The Pakistan Academy of Letters in collaboration with Yunus Emre Institute Islamabad organized a unique event to highlight significance of The Hagia Sophia (The Holy Wisdom) mosque in the Turkish literature.
Director General (DG) Islamic Research Institute (IRI) Dr Ziaul Haq presided over the ceremony while Education Counselor at the Turkish Embassy, Dr. Mehmet Toyran was the Chief Guest on the occasion.
Among the eminent speakers included the hostess, Chairperson of the PAL, Dr Najiba Arif; Country Director Yunus Emre Institute, Halil Toker; eminent scholar and columnist Dr Farooq Adil; Educational Director, Yunus Emre Institute, Eren Miasoglu; writer and researcher, Obaidullah Kehar and Dr Sher Ali.
Located in the heart of Istanbul the Hagia Sophia is a monumental architectural masterpiece with a rich history as a Byzantine cathedral. First an Ottoman Mosque, then a museum, and now a mosque again, it is famous for its massive dome, intricate mosaics, and blend of the Christian and Islamic art, serving as a symbol of cultural and religious transformation for centuries.
Chief Guest Dr. Mehmet Toyran praised the PAL and its visionary Chairperson for organizing an event that was related to one of the icons of Turkish history and architecture.
Dr Ziaul Haq paid rich tributes to Sultan Mehmed II (the Conqueror) of the Ottoman Empire who after coming to power in 15th century declared Hagia Sophia as a Masjid-e-Kabeer and preserved it as a place of the Turkish pride.
Poets have written poems on Hagia Sophia and writers have used this as a metaphor in their writings and work of fiction, he said.
In his introductory remarks, Director Yunus Emre Institute, Islamabad Halil Toker said Hagia Sophia was not only the most beautiful mosque of Turkiye but it is among the world’s few buildings which are considered the Masterpiece of Architecture and cradle of civilizations.
He read out an article covering the 1500 years old history of the Hagia Sophia and drew the audience’s attention to the fact that there was no concept of demolishing such rich and rare buildings in the Islamic civilization. This is why the Hagia Sophia stands there intact fascinating hundreds and thousands of tourists who come to visit this Masterpiece of Architecture.
Eren Miasoglu in his article traced different references of Hagia Sophia in the Turkish literature. Hagia Sophia is not merely a building, it is cradle of civilizations, metaphor of spiritual and metaphysical journey a writer or a reader undergoes while writing or reading about Hagia Sophia.