Search underway for missing artifacts from Kariye Mosque

A search is underway for 400-year-old Ottoman-era artifacts—including a minbar, preacher's pulpit, candelabras, oil lamps, and calligraphy works—that went missing from the historic Kariye Mosque in Fatih, Istanbul, during the years it was converted into a museum. The mosque was reopened for worship 79 years later.

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Search underway for missing artifacts from Kariye Mosque

Built in the 6th century as the Kariye Church, the building was converted into a mosque after the conquest of Istanbul in 1509 by Atik Ali Pasha, one of the grand viziers of Sultan Bayezid II. The Kariye Mosque, which was turned into a museum on August 2, 1945, was reopened for worship a short while ago following the completion of its restoration.

It has been learned that the 400-year-old Ottoman-era minbar, preacher's pulpit, candelabras, oil lamps, and calligraphy works went missing during the years the Kariye Mosque was a museum. During the restoration of the historic mosque, the minbar and the preacher's pulpit were identified from old photographs and reproduced.

While the reproduced minbar and preacher's pulpit have been placed in the historic mosque, which has now been reopened for worship, there is hope that the other missing artifacts belonging to the Ottoman Empire will be found.

Art Historian and Kariye Mosque Scientific Committee Member Hayri Fehmi Yılmaz explained that during the restoration of the Kariye Mosque, the preacher's pulpit and the minbar were reproduced based on old photographs of the Ottoman artifacts.

'CALLIGRAPHY PLATES COULD NOT BE LOCATED'

Yılmaz stated, "Unfortunately, during the process when it was converted into a museum, some of the structure's components, such as the minbar, the preacher's pulpit, and the calligraphy plates on its walls, were lost. The minbar was last seen at the Molla Zeyrek Mosque; there are photographs of it. But we cannot track it after that. Based on old photographs, the preacher's pulpit and the minbar were reproduced and placed inside the mosque. The calligraphy plates have not yet been reached.

Perhaps one day, we will reach them in one of our museums. Hopefully, the candelabras, oil lamps, etc., will return to the mosque, and the mosque's elegant decoration will be visible once again. Both the works that we can call masterpieces of Christian painting art will be able to be viewed, and if the calligraphy plates are returned to their place in the current sanctuary section, examples of Islamic calligraphy art will also be able to be viewed. Thus, the mosque will gain a new richness."

News Source: 12punto