Image Credentials: Image Title: Turkey to Renovate 1,500-Year-Old Dome of Hagia Sophia Source: AI-Generated Image (Grok, xAI) Date: April 2025 Attribution: Created by AI-generated imagery (Grok, xAI), and it does not depict a real-world scene.
Istanbul, Turkey – In a significant move for cultural heritage preservation, Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism has announced the commencement of the largest and most comprehensive restoration of the Hagia Sophia dome in its history. This announcement was made by Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the Turkish culture and tourism minister, on April 14 through a tweet.
The restoration, which marks a crucial phase in the ongoing efforts to preserve the iconic Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, will focus on the dome, which has stood for 1,486 years. “We continue our restoration and reinforcement works at the 1,486-year-old Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque,” Ersoy wrote, adding that the works carried out so far have addressed several sections, and this new phase will focus on the final, largest part—the main dome.
A Careful Restoration Approach
The renovation will be conducted from the outer surface of the dome to preserve the mosaics that adorn the inner side. To protect these priceless artworks from potential weather damage, the dome will be temporarily covered with a steel structure and a special tarpaulin. Additionally, a 43.5-meter steel platform will be installed on four main columns to provide access and support during the restoration process.
Asnu Bilban Yalcin, a professor of Byzantine history at Istanbul University, explained that restoration work at Hagia Sophia has been ongoing for a decade, with surprising discoveries continually being made as the team uncovers more about the structure. “Hagia Sophia is full of surprises… you design and plan it, but when you open it, things may develop differently,” Yalcin told Reuters.
A Landmark of Historical Significance
Hagia Sophia, originally completed by Emperor Justinian I in 537, is one of the most renowned architectural wonders of the world, reflecting both Byzantine and Ottoman influences. Over the centuries, Hagia Sophia has had a turbulent history, evolving from an Orthodox Christian church to a Catholic church during the Fourth Crusade, then returning to Orthodox status in the 13th century. Following the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror converted it into a mosque and added minarets.
5. Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey
Completed in AD 537, it featured one of the first fully pendentive domes and the world's largest interior at the time.
After Constantinople fell in 1453, this majestic Eastern rite church was turned into a mosque.pic.twitter.com/sE4rffiD2J
— James Lucas (@JamesLucasIT) March 18, 2025
In 1934, under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, Hagia Sophia was secularized and converted into a museum. However, in 2020, the Turkish government decided to open the building for use as a mosque once again, drawing both national and international attention.
Structural Challenges
The renovation of Hagia Sophia’s dome will not be without its challenges. Experts like Hasan Firat Diker, a professor of architecture at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University, have noted that the true extent of the structural issues may only be fully revealed once the lead cover is removed from the dome. “The actual structural problems will become more apparent when the lead cover is lifted,” Diker said.
A Symbol of Turkey’s Cultural Heritage
As one of the world’s most architecturally and historically significant structures, the ongoing restoration of Hagia Sophia represents not only a commitment to preserving Turkey’s cultural heritage but also a symbol of its complex and multi-layered history. The building’s transition from a Christian cathedral to an Ottoman mosque and later a secular museum and back to a mosque is a reflection of the nation’s evolving identity over the centuries.
With this new phase of restoration underway, Hagia Sophia will continue to stand as an enduring symbol of the intersection of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Islam, and Turkish heritage, preserving its status as both a religious and cultural landmark for generations to come.
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