Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy opened the “Hagia Sophia Photographs” exhibition at the Istanbul Rami Library and launched the “Hagia Sophia Photographs” book published with a foreword by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
President Erdoğan included the following statements in the foreword of the book 'Hagia Sophia Photographs':
“The conquest of Istanbul by the Turks in 1453 was the beginning of a new era; the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque was recorded in history as a magnificent symbol of this conquest.
Dazzling with its spiritual atmosphere, aesthetic silhouette, gigantic dimensions, peerless mosaics, carpets, candlesticks and rare examples of Islamic decorative arts, the Hagia Sophia Mosque maintains its magnificence despite its fifteen-century history.
Remains.
This magnificent temple, which has survived to the present day with different traces from the Byzantine and Ottoman periods, was transformed into a complete complex with the structures added around it in the years following the conquest. Our ancestors, who did not feel the need to change its original name, which means “Holy Wisdom”, added the mihrab, pulpit, pulpit, fountain, minarets, sultan’s gallery, muezzin’s gallery, library, primary school, treasury, tombs, fountains and soup kitchen and presented the Hagia Sophia Mosque to the benefit of humanity.
The dome and walls of this sacred place, decorated with plaques and embroidery, resounded with calls to prayer, prayers, takbirs, salawat, hatm-i sharifs and mevlid-i sharifs for 481 years. However, Hagia Sophia, which was closed to worship in 1934 under the pretext of restoration and then turned into a museum, experienced the saddest period of its history in the following years.
We ended this period of interregnum by opening the Hagia Sophia Mosque for worship with Friday prayers on July 24, 2020. We realized the 86-year dream of our nation by reuniting this magnificent temple, which is the symbol of the Conquest of Istanbul, with its congregation in accordance with the will of Fatih Sultan Mehmet Khan. Subsequently, we revived the Hagia Sophia Fatih Madrasa, which was demolished and destroyed in the 1930s, in accordance with its original state.
We embrace these values with the responsibility of knowing our past and shaping our future. Because we know that the more we embrace our works of high spiritual value, the better the richness and greatness of our civilization will be understood.
I consider the Hagia Sophia Photographs Exhibition opened within our Presidential National Library and the publication of the works exhibited here as an important service to our national culture.
I hope that this exhibition will be a means for the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque to be better known and I congratulate Mr. İzzet Keribar and Mr. Mehmed Özçay, who have made the beauties of Hagia Sophia more noticeable with the valuable photographs they have taken.”
Speaking at the opening, Minister Ersoy emphasized the historical and cultural value of Hagia Sophia and explained in detail the importance the Ministry attaches to this heritage.
Minister Ersoy stated that they revive cultural assets with conservation and restoration works, and that they constantly keep them in view with national and international organizations ranging from exhibitions and concerts to the Turkish Cultural Road Festival.
Stating that the cultural heritage was made functional and integrated into life, Ersoy said that they were not content with this and carried out inventory studies on this rich heritage and created a collection based on information and documents by publishing books in different content and formats. Ersoy said, “This vision is what brings us together in the Rami Library today.”
Ersoy, who also touched upon the process of the exhibition and the book, said, “We have created a prestigious work with approximately 200 photographs of Hagia Sophia, depicted by our valuable photographers Mr. İzzet Keribar and Mr. Mehmed Özçay with their elegant and aesthetic perspectives, and we are introducing this work to our people. Our exhibition is also comprised of the content of our work, which bears the same name, “Hagia Sophia Photographs”, which was first organized within the Presidency National Library and met with art lovers in the capital. Our project has transformed this temporary art event into a permanent and respected work.”
Ersoy noted that the book, prepared under the auspices of the Presidency and published in cooperation with the Banks Association of Turkey within the scope of the National Cultural Works Printing and Publication Project, records Hagia Sophia, a historical, cultural and artistic asset that has stood for 1500 years, from its mosaics to Islamic art elements, from its architectural integrity to its spiritual atmosphere, through the eyes of an artist, and expressed that they are very happy to introduce this work, prepared with its special box, original size and prestige edition, to the public.
Minister Ersoy, who said, “I would like to express my gratitude to our President for the leadership they have shown, the intensive work they have put in, and the interest and support they have provided to our work in protecting, preserving and transferring to the future the historical, cultural and artistic heritage of the Turkish nation.”, also thanked everyone who contributed to the realization of this special exhibition and work, in the person of İzzet Keribar and Mehmed Özçay.
“If Hagia Sophia is still standing, it is thanks to Fatih Sultan Mehmet Khan.”
Ersoy, who gave extensive space to the history of Hagia Sophia in his speech, noted the following:
“In order to tell the story of the Great Mosque of Hagia Sophia, it is necessary to express the many stories and experiences of the lives of people and empires that have permeated the walls of this temple; to open different windows from Rome, Byzantium and Ottoman, and to discuss a past that spans fifteen centuries under many different headings. Hagia Sophia is such a work that it has experienced destruction at the hands of people in wars and rebellions; it has gone through disasters from fires to earthquakes; it has been destroyed twice, but it has risen again for the third time. It has shouldered what it has experienced and changed, and has become different; it has evolved from a basilica with a wooden roof to an imperial church; almost 7 centuries after its last rise, it was shaken by the Latin invasion, it was looted, and although it was attempted to be repaired, it was destroyed piece by piece due to inadequate and incorrect practices. When the blessed conquest took place; when Sultan Mehmed II became the ‘Fatih’ and claimed Istanbul as Turkish property and Hagia Sophia as the right of the sword, the unfortunate fate of this unique work also changed. To the mosque "From the day it was transformed into the house of God and the temple of the believer, Hagia Sophia began to receive a respect, care and value it had never seen before in its history. If Hagia Sophia stands strong today, it is thanks to Fatih Sultan Mehmet Khan, who donated it as his own charity and secured it with many real estates. Especially in the skillful hands of Mimar Sinan, many damages and defects were repaired, and no disaster has ever caused destruction in Hagia Sophia since then."
“With the decision of our President, Hagia Sophia has returned to its essence and identity”
Stating that the Ottomans always made the places they conquered richer and more valuable than they found them, Ersoy said, “We see this fact clearly in Hagia Sophia in particular, as in Istanbul in general.”
Minister Ersoy, reminding that Hagia Sophia, which was adorned with Turkish-Islamic culture with new sections and structures added over time, turned into a social complex; and became a social and scientific center along with faith, said, “Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque Sharif, which was the symbol of conquest for 481 years; the center of Islamic values, worship and practices, Sufism and science, returned to this essence, this identity in 86, after an 2020-year museum period, with the decision of our President.”
Expressing that today they are carrying out the most comprehensive restoration work in its history in order to carry Hagia Sophia to the future with its original identity and all its glory, Ersoy said, “Everyone should know that Fatih’s legacy is in safe hands.”
In his speech, Dr. Ekrem Keskin, Secretary General of the Banks Association of Turkey, stated that Hagia Sophia is not only an architectural masterpiece, but also a common heritage of both Türkiye and human history. Keskin stated that the work, prepared under the leadership of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and gained even more value with the foreword of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, allows us to re-understand Hagia Sophia through the eyes of art, aesthetics and history, and said that they, as the Banks Association of Turkey, are very honored and happy to contribute to this valuable publication.
Calligrapher Mehmed Özçay also stated in his speech that the book was the product of three years of intense and exciting work. Expressing that he had a personal connection with Hagia Sophia, Özçay said, “We are the children of a generation that has grown up longing for Hagia Sophia since our youth, with the hope of prostrating there one day.” Expressing that they captured hundreds of frames from never-before-taken angles, in different seasons and times, Özçay said that it was very difficult for them to choose among these photographs.
Photographer İzzet Keribar stated that he has been reflecting the beauties, spirit and transformation of Istanbul in his photographs for many years and said, “This special book we will share is not just a photo album; it is a document of a spiritual journey, silence and aesthetics that remain hidden in time.” Keribar stated that they worked with great patience, love and sense of responsibility for four years and emphasized that the work that emerged during this process in which they were alone with light, shadow, texture and luck was a silent witness to a long journey regarding Hagia Sophia. He thanked the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for the support and care they showed for the project.
At the end of the program, Ersoy toured the exhibition with the participants and received information about the works.
