Photographs showing a crane truck and another vehicle inside Hagia Sophia have triggered concern about whether the monument’s fragile floor is being properly protected during restoration works.
The images, widely shared online, raised questions about potential damage to Hagia Sophia’s layered floor structure, which includes mosaics, ancient stone slabs and areas with underlying cavities.
Specialists warned that simple flat plates, like those seen in the photos, may not adequately distribute heavy loads.
In response, Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism insisted the works are safe, with Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy describing Hagia Sophia as “1,486 years old” and entering “the broadest and most comprehensive restoration process in their history.”
Authorities said structural analyses were carried out beforehand, and a temporary platform capable of supporting 30 tonnes per square metre was installed.
They added that the heaviest vehicle, weighing 45 tonnes, exerts only 6 tonnes per square metre due to the weight-distribution system used.
Source: Orthodox Times
