Research on ornamentation in Hagia Sophia Mosques in Turkey

Temples, which have a place in the phenomenon of religion, also constitute an important place for nations. So much so that one of the first activities of the countries in the lands they were established or conquered was the construction of new temples or the rearrangement of existing temples according to their own beliefs.Communities adopted the religions of Islam and Christianity, which are among the divine religions, have lived in close geographies throughout history, and land exchanges have taken place between them from time to time. Along with some lands which were taken peacefully, most of those lands were gained through war. In addition to the construction of new temples on those lands, the temples that were there before were also used by converting them into accordance with the beliefs of the nation that had conquered there. Some of the temples have never been touched and they have continued serving the people with that faith.The lands of Turkey, which are home to many civilizations, have a rich heritage in terms of temples. The Hagia Sophia Mosques, which are among these heritages and were once churches, are among the temples that were converted into mosques as a result of the conquest of these lands by the Muslim Turks. Unfortunately, except for the Great Hagia Sophia, the nine Hagia Sophia Mosques within the borders of our country are not known much. In the first part of this study, where the Hagia Sophia Mosques in Turkey were examined and compared in terms of ornamentation, the subject of religion was emphasized. Followingly, the relationship between worshipping and temple in Christianity and Islam, which are the source religions of this study, was examined and explained by giving information about them. In the findings section, a literature review and a field search were made about the mosques subject to the research. These mosques were examined and evaulated one by one in terms of settlement, history, and ornamentation features. These mosques, which are researched in their own particular contexts, are compared, and it is stated which one preserves its originality and which one does not in the conclusion section. In accordance with this comparison, the situation of these temples is explained in terms of religion, nation, and human. Having stated these, this study was also aimed to be an orderly source in the field by collecting and covering the Hagia Sophia Mosques that are in Turkey.