Iznik Hagia Sophia Mosque

The Temple of Hagia Sophia, which is an important place not only for Bursa or Anatolia but also for world history, was created as a kind of Basilica in Byzantine times. After a major earthquake in the 11th century, the building was renovated and converted into a mosque when Orhan Ghazi conquered Iznik in 1331.

It is seen that Iznik Hagia Sophia Mosque was renovated and reinterpreted at this stage by Big Mimar Sinan Agha during the reign of Kanuni Sultan Süleyman. The mosque, which offers traces from that period, especially among the remains of minarets, was shaped by Mimar Sinan's preference for changes that more clearly reflect the Turkish period and took its present form. Sinan, for example, prefers to remove two columns between the arches. The pointed arched openings, which can also be observed today, are heritage from that period.

Repairs in the past century take place in 1935 and 1953. In this process, floor mosaics and seating levels are incorporated into the structure. In the wall section of a burial chamber here, Jesus will appear. A fresco belonging to Jesus is found. In the written sources, the size of the bricks used in the building, which was used as an early Church, is immediately visible. In the inner part of the apse, there are walls built with this technique.

The middle nave and side nave are separated from each other by the occasion of various columns. When we come to the 1980s within the scope of nationalization, radical changes are made around Iznik Hagia Sophia Mosque. A significant number of the structures here have been demolished and the area has largely been greened. In the last month of 2007, the Regional Directorate of Foundations began carrying out a restoration work here, and this process continues until the mosque is reopened for worship on November 6, 2011. The historical mosque, which is one of the places of interest for foreign tourists due to its being a church, is also one of the most easily accessible works in the city.