In awe of Hagia Sophia? 

What is the place of religion in a secular society? How should we understand secularism? Can there be peace among people with different beliefs? Do we need to establish common ground before we can discuss anything? Is it necessary to agree in order to have a fruitful dialogue? Who dictates the course of the state? Whose history and culture should be preserved?

We looked for answers to those and other questions during the course Interreligious Relations in Istanbul and Beyond: The Role of Religion in Society, State, and Secularism. As part of the coursework, we went on a study trip to Istanbul (Constantinople) and Iznik (Nicaea), where we looked for marks left by the Council of Nicaea (325). One of the most anticipated destinations for me was Hagia Sophia.

The Byzantine building in the heart of Istanbul is one of the oldest and best-preserved places of worship from that time. Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom), built 532-537, was not the first Christian church built in that spot. The first church, inaugurated in 360, burned down in 404. The second church, inaugurated in 415, burned down in 532. One could joke that the third time was the charm, as the building ordered by emperor Justinian stands there almost intact to this day. In 558 an earthquake caused the dome to collapse, but since then no major repairs were needed.

Even though Hagia Sophia became a place of contest between different religious groups, and mirrored the political situation of the city, it was never destroyed, only adapted to its new functions. The originally Orthodox church was looted during the Fourth Crusade and occupied by the Catholics between 1204 and 1261. After Constantinopole was conquered by the Ottomans in 1452, Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque in 1453. It served as a mosque until 1934, when Atatürk turned it into museum. For over 80 years it was open to the public to display the different functions of the building, and its rich history. Unfortunately for the tourists, it was converted back into a mosque in 2020, and most of the building is no longer available to the public.

Mosaic of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. Picture by Emilia Plichta.

The main floor is closed off to visitors and can only be glanced at from the gallery. I was quite disappointed seeing that I would not be able to experience the grandiosity of Hagia Sophia standing under the fifty-five meters high dome. I felt unwelcome in the building, given access to only a fraction of the spaces. The Christian symbols, albeit not destroyed, were partially hidden and noticeable only from certain angles, like in the case of the mosaic of the Virgin Mary in the half-dome of the apse.

The dome of Hagia Sophia. Picture by Emilia Plichta.

I was surprised to learn that there is some evidence that there is a mosaic of Christ under the inscription from the Koran in the dome. It begs the question whether it should be restored because of its historical value for Christians. Hagia Sophia was originally built as an Orthodox Church and was used as a Christian temple for over nine hundred years. But can one erase almost five hundred years of the history of this building being a Mosque to preserve the early Christian history of the place? Making it a museum was a way of dealing with this dual nature of the building. However, with the recent developments of converting it back to a mosque, the Christian past of the building is somewhat put aside. The building is a cultural heritage for many different groups of peoples… So should that be reflected in the policies of its use?

Emilia Plichta

The dates etc. are taken from the book ”Hagia Sofia and Chora” by Kilickaya Ali.

The theological course ”Interreligious Relations in Istanbul and Beyond: The role of Religion in Society, State and Secularism” is a thematic course organized by the theological subjects at Åbo Akademi University during the fall semester 2025 and culminated in a study trip to Istanbul from 6–16 November. The course is conducted in close collaboration with the Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul (SRII) and with the Finnish Institute in the Middle East (FIME). This blog text is the fifth of eight blog texts to present reflections of the study trip.