Hagia Sophia's underground structures will be cleaned and opened to visitors

The structures of Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, one of the world's leading structures in terms of art and architectural history, including tunnels, vaults, corridors and a three-room underground tomb, will be opened to visitors after the cleaning work.

Hagia Sophia Scientific Board Member Prof. Dr. Hasan Fırat Diker, who made a statement about the cleaning and restoration work carried out by the General Directorate of Foundations, said that they carried out an architectural visualization study of Hagia Sophia's underground structures approximately 5 years ago.

Diker, who stated that they will start cleaning the underground structures where visualization work is carried out with the support of Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and General Director of Foundations Sinan Aksu, said, "Thus, the underground beauties of Hagia Sophia, which have been neglected for centuries, and archaeological findings will be presented to the public." Diker, who stated that there are underground structures surrounding Hagia Sophia that are approximately one kilometer long and include tunnels, cellars and tombs, said that all these structures will be cleaned with the work planned to last one year.

Diker, who stated that the work will attract the attention of the Turkish and world public opinion, said, "With this work, both a certain part of the existing spaces will be able to be visited and after the findings are meticulously eliminated under the supervision of the Hagia Sophia Museum archaeological structures, those that can shed light on the history of Istanbul will also be revealed. It is very meaningful and valuable." Diker stated that the sections under the arcaded courtyard are as old as Hagia Sophia, i.e. 1,500 years old, and that the tomb area is considered to be older than the current structure.

Diker, who touched on the importance of the work to be carried out, said the following:

''I think that the cleaning of these underground structures will be very important for the comfort of Hagia Sophia's current air conditioning and for it to breathe more easily. This will be a much more comprehensive and long-term work than the ones done before. Cleaning the underground structures of a very important work like Hagia Sophia will offer brand new gains to Istanbul. Bringing our cultural heritage back to the agenda will cause interest and love towards Hagia Sophia to increase even more." Sharing the information that the largest restoration work in the history of the Republic is being carried out in Hagia Sophia, Diker noted that it is pleasing that not only the superstructure but also the infrastructure is being addressed.