In 1934 Turkish Pres. Hagia Sophia's conversion into a mosque. Its status as a museum reflects the universal nature of its heritage, and makes it a powerful symbol for dialogue,” said Director-General Audrey Azoulay. The building reflects the religious changes that have played out in the region over the centuries, with the minarets and inscriptions of Islam as well as the lavish mosaics of Christianity. In subsequent centuries it became a mosque, a museum, and a mosque again. These concerns were shared with the Republic of Turkey in several letters, and again yesterday evening with the representative of the Turkish Delegation to UNESCO. Mosaic from Hagia Sophia, 9th century. The Hagia Sophia (Greek: Ἁγία Σοφία, Holy Wisdom) in Thessaloniki, Greece, is one of the oldest churches in the city still standing today.It is one of several monuments in Thessaloniki included as a World Heritage Site on the UNESCO list. Kemal Atatürk secularized the building, and in 1935 it was made into a museum. The original church on the site of the Hagia Sophia is said to have been ordered to be built by Constantine I in 325 on the foundations of a pagan temple. “Hagia Sophia is an architectural masterpiece and a unique testimony to interactions between Europe and Asia over the centuries. The walls above the galleries and the base of the dome are pierced by windows, which in the glare of daylight obscure the supports and give the impression that the canopy floats on air. The Hagia Sophia is important in Turkey as a symbol of nation's changing identity since the Byzantine empire. UNESCO calls upon the Turkish authorities to initiate dialogue without delay, in order to prevent any detrimental effect on the universal value of this exceptional heritage, the state of conservation of which will be examined by the World Heritage Committee at its next session. “Hagia Sophia is an architectural masterpiece and a unique testimony to interactions between Europe and Asia over the centuries. Hagia Sophia The request of Alexis Georgoulis, MEP of SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance, for the inclusion of the monument in the “List of World Heritage in Danger” will be placed on the agenda of the 44th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. In plan the building is almost square. The Unesco-listed Hagia Sophia (Divine Wisdom), known in Turkish as Ayasofya, was completed in AD537 by the Byzantine emperor Justinian. There are three aisles separated by columns with galleries above and great marble piers rising up to support the dome. For almost a millennium after its construction, it was the largest cathedral in all of Christendom. Cavusoglu said Ankara was surprised by UNESCO's reaction and would let it know of further steps that will be taken regarding Hagia Sophia, which was a … “Hagia Sophia is an architectural masterpiece and a unique testimony to interactions between Europe and Asia over the centuries. The two identical minarets on the western side were likely commissioned by Selim II or Murad III and built by renowned Ottoman architect Sinan in the 1500s. States have an obligation to ensure that modifications do not affect the Outstanding Universal Value of inscribed sites on their territories. Built 1500 years ago as an Orthodox Christian cathedral, Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest in 1453 and later turned into a museum by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The original wooden minaret did not survive. It is regrettable that the Turkish decision was made without any form of dialogue or prior notice. It was rebuilt and enlarged by the Roman emperor Constans I. © UNESCO World Heritage Centre 1992-2020 This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hagia-Sophia, History Learning Site - The Balfour Declaration of 1917, The Met - Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History - Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey, LiveScience - Hagia Sophia: Facts, History and Architecture, Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism - Hagia Sophia Museum, Hagia Sophia - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Hagia Sophia - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Navigate parenthood with the help of the Raising Curious Learners podcast. The name Hagia Sophia didn’t come about until around 430 CE. The iconic Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage site was recently in news. What is the Hagia Sophia? The Hagia Sophia was built in the remarkably short time of about six years, being completed in 537 ce. “UNESCO reacted to the change of Hagia Sophia’s status as early as July 2020 and expressed its concern in this regard. The restored building was rededicated in 415 by Theodosius II. Sultan Mehmed II designated the previously Christian church a mosque shortly after he conquered the city in 1453. It would remain so for many centuries, until being secularized in 1934 by the Turkish Republic’s first president. An inspection into the change of status of the World Heritage Site and former Orthodox church of Hagia Sophia into a mosque last summer has still not been finalized, said UNESCO this week.. Hagia Sophia: UNESCO deeply regrets the decision of the Turkish authorities, made without prior discussion, and calls for the universal value of World Heritage to be preserved. Hagia Sophia, which served as Eastern Christianity’s greatest cathedral for almost one thousand years, was turned into a mosque on July 10, 2020 per a … Since then, mosaics were added throughout the Byzantine period, structural modifications were made in both the Byzantine and Ottoman periods, and features important to the Islamic architectural tradition were constructed during Ottoman ownership of the structure. Later modifications included the construction of more minarets, the whitewashing of Christian mosaics, and the addition of structural supports. Omissions? Such measures could constitute breaches of the rules derived from the 1972 World Heritage Convention. Updates? Hagia Sophia's complex history began in the year 537 when Byzantine emperor Justinian built the huge church overlooking the Golden Horn harbour With its … The announcement posted on the UNESCO website states that: UNESCO reacted to the change of Hagia Sophia’s status as early as July 2020 and expressed its concern in this regard. The Director-General of UNESCO deeply regrets the decision of the Turkish authorities, made without prior discussion, to change the status of Hagia Sophia. More than 50 years later, UNESCO included Hagia Sophia as part of its Historic Areas of Istanbul World Heritage Site. It is situated in: a) Greece b) Turkey c) Israel d) Iran. On July 10th, Turkey’s top administrative court handed down a decision to revoke Hagia Sophia’s status as a museum, paving the way for the 1,500-year-old former basilica to be opened as a mosque again with changes to Hagia Sophia’s architecture.This move is in violation of international law, in particular the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. Hagia Sophia is part of the Historic Areas of Istanbul, a property inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The church was burned again in the Nika insurrection of January 532, a circumstance that gave Justinian I an opportunity to envision a splendid replacement. UNESCO Assistant Director-General Ernesto Ottone has instructed … Bringing the structure in line with the Islamic tradition called for a series of other modifications, not all of which were undertaken during the reign of Mehmed II. United Nations, Post-Conflict and Post-Disaster Responses, Statement by the Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, on Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Astronomy and World Heritage Thematic Initiative, Human Evolution: Adaptations, Dispersals and Social Developments (HEADS), Initiative on Heritage of Astronomy, Science and Technology, Initiative on Heritage of Religious Interest, Natural World Heritage in the Congo Basin, Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape, Reducing Disasters Risks at World Heritage Properties, World Heritage and Sustainable Development, World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme, World Heritage Centre’s Natural Heritage Strategy, World Heritage Earthen Architecture Programme (WHEAP). His son, Constantius II, consecrated it in 360. The construction of this iconic structure in Istanbul started in 532 AD during the reign of Justinian I, the ruler of the Byzantine Empire when the city was known as Constantinople. Floor plan of the Hagia Sophia, Istanbul. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. In reaction to numerous inaccurate statements and errors circulating in the press about the situation of Hagia Sophia, UNESCO wishes to recall the following: UNESCO reacted to the change of Hagia Sophia's status as early as July 2020 and expressed its concern in this regard. Hagia Sophia is part of the Historic Areas of Istanbul, a property inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay "deeply regrets the decision of the Turkish authorities, taken without prior dialogue, to modify the status of the Hagia Sophia," the UN agency said in a statement, Either he or his son Bayezid II erected the red minaret that stands on the southeast corner of the structure. Islamic prayers were held shortly after the announcement with curtains partially concealing the building’s Christian imagery. It went through another religious conversion after the conquest of Constantinople by Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II in 1453, when it was designated a mosque. “It is important to avoid any implementing measure, without prior discussion with UNESCO, that would affect physical access to the site, the structure of the buildings, the site’s moveable property, or the site’s management,” stressed Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Culture. For more than a millennium it was the Cathedral of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. It was converted into a museum a year later, a decision which remains controversial. Istanbul (AsiaNews) – UNESCO has asked the Turkish government to examine changes and possible alterations made to the former basilicas of Hagia Sophia and Chora, in Istanbul. 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During Mehmed’s rule, a wooden minaret (no longer standing), a mihrab (niche positioned in the direction of Mecca), a minbar (pulpit), a madrasah (school), and a grand chandelier were added. 11/22/2020 Turkey (International Christian Concern) – Following comments from the Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, that UNESCO is “not bothered by the fact that it became a mosque,” UNESCO has responded with a statement. Hagia Sophia was built and served as a church for 916 years until the Ottoman Empire took over İstanbul, and a mosque from 1453 to 1934, and most recently as a museum for 86 years. Night view of the Hagia Sophia, Istanbul. “Hagia Sophia is an architectural masterpiece and a unique testimony to interactions between Europe and Asia over the centuries. Die UN-Welterbeorganisation Unesco drängt auf den Schutz christlicher Kunstschätze in der Hagia Sophia und der Erlöserkirche im einstigen Chora … Mendoni added that reconverting Hagia Sophia into a mosque would also require the approval of UNESCO, which listed the site as a monument of world heritage in 1985. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). It was also an important site of Muslim worship after Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople in 1453 and designated the structure a mosque. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made the controversial decision in 2020 to convert the building back into a mosque. This position has remained constant since then. The structure now standing is essentially the 6th-century edifice, although an earthquake caused a partial collapse of the dome in 558 (restored 562) and there were two further partial collapses, after which it was rebuilt to a smaller scale and the whole church reinforced from the outside. However, it also holds significance globally as a Unesco site and tourist attraction. After the Turkish conquest of Constantinople in 1453, Mehmed II had it repurposed as a mosque, with the addition of a wooden minaret (on the exterior, a tower used for the summons to prayer), a great chandelier, a mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca), and a minbar (pulpit). Hagia Sophia is part of the Historic Areas of Istanbul, a property inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. In 1985, during its time as a museum, Hagia Sophia was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Art historians consider the building’s beautiful mosaics to be the main source of knowledge about the state of mosaic art in the time shortly after the end of the Iconoclastic Controversy in the 8th and 9th centuries. Turkey, she said, signed the UNESCO Convention in 1972 and would be in violation of the agreement by making such a move without approval. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. UNESCO must be given prior notice of any such modifications, which, if necessary, are then examined by the World Heritage Committee. It would remain a mosque until being converted into a museum in the 1930s. UNESCO also recalls that the effective, inclusive and equitable participation of communities and other stakeholders concerned by the property is necessary to preserve this heritage and highlight its uniqueness and significance.