ABSTRACT
The role of the Byzantine legacy in the construction of Turkish national identity and in the definition of “national legacy” has remained a contested issue. One of the most problematic issues regarding the construction of Turkish history during the early Republican period was the question of how to integrate the Byzantine past. Political ideology in government has always influenced the management of Byzantine heritage, execution of restoration projects, changes in the use of monuments, and even the organization of scientific meetings. These highly politicized approaches have not only been dominating Byzantine heritage but also played a significant role for decades in the cultural heritage field in Turkey.
The 10th International Congress of Byzantine Studies (ICBS) in 1955, the first in Istanbul, was a major step in the protection of the Byzantine heritage of Istanbul. The Turkish government initiated a large-scale restoration campaign that involved all the major Byzantine monuments of Istanbul. Preparations for the congress were discussed at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. After 66 years, the 24th ICBS was planned to take place in 2021, its second time in Istanbul. However, the conversion of Hagia Sophia of Istanbul into a mosque in July 2020 was the “final straw” after a series of decisions related to the conversions of Hagia Sophias of Iznik and Trabzon. A week after this action, the International Association of Byzantine Studies made a new declaration stating the congress would no longer be held in Istanbul, due to concerns related to “issues of heritage management”.
Focusing on these congresses as case studies, this chapter discusses the changes, transformations, and (in)consistencies in the political approach to Byzantine-built heritage in Istanbul, Turkey. These case studies bear the potential to demonstrate disputes around the iconic monuments of Byzantine heritage and contextualize both the similarities and the contrasts in the political and institutional efforts to preserve the Byzantine heritage.
