Hagia Sophia: Church? Mosque? Museum?

Hagia Sophia

In 532 A.D., Emperor Justinian began the process of building arguably the greatest structure of late classical antiquity.  Even more astounding is that the Hagia Sophia or Church of Holy Wisdom was completed in only five years.  Since then, this structure has seen the rise and fall of empires, as well as weathered the forces of nature for nearly 1500 years.  It's dome has collapsed and been replaced due to earthquake, while the immense weight of the building has required massive reinforcement.

Buttresses added later to support massive walls and domes.

In addition to the structural challenges this building has faced, the historical transition from the Byzantine Empire to Ottoman Empire to the modern state of Turkey has seen this building undergo massive change in use throughout the years.  During the Byzantine era, it stood as one of the greatest churches in all of Christendom.  However, in 1453, Mehmet II the Conqueror defeated what was left of the Byzantine resistance and began establishing his imperial capital in the city.  Hagia Sophia was indeed a great treasure, so he converted the building to a mosque, preserving much of the original architecture, but adding minarets, and over time, many of the legendary Byzantine mosaics were covered as Arabic calligraphy and Quranic verse became the ornamentation of choice within it's soaring walls and domes.  Finally, after the fall of the Ottomans shortly after World War I and the establishment of the modern state of Turkey under Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk), the Hagia Sophia's role changed once more into that of a secular museum that sought to preserve the best of all previous traditions.

Christian and Islamic features are present throughout the Hagia Sophia.

Today, the Hagia Sophia continues to serve as a museum to the thousands that walk under its massive domes everyday.  It is arguably the best preserved classical era building in the world, and yet, preservation, restoration, and repair are nearly constant.  At 1500 years old, this incredible structure needs a great deal of attention.

Scaffolding draws attention to current restoration efforts.

The obvious physical repairs needed are one thing, but they are complicated by the fact that it isn't always so clear what exactly should be preserved.  Do the restoration efforts focus on Byzantine Christian murals or the Islamic features of the Ottoman era?  What layers of history within the building should be preserved?  In addition, there are discussions among small Christian and Muslim groups who would like to see the Hagia Sophia again serve their communities as a house of worship.  In that case, does it become a church or a mosque?  How would a transition back into a house of worship impact religion and politics in the city of Istanbul?  Interesting questions that are terribly difficult to answer, but I did come across a pretty fascinating article from Smithsonian that outlines the complexities of this 1500 year wonder of architecture and belief.  Interested?  Check out "A Monumental Struggle to Preserve Hagia Sophia"