Culture as a co-operative, societal enterprise is character forming and transforming in a complicated manner depending on innumerable variables. Culture, incorporating any and all material and moral values, is transferred by social communities to future generations and as such is one of the basic concepts needed to understand the past, interpret the present and possibly give shape to the future. Once this sensitive concept, as determined by communities, is detached from its context or consciously brought to the position of defending an ideology, it drifts apart from its unique and original definition, becomes dysfunctional, tends to be monotypic and corrupt. Hagia Sophia, removed from its status as a museum by means of a judgment adopted by the 10th Department of the Council of State, poses a great hazard to the protection of its structure in the short term as well as to cultural diversity in the long term. Such judgment should be promptly reversed.
The cultural value of heritage sites representing innumerable civilizations was recognized in the very early years of Republican Turkey and legislative regulations were enacted in order to preserve such a heritage and transferring it intact to the future generations. One of these sites was Hagia Sophia’s conversion into a museum and being protected as such under Council of Ministers Decree dated 1934. This decree has enabled it to be transferred to the present day. The special structure of the building which technically hosts unique architectural elements but also artistically due to the mosaics and icons of historic value preserved thereunder by means of a systematic restoration effort similar other global restoration projects. Likewise, this decree protected this cultural heritage from the hegemony of a specific clique or ideology, manifesting the neutrality of the Turkish Republic in respect of cultural policies and underlining her secular nature. This historic structure going back to the Byzantine Empire and converted into a mosque by Mehmet II after the conquest of Istanbul is still standing afoot as a result of such historic and cultural consciousness.
Hagia Sophia is one of the most important structures of both Istanbul and Turkey, reputed worldwide by its architectural as well as artistic significance in a region possessing a unique cultural diversity. However, the most recent decision taken regarding the legal status and utilization of Hagia Sophia, positioned in UNESCO’s Global Cultural Heritage as a symbol of friendship between nations and religions alike, is jeopardizing both the political position as well as its preservation and restoration.
Therefore, we are very concerned and worried about the transfer of the governance of Hagia Sophia from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to the Religious Affairs Administration under Presidential Decree Number 2729 of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President and Leader of Justice and Development Party and its removal from museum status under Judgment Number 2020/2595 of the Council of State . We are requesting an urgent reversal of this disturbing decision which we believe would cause irreparable damage to cultural heritage in putting it under the control of a particular ideology and return Hagia Sophia to the status of a museum once again. We hereby announce to the public.
AICA INTERNATIONAL / AICA TURKEY