[김용범의 세계유산] 83. 터키_아야 소피아 성당(Ayasofya) :다시 볼 수 없는 비잔틴 최고의 금빛 모자이크 성화

In 1453, Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire, an Islamic power, destroyed the impregnable Theodosian Walls surrounding Constantinople with massive cannons, capturing the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, which had enjoyed a thousand years of glory. The Byzantine Empire, a Christian empire founded by Constantine the Great, who had legalized Christianity, fell to the Islamic Empire, leaving Christian Europe in limbo. When the walls collapsed, the elderly, the weak, and children sought refuge in the Hagia Sophia, where they gathered in prayer. The Islamic army brutally murdered them all. The victorious Islamic army was granted three days of freedom, and they marched through the city, pillaging and plundering, seeking rewards for their victory. Built in 537, the Hagia Sophia was a symbolic Christian building. For a thousand years after its completion, Hagia Sophia enjoyed the distinction of being the world's largest church. The massive central dome, unsupported by any pillars, has remained standing for 1,500 years, earning it great acclaim in the annals of world architecture. The Ottoman Empire's first act after conquering Constantinople was to quickly convert this magnificent structure into a mosque. The mosaics on the walls and ceiling of the cathedral were so extensive that removing them would have been time-consuming. The quickest way to convert the structure into a mosque was to apply a thick coat of plaster to the mosaic walls. Four minarets were erected outside the cathedral, and a mihrab, facing Mecca, was also built inside. This is how the massive cathedral was transformed into a mosque. After its defeat in World War I, the Ottoman Empire banned religious activity in Hagia Sophia, which had been used as a mosque, in 1934 and converted it into a museum. The thick coat of plaster fell off, revealing the Byzantine Empire's finest mosaics. On July 10, 2020, it was transformed back into a mosque, surprising the world. The international community criticized President Erdogan, who, facing a political crisis, turned Hagia Sophia, Turkey's largest tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, into a mosque to solidify his political base. Pope Francis also expressed his sorrow, saying, "Heartbreaking." The Hagia Sophia's finest Byzantine mosaics are now closed to the public, with the proposal to open the second floor.