The Hagia Sophia was one of the places that I had been most looking forward to visiting on this trip. Prior to this past semester, it was the only place in Turkey that I really even knew about. I have studied it in numerous classes, from sociology to history to art history, learning about its story, its architecture and its amazing mosaics. People that I knew who had previously traveled to Turkey raved about it to me. Clearly, it had a lot to live up to. And I must say, despite the large and obstructive scaffolding in the center of it, the Hagia Sophia may even have exceeded my expectations.
The Hagia Sophia is the oldest building in Istanbul. It has been built and destroyed multiple times and has existed as a church and mosque and is currently a museum and the second most visited site in Turkey. The structure itself is exquisite; it has the largest dome in Turkey, and though it was party covered due to restoration, its presence is undeniable. The mosaics, which had been covered by white wash for so many centuries, have been restored to their original magnificence. It was all that I had been told. Yet, what no one had told me was how it embodies the very idea of the meeting of opposites which is such a central characteristic to the country of Turkey.
Walking into the nave of the Hagia Sophia, honestly the first thing I noticed was neither the enormous dome nor the breathtaking mosaics. Instead, I was drawn to the display of modern student art surrounding the giant scaffolding. At first I was truly surprised to see the incorporation of artwork of present day Turkish students at such an iconic location. But when I thought about it, it was a perfect fit for Turkey, another collaboration of the modern and the traditional, the present and the past. More than that, I believe it also brought new life to the ancient structure. It allowed for a direct comparison of the art of two distinct times, respecting and valuing both. The combination seemed to prove that Turkey does not just have a legendary past but also a bright and promising future, a future of talented students who are not only proud of their past (as seen through the homage paid to the Hagia Sophia in many of their pieces of art) but are also ready to pave their own way in a modern Turkey.
Furthermore, the fact that the Hagia Sophia is no longer a church nor a mosque but a museum displays yet another Turkish collaboration, that of the religious and the secular. This once most sacred building is now secular, almost mirroring the transformation of the Turkish nation. For, while Turkey, despite being a secular nation, has not lost its religious heritage, neither has the Hagia Sophia. Presenting both Christian and Islamic imagery side by side, at heart the Hagia Sophia is truly a religious center, existing peacefully under a secular title, again much like Turkey. Though Turkey is a secular nation whose citizens shop, drink and party with the rest, signs of its religiosity are still extremely prevalent. Mosques are on every street corner, tespi (prayer beads) are in countless shop windows, covered women can be seen on every neighborhood. The secular/religious combination is obviously alive and well, not just in the Hagia Sophia, but throughout Turkey.
So, although I was still in awe of the art and history of the Hagia Sophia, I was even more amazed by the aspects of Turkish life that it brought together. If modernity, tradition, religion and secularity can all live peacefully within the Hagia Sophia, I believe they can exist that way within Turkey as well.
The Hagia Sophia is the oldest building in Istanbul. It has been built and destroyed multiple times and has existed as a church and mosque and is currently a museum and the second most visited site in Turkey. The structure itself is exquisite; it has the largest dome in Turkey, and though it was party covered due to restoration, its presence is undeniable. The mosaics, which had been covered by white wash for so many centuries, have been restored to their original magnificence. It was all that I had been told. Yet, what no one had told me was how it embodies the very idea of the meeting of opposites which is such a central characteristic to the country of Turkey.
Walking into the nave of the Hagia Sophia, honestly the first thing I noticed was neither the enormous dome nor the breathtaking mosaics. Instead, I was drawn to the display of modern student art surrounding the giant scaffolding. At first I was truly surprised to see the incorporation of artwork of present day Turkish students at such an iconic location. But when I thought about it, it was a perfect fit for Turkey, another collaboration of the modern and the traditional, the present and the past. More than that, I believe it also brought new life to the ancient structure. It allowed for a direct comparison of the art of two distinct times, respecting and valuing both. The combination seemed to prove that Turkey does not just have a legendary past but also a bright and promising future, a future of talented students who are not only proud of their past (as seen through the homage paid to the Hagia Sophia in many of their pieces of art) but are also ready to pave their own way in a modern Turkey.
Furthermore, the fact that the Hagia Sophia is no longer a church nor a mosque but a museum displays yet another Turkish collaboration, that of the religious and the secular. This once most sacred building is now secular, almost mirroring the transformation of the Turkish nation. For, while Turkey, despite being a secular nation, has not lost its religious heritage, neither has the Hagia Sophia. Presenting both Christian and Islamic imagery side by side, at heart the Hagia Sophia is truly a religious center, existing peacefully under a secular title, again much like Turkey. Though Turkey is a secular nation whose citizens shop, drink and party with the rest, signs of its religiosity are still extremely prevalent. Mosques are on every street corner, tespi (prayer beads) are in countless shop windows, covered women can be seen on every neighborhood. The secular/religious combination is obviously alive and well, not just in the Hagia Sophia, but throughout Turkey.
So, although I was still in awe of the art and history of the Hagia Sophia, I was even more amazed by the aspects of Turkish life that it brought together. If modernity, tradition, religion and secularity can all live peacefully within the Hagia Sophia, I believe they can exist that way within Turkey as well.
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