ISTANBUL, June 27. /TASS/. Turkish historian and professor Ilber Ortayli has called for restricting tourists and worshippers' access to Istanbul's Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque (formerly the Church of Hagia Sophia), warning that the iconic structure could collapse if not restored.
"Entry to Hagia Sophia should not be allowed. This 1,500-year-old historic building can collapse with such heavy foot traffic. There are voids and caves underneath its structure, and it needs serious restoration. Perhaps the building could be accessed by specialists, clergy, and prominent figures to perform prayers on certain days," Ortayli told the Cumhuriyet newspaper.
According to the historian, 2,000,000 people visit Hagia Sophia annually, but it "has not undergone any serious restoration since the 16th century." "No one, neither Muslim nor Christian, should visit this building. If one wants to pray, they can do so at the Blue Mosque [the Sultan Ahmed Mosque that stands across from Hagia Sophia] or at the Suleymaniye Mosque," Ortayli said.
Earlier it was reported that the main dome of Hagia Sophia will be renovated for the first time since its original construction in the sixth century to make it more earthquake-resistant. All worship services will proceed as planned during the restoration.
Repairing work in Hagia Sophia has been ongoing for several years already. Last year, the facade and minarets have been repaired. Since then, foreign tourists have to pay a fee to enter the mosque.
Hagia Sophia is a monument of Byzantine architecture built between 532 and 537 under Emperor Justinian's direction to serve as a Christian cathedral. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, it was converted into a mosque. In 1935, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the revolutionary statesman and founder of the modern Turkish state, declared Hagia Sophia a museum. In 1985, Hagia Sophia was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a component of 'The Historic Areas of Istanbul.'
In July 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree turning Hagia Sophia into a mosque, and religious services resumed there.