possesses an extraordinary collection.

The main theme of the museum is to reflect the changes that Hagia Sophia has undergone from the Byzantine Empire to modern Türkiye since the sixth century, Yılmaz said.

Stating that Hagia Sophia was built in the fourth century and renovated in the fifth and sixth centuries and that its present form has survived from the sixth century to today, Yılmaz said that the empires ruling over the city enriched the structure with their unique touches.

"Therefore, it became a structure that represented the peak of both Byzantine and Ottoman civilizations," he said.

In 1934, after it was turned into a museum, Hagia Sophia became one of the most important museums of Byzantine art in Türkiye and the world by welcoming some materials related to the building as well as materials related to the structure’s periods, Yılmaz said.

When Hagia Sophia was reconverted into a mosque in 2020, it was decided to display the collections from both the former museum and the warehouses.

"A very unique museum was created. Original materials, some of which have never been exhibited in Hagia Sophia, are on display. In fact, there is an impressive modern museology display that tells the history of Hagia Sophia with visuals on two floors. It is also possible to watch a display of Hagia Sophia in the classical sense. Among the building materials, stamped bricks constitute a very interesting group. Examples of the tesserae of the rich mosaic decorations covering all surfaces of the structure, which have fallen over time, are seen," Yılmaz said.

The museum also exhibits manuscript documents on Hagia Sophia written by historians of the Ottoman period, he said.

"In my opinion, those who love the history of Istanbul and those who want to witness Hagia Sophia should definitely visit this museum after touring the structure," Yılmaz concluded.