A special work worthy of Hagia Sophia: The badge of victory of the blessed conquest

A special work was prepared for the 6th anniversary of the reopening of Hagia Sophia Mosque for worship. The distinguished work titled "Seal of Conquest: Hagia Sophia-i Kebîr Câmi-i Şerîfi", which deals with Hagia Sophia in all its aspects and is a collection, will be on the shelves as of tomorrow. The work, which covers the centuries-old story of Hagia Sophia from a comprehensive perspective with scientific sources and rich archive documents, will also include photographs that have never been published.

Demirören Publications crowned the centuries-old glory of Hagia Sophia with a work called "The Seal of Conquest: Hagia Sophia-i Kebîr Câmi-i Şerîfi". This visually powerful work, enriched with engravings and miniatures, is getting ready to meet art lovers on the 6th anniversary of the mosque's opening for worship. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wrote the presentation of the collection's special work titled "Seal of Conquest: Hagia Sophia-i Kebîr Câmi-i Şerîfi".

Stating that this work was prepared with the aim of transferring the centuries-old story of Hagia Sophia, its architectural elegance, spiritual depth and civilizational heritage to future generations, Erdogan continued as follows: With the conquest of Istanbul, Hagia Sophia Mosque has gained a new identity as a sacred temple that has witnessed one of the greatest turning points in human history. This work, which was in a ruined and neglected state after the victorious entry of Mehmed the Conqueror to Istanbul on May 29, 1453, was revived in a short time and came to life again under the spiritual banner of Islam. Hagia Sophia, which was converted into a mosque with the conquest, has become the symbol of the great victory that opened and closed an era, the seal of conquest and one of the most magnificent symbols of our civilization.

Hagia Sophia Mosque is not just a place of worship; It is a monumental symbol of our nation's historical consciousness, claim to civilization, power of faith and spirit of conquest. The preservation and maintenance provisions included in the endowments of the Ottoman sultans are the strongest evidence of the care shown to this sacred trust. Today, we consider it a historical responsibility to protect this precious legacy, which we inherited from our ancestors, with the same consciousness and sensitivity, to keep it alive and to pass it on to future generations in the best possible way.

Hagia Sophia Mosque, the token of victory of the blessed conquest that opened and closed an era, will continue to rise in all its glory in the silhouette of Istanbul and maintain its exceptional place in the world cultural heritage. The work in your hand; It was prepared with the aim of transferring the centuries-old story of Hagia Sophia, its architectural elegance, spiritual depth and civilizational heritage to future generations. I wholeheartedly believe that Hagia Sophia-i Kebîr Mosque, which has filled the sky with the sounds of adhan for centuries and left an eternal joy in hearts, will continue to shed light on the common conscience and cultural memory of humanity, beyond being just a place of worship, as a sacred temple that regained its original identity by the will of the nation on July 24, 2020, in accordance with the spirit of conquest.

The work also includes an introduction by Meltem Demirören, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Demirören Holding; It attracts attention with its scientific sources, original photographs, historical engravings and rich archive documents. The distinguished work is prepared in three different languages: Turkish, English and Arabic; It discusses Hagia Sophia's historical journey from the Byzantine period to the Ottoman period, from the Republic period to the present day, from the perspective of architecture, art history and cultural heritage. In the study brought together in a single volume with the contributions of experts in the field; Hagia Sophia's unique architecture, dome structure, mosaics, restoration processes and cultural and spiritual accumulation shaped over centuries are examined in detail. The work, whose texts were written by Yüksel Yücel, includes Fatih Sultan Mehmed Khan's conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque after the conquest of Istanbul, while its reopening for worship with the signature of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on July 24, 2020 is considered one of the most important turning points in recent history.