Erdogan will hold the first Islamic prayers in #HagiaSophia on July 24th--essentially converting the edifice into a functioning mosque. So, what does this mean for Hagia Sophia's short-term and long-term preservation? A thread 👇
On July 10 Erdogan signed a decree taking #HagiaSophia from the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and gave it over to Directorate of Religious Affairs. These are two fundamentally different institutions with different priorities.
Under the Min. of Culture, as a museum, a team of professional, trained experts monitored and maintained #HagiaSophia daily, and coordinated international teams of specialists to address possible problems (conservation of marble flooring, mosaics, structural consolidation etc.)
These experts monitor visitor traffic and security at #HagiaSophia, and folks, this is a very hard, stressful job, that requires experience and human skills.
When you have such a monument as #HagiaSophia that visitors have a deep emotional connection to, you regularly have transgressions of museum etiquette. Museum staff dealt with these transgressions, calmly and professionally, diffusing tensions.
In its status as a mosque, #HagiaSophia will no longer have a museum staff, which perform a crucial duty for the short&long term preservation efforts. It is agonizing to think about what will happen to the monument in the absence of daily professional monitoring and maintenance.
We expect certain changes to the monument as it is converted into a mosque — installation of carpets, covering figurative mosaics, adding ablution facilities etc. When dealing with an ancient building, all of these decisions need to be carefully considered and discussed.
Again, Erdogan signed the decree on July 10, and first prayer is to be hold at #HagiaSophia on July 24 — 14 days is certainly NOT enough time to consult with experts, deliberate, discuss & come up with solutions that will not cause irreversible harm to the structure and its art.
When dealing with ancient buildings—and I cannot stress this enough— such haste is disastrous. Think of the carpets chosen for #HagiaSophia, for instance, what kind of material is used for them? Will it trap humidity? How are they for pest control? Are they fire retardant?
I have similar concerns for Erdogan's plans for covering #HagiaSophia's figurative mosaics. Although there are conflicting accounts, we are told that they won't be plastered over, but will be covered only during prayer times, either by curtains or some sort of light-installation.
If curtains: where&how are they going to be installed? Take the Virgin&Child in the apse, for instance, which is very high up over the mihrab. Where to drill the structure to add the curtain-rod? How heavy will the curtain be? Is the fabric fire-retardent&dust proof?
If a light-installation: Can #HagiaSophia's current electric infrastructure handle the extra load? Where will you place the equipment for the light-installation? Will it heat? Will it cause a significant fire-hazard? (I think of Notre Dame's fire last year—and I am terrified)
I highly doubt any of these concerns have been considered. 14 days is NOT enough to discuss any of these issues, let alone make a sound assessment of the best alternatives given #HagiaSophia's existing infrastructure.
I am also worried for the protection of #HagiaSophia's figural mosaics. Although we have heard time&again that they will not be plastered over, we have not heard how they will be protected against vandalism and attacks.
In #HagiaSophia Museum, security guards conducted regular surveillance of the building, to ensure the safety of both art but also of visitors. This is applicable to all heritage sites, that vandalism, although rare, does happen. And it causes irreversible damage when it does.
I am afraid #Erdogan's stress on conquest in the conversion of #HagiaSophia may cultivate a provocative environment for vandalism, and somebody may take it upon themselves to get rid of some of the mosaics. And mosaics are fragile, more fragile than you can imagine.
Some of #HagiaSophia's mosaics are particularly vulnerable. The images of Byzantine royals in the gallery, in particular, are both easily accessible, and are hidden from direct sight. There needs to be security personnel to ensure the safety of these extraordinary mosaics.
And let's not forget #HagiaSophia's historic and relentless enemy: humidity. Humidity is the archenemy of most ancient structures. Let me remind you: Hagia Sophia is almost 1500 years old! She is very susceptible to fluctuations in environmental factors and humidity.
One factor that contributes to humidity (among other things) is human presence. Most heritage sites/museums limit visitor flow and attendance, to give buildings some time to recuperate, so to say. #HagiaSophia as a museum operated for 8 hours per day and was closed on Mondays.
As a mosque, #HagiaSophia will be open for all 5 Islamic prayer times, including late at night and early in the morning before sunrise. No doubt there will be a massive demand to pray in Hagia Sophia.
Are there plans to facilitate both increase in public presence and extended hours of utilization? Is there a projection of the possible damage to #HagiaSophia in the short and long term? Have these factors been considered? We do not know.
