Hagia Sophia Interior Panorama Istanbul Turkey Vacation Old Town Ottoman Empire

I enter Hagia Sophia and do a Panorama view including the interior dome.

From Wikipedia:

Museum (1943--present)

In 1935, the first Turkish President and founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, transformed the building into a museum. The carpets were removed and the marble floor decorations such as the Omphalion appeared for the first time in centuries, while the white plaster covering many of the mosaics was removed. Nevertheless, the condition of the structure deteriorated, and the World Monuments Fund placed Hagia Sophia on 1996 World Monuments Watch, and again in 1998. The building's copper roof had cracked, causing water to leak down over the fragile frescoes and mosaics. Moisture entered from below as well. Rising ground water had raised the level of humidity within the monument, creating an unstable environment for stone and paint. With the help of financial services company American Express, WMF secured a series of grants from 1997 to 2002 for the restoration of the dome. The first stage of work involved the structural stabilization and repair of the cracked roof, which was undertaken with the participation of the Turkish Ministry of Culture. The second phase, the preservation of the dome's interior, afforded the opportunity to employ and train young Turkish conservators in the care of mosaics. By 2006, the WMF project was complete, though other areas of Hagia Sophia continue to require conservation.[32]

Today, use of the complex as a place of worship (mosque or church) is strictly prohibited.[33] However, in 2006, it was reported that the Turkish government allowed the allocation of a small room in the museum complex to be used as a prayer room for Christian and Muslim museum staff.[34] The museum's hours are 9.30 am to 4.30 pm, Tuesday through Sunday; entry fee is 20 TL, or free with the use of a Museum Card.

Turkish fine arts photographer Ahmet Ertuğ's close-up pictures of the restored mosaics can be viewed in the upper northern gallery of the Hagia Sophia in a permanent exhibition.[35]

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• Ottoman Empire
• Turkey
• Istanbul
• Old
• Town
• hagia
• sophia
• historical
• History