Turkey to begin restoration work on dome of Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia was the largest cathedral in the world for 900 years until its capture by Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453, after which it was one of Islam's most exalted mosques for nearly 500 years.
The building was converted to a museum by Turkey's secular republic more than 70 years ago but turned back into a mosque by President Tayyip Erdogan in 2020.
The process will be difficult and will "open an important page in the book of Hagia Sophia," said Asnu Bilban Yalcin, a Byzantine art historian, adding that restoration of other parts of the structure has been under way for 10 years.
"It is truly a structure full of surprises because sometimes things develop in a way we do not expect. That is, you design and plan it, but when you open it, things may develop differently," she told Reuters outside the Hagia Sophia.
The dome will first be covered to protect it during the repair process, said Ahmet Gulec, a cultural property conservation and repair expert, adding that the existing lead cover will then be removed for the restoration and reinforcement project to continue.
The reinforcement project will focus on weak structural points determined during simulations of a large earthquake, in a country criss-crossed by fault lines.
The real structural problems will become more apparent when the lead cover is lifted, said Hasan Firat Diker, a professor of architecture at the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University.
The Hagia Sophia is expected remain open to worshippers and visitors during the restoration process, which makes the repair process more difficult, said Gulec, the cultural property conservation and repair expert.
The experts did not specify a date for the completion of the restoration of the dome, given potential setbacks due to weather conditions and unforeseen additional works.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Chinese fighter 'intercepts' Philippine plane over disputed shoal, Manila says
Chinese fighter 'intercepts' Philippine plane over disputed shoal, Manila says By Adrian Portugal OVER THE SCARBOROUGH SHOAL, South China Sea -A Chinese jet fighter "intercepted" a Philippine aircraft carrying journalists during a patrol flight over the Scarborough Shoal on Wednesday, the Manila government said, days after two Chinese vessels collided in the area while allegedly trying to block a Philippine supply mission. A Reuters journalist aboard the Philippine Coast Guard flight watched as the Chinese fighter closed in on the small Cessna Caravan turboprop. At one point the Chinese fighter came within about 200 feet (61 metres) as it manoeuvred behind, above, and alongside the plane, PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela said. It was the latest sign of the persistent tensions between the two nations in the disputed South China Sea atoll. "While they were conducting the flight, they have been intercepted by a Chinese fighter jet," Tarriela told a press conference held afterwards. The encounter lasted 20 minutes, during which radio demands from one of two Chinese navy ships spotted below ordering the Philippine plane to "leave immediately" could be heard from the cockpit. The same day, two U.S. warships - littoral combat ship USS Cincinnati and the destroyer USS Higgins - were spotted about 30 nautical miles away from the shoal, Tarriela said. China's military claimed it "drove away" the U.S. destroyer after it entered the area without permission, but Washington said its ships were conducting lawful freedom of navigation operations. Located 200 km (124 miles) off the Philippines and inside its exclusive economic zone, Scarborough Shoal is valued for its rich fishing grounds and sheltered lagoon. On Monday, the PCG sent three vessels to carry supplies to dozens of Filipino fishermen in the atoll. It said Chinese vessels then intervened to carry out what it called a "hazardous" attempt to prevent the delivery, leading to the first known collision between two Chinese ships in the area. China has not confirmed if any crew were injured, and ignored Manila's offer of medical and rescue aid. Neither China's defence ministry nor its embassy in Manila has commented on the incident. On Monday, China's coast guard said it took necessary measures to expel Philippine vessels from waters around the shoal. The United States also condemned Beijing's "reckless" actions. China claims almost the entire South China Sea via a U-shaped "nine-dash line," a claim invalidated by a 2016 arbitration ruling that also found China's blockade of the Scarborough shoal unlawful. Sovereignty over the shoal remains unresolved, but China, which rejects the ruling, has maintained a constant presence at the reef since seizing it in 2012, deploying coastguard vessels and "maritime militia". At least four Chinese coast guard vessels, and several ships identified by the PCG as "maritime militia," were visible in the area during Wednesday's patrol flight. (Writing by Karen Lema; Editing by David Stanway) Solve the daily Crossword
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Small plane crashes and hits several parked aircraft, sparking massive fireball
Four people miraculously survived when their small plane crash-landed at a Montana airport, hitting several parked planes — triggering a massive fire that sent huge plumes of smoke billowing into the sky. The wild scenes unfolded around 2 p.m. Monday when the pilot of the single-engine plane lost control while trying to land at the Kalispell City Airport. Four people miraculously survived after their small plane crash-landed in Montana on Monday — triggering a massive fire that sent huge plumes of smoke billowing into the sky. Scott Carpenter/TMX via REUTERS The Socata TBM 700 turboprop jet crashed onto the runway and then collided with several other parked aircraft — causing multiple planes to burst into flames, Kalispell Fire Chief Jay Hagen said. Video from the scene showed the fire engulfing a grassy area before it could be extinguished. Thick black smoke also blanketed the small, city-owned airport in the aftermath. The three passengers on the crashed plane somehow managed to escape on their own when it finally came to a stop, Hagen said. The wild scenes unfolded when the pilot of the single-engine plane lost control while trying to land at the Kalispell City Airport at about 2 p.m. AP Two of the passengers suffered minor injuries and were treated at the airport. 'It sounded like if you were to stick your head in a bass drum and somebody smacked it as hard as they could,' witness Ron Danielson said. The flight was en route from Pullman, Washington when the fiery saga unfolded.
New York Post
5 days ago
- New York Post
Nagasaki mayor warns about possibility of nuclear war 80 years after A-bomb
NAGASAKI – Thousands bowed their heads in prayer in Nagasaki on Saturday to mark the 80th anniversary of the city's atomic bombing, as the mayor warned that current global conflicts could push the world again into nuclear war. The western Japanese city was levelled on August 9, 1945, when the United States dropped a 10,000-pound plutonium-239 bomb, nicknamed 'Fat Man', instantly killing some 27,000 of the city's estimated 200,000 people. By the end of 1945, the death toll from acute radiation exposure had reached about 70,000. Nagasaki's destruction came three days after a U.S. uranium-235 bomb destroyed Hiroshima. Advertisement 6 Catholics leave Urakami Cathedral for a peace march to Hypocenter Park, on the 80th anniversary of the bombing of the city of Nagasaki. REUTERS 6 Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba offers a flower wreath for the victims of the 1945 atomic bombing. REUTERS Japan surrendered on August 15, ending World War Two. After a moment of silence at 11:02 a.m., marking the time of the blast, Mayor Shiro Suzuki called on leaders to return to the principles of the U.N. Charter and show a concrete path toward abolishing nuclear weapons, warning that delay was 'no longer permissible'. Advertisement 'This is a crisis of human survival that is closing in on each and every one of us,' Suzuki told the crowd, estimated by Japanese media at 2,700. He quoted the testimony of a survivor to illustrate the reality of a nuclear attack: 'Around me were people whose eyeballs had popped out… Bodies were strewn about like stones.' 'Is it not this 'global citizen' perspective that will serve as the driving force behind stitching back together our fragmented world?' Suzuki asked, calling for a solution based on mutual understanding and solidarity. Advertisement The U.S. military is believed to have chosen Nagasaki as a target due to its significance as a major industrial and port city. The city's geographical features, including its hilly terrain, were also thought to concentrate the blast. 6 The Japanese city was hit on August 9, 1945, when the United States dropped a 10,000-pound plutonium-239 bomb, instantly killing some 27,000 of Nagasaki's estimated 200,000 people. Buyenlarge via Getty Images 6 'This is a crisis of human survival that is closing in on each and every one of us,' Mayor Shiro Suzuki said, calling for a concrete path to abolishing nuclear weapons. AP Advertisement Representatives from 95 countries and territories, including nuclear superpower the United States, and Israel — which neither confirms nor denies having nuclear weapons — attended the annual ceremony at the Nagasaki Peace Memorial Park for the milestone year. Russia, which possesses the world's largest nuclear stockpile, was also represented. Daiji Kawanaka, a 14-year-old tourist from Osaka, echoed the mayor's sentiments. 6 Doves are released over the Peace Statue during a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the atomic bombing at the Peace Park in Nagasaki. AP 'I truly believe a tragedy like this must never be repeated,' he told Reuters, saying the anniversary prompts conversations about peace even among his young peers. 'We can only pledge to take the initiative ourselves in making a step toward peace.' Japan's leading organization of A-bomb survivors, Nihon Hidankyo, won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for campaigning for a world without nuclear weapons. Survivors, known as 'hibakusha', continue to suffer the effects from radiation and social discrimination. 6 Japan is the only country to have suffered nuclear attacks. REUTERS Advertisement With their numbers falling below 100,000 for the first time this year, their stories fuel ongoing efforts to advocate for a nuclear-free world. Japan, the only country to have suffered nuclear attacks, has stated its commitment to nuclear disarmament but is not a signatory or observer of the U.N. treaty to ban nuclear weapons.
