Türkiye has launched one of the most ambitious restoration projects in decades at the Hagia Sophia, aiming to reinforce its iconic dome against structural risks in a region prone to earthquakes.

The work, which began this week, will focus on addressing weak points identified during recent seismic simulations, experts said on Monday. The project follows over a decade of restoration efforts across other parts of the 1,486-year-old monument.

Originally constructed as the largest cathedral of the Byzantine Empire, Hagia Sophia stood as the world’s largest church for nearly 900 years before its conversion into a mosque in 1453 under Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror. In 1934, Türkiye’s secular republic turned the site into a museum, but it was reconverted into a mosque by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2020.

“It is truly a structure full of surprises,” said Byzantine art historian Asnu Bilban Yalçın. “You plan for one thing, but once you open up the structure, new needs emerge.”

The dome will be carefully covered before its existing lead layer is removed, explained Ahmet Güleç, a specialist in cultural property conservation. The team will then begin structural reinforcement based on prior modelling of earthquake scenarios.

Hasan Fırat Diker, a professor at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University, said the full extent of damage or risk may only become clear once the cover is lifted.

Despite the complexity of the task, the site will remain open for both worship and tourism throughout the project — a factor that complicates the work further.

Officials have not given a timeline for completion, citing possible delays from weather or unexpected restoration needs.

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