Restoration work at Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque is entering a new phase, with a steel platform to be installed inside the eastern half-dome for structural reinforcement and conservation work.
The eastern half-dome has been identified as the most vulnerable part of the historic structure based on modeling and structural analyses. Experts say it could be the first area to collapse in a major earthquake scenario.
Professor Hasan Fırat Diker, an architect and member of the Hagia Sophia Scientific Committee, said the work would continue while the mosque remains open for worship and visitors.
“The main dome is completely covered on the outside. We will continue this process in the eastern half-dome and observe the interventions that need to be made,” Diker said.
The main dome is supported by four large arches, with the arch connecting it to the eastern half-dome considered the most delicate, Diker said.
