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Express Tribune
19-06-2025
- Science
- Express Tribune
Healing Hagia Sophia
For nearly 1,500 years, the Hagia Sophia has stood tall over Istanbul, weathering empires, earthquakes and time itself. But as the threat of another major quake looms, vulnerabilities in its aging structure have surfaced, and efforts are afoot to protect the iconic landmark. "Hagia Sophia can be seen like a patient, with more health problems appearing as time goes on," architect Hasan Firat Diker told Anadolu. Now, working with the diligence of a doctor, Diker is part of the Hagia Sophia Scientific Committee, a team undertaking the building's most extensive rehabilitation in a century. The Hagia Sophia was built in the sixth century, and its dome – among the first built on pendentives – collapsed in 558, and partially again in 989 and 1346. Since then, the structure and dome have held firm, even as other buildings around it fell in the quakes of 1509, 1526, 1766 and 1894. "Hagia Sophia is the heart of Istanbul," said Diker, a professor of architecture at the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University in the Turkish megacity. "Its continued preservation can be attributed to the efforts of every ruling power – from the Byzantines to the Ottomans and into the Turkish Republic era – each doing their best within their economic means to protect it." 'Protect it, not alienate it' The Hagia Sophia, a cathedral, museum and mosque at different points in time, is now undergoing its most extensive restoration since the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923. Initial work focused on surrounding Ottoman-era structures, but attention has now turned to the main building. "We know its most vulnerable points. Our reinforcement efforts will proceed accordingly," said Diker. One of the biggest issues lies in the four asymmetrical arches supporting the main dome – a result of earlier repairs and historic damage. "Especially after the last two major collapses during the Byzantine era, the dome and arches had to be rebuilt. But they were made thinner than they should have been, which made the structure more fragile and in constant need of protection," he explained. One major threat during earthquakes is hammering – a phenomenon where two adjacent buildings or structural components collide with each other due to insufficient separation between them. "During an earthquake, the two semi-domes, which were built to support the main dome, can start to sway. This movement may create hammering, which risks damaging the main dome instead of protecting it," he said. Engineers are now reinforcing connection points between the main dome and semi-domes to reduce this danger. "Even though Hagia Sophia has structural weaknesses, we're not in a position to rebuild it from scratch. Instead, our goal is to intervene using the most appropriate methods for its current state and extend its lifespan," he added. The restoration includes cleaning the underground sections, restoring the dome and minarets and addressing long-standing structural vulnerabilities. "In previous restorations, especially when Hagia Sophia was a museum, scaffolding around the whole building was often avoided to preserve the visitor experience," he said. "Now, we're taking a more holistic approach." Every phase of the project is being shaped by disaster scenarios, including a high-magnitude earthquake, he said. "These earthquake simulations aren't new – engineers have been studying this since the 1999 earthquake," he said, adding that today, with advanced technology and data from major global quakes, they are able to model much more realistic interventions. He emphasised that the project avoids unnecessary intervention that might compromise the building's character. "We want to protect it, but we don't want to alienate it," he said. Quake resilience review Ilknur Turkoglu, a cultural heritage expert, said Istanbul's seismic risk is well established. "Though Istanbul does not sit directly on a major fault line, its surrounding region is highly active, causing significant earthquakes that have historically caused damage to the city, like the 1999 Golcuk and Duzce earthquakes," Turkoglu said. "With such a large and dense population, the damage and casualties from a similar earthquake today would be far greater," she warned. Istanbul's cultural wealth – as the capital of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires – adds another layer of risk. Many structures are centuries old and vulnerable. "Knowing exactly what we have is the first step," said Turkoglu, an assistant professor at the Istanbul Gelisim University's Department of Architecture. "Unfortunately, Istanbul still lacks a comprehensive inventory of its cultural assets, both above and below ground." She called for a systematic review of the earthquake resilience of such sites, and for immediate reinforcement where risks are identified. Museums housed in historic structures also need urgent planning. "We need to conduct earthquake drills, ensure artifacts and display cases are secure, and check that emergency systems like automatic shutoffs for electricity, gas and water are in place," she said. Even if walls remain standing, she added, unsecured objects inside can still injure or kill. The situation following the 1999 and February 2023 earthquakes offered a preview, she said, of what could happen without better preparedness, including plans to protect or relocate valuable artefacts.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Istanbul's Hagia Sophia prepares for next big quake
The Hagia Sophia of Istanbul is no stranger to change -- through the centuries the city's architectural jewel has gone from church to mosque to museum, back to mosque again. But the latest renovation aims not only to restore the wonders of the 1,488-year gem, but to ensure it survives the next earthquake to hit the ancient city. From afar, its dome, shimmering rock and delicate minarets appear to watch over Istanbul, as they have for centuries. As visitors get closer however, they see scaffolding covering its eastern facade and one of the minarets. While "the renovation of course breaks a little bit the atmosphere of the appearance from the outside" and the "scaffolding takes away the aesthetic of the monument... renovation is a must," said Abdullah Yilmaz, a guide. Hagia Sophia, a World Heritage Site and Turkey's most visited landmark, "constantly has problems", Hasan Firat Diker, an architecture professor working on the restoration, told AFP. That is why it has undergone numerous piecemeal reconstructions over the centuries, he added. - 'Global' makeover - The current makeover is the first time the site will undergo a "global restoration", including the dome, walls and minarets, he said. When it was first completed in AD 537, on the same spot where previous churches had stood, the Hagia Sophia became known as a shining example of the architecture of the Byzantine Empire, which ruled the city known as Constantinople at the time. It served as a church until the fall of the city to the Ottomans in 1453, when it became a mosque. In 1935, Mustafa Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey who forcibly remade the country into a secular one, turned the building into a museum. It remained as such until 2020, when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a practising Muslim who came to power at the head of an Islamist-rooted party, turned it back into a mosque. - Next big quake - Like the residents of this historic city, the Hagia Sophia has not only had to contend with the whims of its rulers -- it faces the constant danger from earthquakes that have regularly struck the metropolis, the last major one in 1999. Like many buildings in the city of 16 million, which lies just kilometres from an active seismic fault line, Hagia Sophia does not meet building earthquake standards. Its dome collapsed in an earthquake in 558 and the building has been damaged in other quakes that have hit the city since. So the main goal of the restoration under way is to "reinforce the building against the next big earthquake" so that the ancient structure "survives the event with the least damage possible," said Ahmet Gulec, a member of the scientific committee supervising the works. For the moment specialists are studying the dome to determine how best to both reinforce and restore it, Diker said. The interior is for now free of any scaffolding. But eventually four huge pillars will be erected inside to support a platform from where specialists will restore the dome's paintings and mosaics. "Once you're inside... it's perfect," marvelled Ana Delgado, a 49-year-old tourist from Mexico as the hum of laughter, conversation and movement filled the building following afternoon prayers. "It's magic," chimed in her friend, Elias Erduran, from the Dominican Republic. - Millions of visitors - Hagia Sophia saw 7.7 million visitors stream through its spacious interior last year. Around 2.1 million of them are foreign tourists, many of whom pay 25 euros for an entry ticket, generating millions of euros annually. Officials hope the inside pillars will not deter visitors from coming during the works, which are expected to last for several years. Officials have not said how much the renovation is expected to cost. "The objective is that the visits and prayers continue" during the works, Gulec said. And even if some visitors are disappointed not to have witnessed the building in all its glory, the important thing "is that one day my children will also be able to admire Saint Sophia," said Yana Galitskaya, a 35-year-old visitor from Russia. cdu/yad/js-jj
Arab News
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Istanbul's Hagia Sophia prepares for next big quake
Istanbul: The Hagia Sophia of Istanbul is no stranger to change — through the centuries the city's architectural jewel has gone from church to mosque to museum, back to mosque again. But the latest renovation aims not only to restore the wonders of the 1,488-year gem, but to ensure it survives the next earthquake to hit the ancient city. From afar, its dome, shimmering rock and delicate minarets appear to watch over Istanbul, as they have for centuries. As visitors get closer however, they see scaffolding covering its eastern facade and one of the minarets. While 'the renovation of course breaks a little bit the atmosphere of the appearance from the outside' and the 'scaffolding takes away the aesthetic of the monument... renovation is a must,' said Abdullah Yilmaz, a guide. Hagia Sophia, a World Heritage Site and Turkiye's most visited landmark, 'constantly has problems,' Hasan Firat Diker, an architecture professor working on the restoration, told AFP. That is why it has undergone numerous piecemeal reconstructions over the centuries, he added. 'Global' makeover' The current makeover is the first time the site will undergo a 'global restoration,' including the dome, walls and minarets, he said. When it was first completed in AD 537, on the same spot where previous churches had stood, the Hagia Sophia became known as a shining example of the architecture of the Byzantine Empire, which ruled the city known as Constantinople at the time. It served as a church until the fall of the city to the Ottomans in 1453, when it became a mosque. In 1935, Mustafa Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkiye who forcibly remade the country into a secular one, turned the building into a museum. It remained as such until 2020, when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a practicing Muslim who came to power at the head of an Islamist-rooted party, turned it back into a mosque. Next big quake Like the residents of this historic city, the Hagia Sophia has not only had to contend with the whims of its rulers — it faces the constant danger from earthquakes that have regularly struck the metropolis, the last major one in 1999. Like many buildings in the city of 16 million, which lies just kilometers from an active seismic fault line, Hagia Sophia does not meet building earthquake standards. Its dome collapsed in an earthquake in 558 and the building has been damaged in other quakes that have hit the city since. So the main goal of the restoration under way is to 'reinforce the building against the next big earthquake' so that the ancient structure 'survives the event with the least damage possible,' said Ahmet Gulec, a member of the scientific committee supervising the works. For the moment specialists are studying the dome to determine how best to both reinforce and restore it, Diker said. The interior is for now free of any scaffolding. But eventually four huge pillars will be erected inside to support a platform from where specialists will restore the dome's paintings and mosaics. 'Once you're inside... it's perfect,' marvelled Ana Delgado, a 49-year-old tourist from Mexico as the hum of laughter, conversation and movement filled the building following afternoon prayers. 'It's magic,' chimed in her friend, Elias Erduran, from the Dominican Republic. Millions of visitors Hagia Sophia saw 7.7 million visitors stream through its spacious interior last year. Around 2.1 million of them are foreign tourists, many of whom pay 25 euros for an entry ticket, generating millions of euros annually. Officials hope the inside pillars will not deter visitors from coming during the works, which are expected to last for several years. Officials have not said how much the renovation is expected to cost. 'The objective is that the visits and prayers continue' during the works, Gulec said. And even if some visitors are disappointed not to have witnessed the building in all its glory, the important thing 'is that one day my children will also be able to admire Saint Sophia,' said Yana Galitskaya, a 35-year-old visitor from Russia.
