Ayasofya’yı Tarihselleştirmek: Erken Klasik Dönem Osmanlı Kroniklerinde Ayasofya Kavrayışı (1451-1512)
Bu çalışma, Ayasofya’nın, erken klasik dönem Osmanlı kroniklerinde nasıl tarihselleştirildiğini ele almakta ve fetihten sonraki yaklaşık yarım asırlık süreçte bu algının tarihsel dönüşümünü incelemektedir. Yazıcıoğlu Ahmed Bîcan, Tursun Bey, Oruç Bey, İdrîs-i Bitlisî ve İbn Kemal’in kroniklerinin yanı sıra Anonim Tevârîh-i Âl-i Osmân gibi metinleri temel alan araştırma, Ayasofya’nın Osmanlı tarih yazımındaki temsillerini mimari kavram ve yaklaşımlar bağlamında analiz etmektedir. Çalışmanın temel sorunsalı, 1451-1512 yılları arasındaki Osmanlı kroniklerinde Ayasofya’nın mimari kavrayış üzerinden nasıl inşâ edildiği ve tarihsel bağlamına nasıl oturtulduğudur. Fetih sonrası Osmanlılar ile Ayasofya arasındaki fiziksel temas ve karşılaşma, dönemin kroniklerinde farklı anlatılar doğurmuş ve bu metinlerde özgün kavrayış biçimleri ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu bağlamda, Ayasofya algısının şekillenmesinde yalnızca yöneticilerin politik tercihleri değil, aynı zamanda müelliflerin patronaj ilişkileri ve entelektüel pozisyonları da belirleyici olmuştur. Osmanlı Ayasofya’sı, Bizans döneminde üretilmiş efsanevi tarih anlatıları ile etkileşime girerek yeni bir form kazanmış ve Osmanlı tarih yazımında farklı bağlamlarda yeniden yorumlanmıştır. Kroniklerde binaya dair tasvir ve değerlendirmeler, doğrusal olmayan ve girift ilişkiler ağı içinde şekillenmiştir. Çalışmada ayrıca, fetih sonrası ilk yıllarda ve özellikle Fatih Camisi gibi Ayasofya ile “boy ölçüşen” anıtsal yapıların inşâsından sonra Ayasofya’nın Osmanlı tarih yazımındaki konumu da tartışılmaktadır. Bunun yanı sıra, kronikler arasında Ayasofya’nın alımlanma biçimlerine odaklanılarak, Bizans döneminde (9. yüzyıl) kaleme alınmış Diegesis gibi Ayasofya tarih metinlerinin Osmanlı müellifleri üzerindeki etkisi değerlendirilmektedir. Bu bağlamda, Osmanlı tarihçilerinin Bizans kaynaklarını nasıl devşirdiği ve bu metinleri Osmanlı-İslâm düşüncesi doğrultusunda nasıl yeniden yorumladıkları ortaya konmaktadır.
Historicizing Hagia Sophia: The Conception of Hagia Sophia in Early Classical Ottoman Chronicles (1451–1512)
This study explores the historicization of Hagia Sophia in the early classical Ottoman chronicles and examines how its perception evolved in the half century following the conquest. Focusing on the works of Yazıcıoghlu Aḥmed Bīcān, Ṭūrsūn Beg, Oruç Beg, Idrīs Bitlīsī, İbn Kemāl, and the Anonymous Tevārīkh-i Āl-i ʿOthmān, it analyzes the ways in which Ottoman historiography represented Hagia Sophia through architectural and historical frameworks. By examining chronicles written between 1451 and 1512, this research investigates how Ottoman authors conceptualized Hagia Sophia as an architectural entity and situated it within a broader historical narrative. The post-conquest engagement between the Ottomans and Hagia Sophia generated diverse interpretations, shaped not only by political transformations but also by the patronage networks and intellectual affiliations of the chroniclers. Ottoman historiography actively engaged with legendary Byzantine narratives, incorporating and reshaping them to fit an emerging OttomanIslamic perspective. Descriptions of the monument were constructed through a dynamic and nonlinear network of meanings, reflecting a complex interplay of historical, architectural, and ideological factors. Additionally, this study situates Hagia Sophia within the broader context of Ottoman architectural and historiographical developments, particularly in relation to the construction of monumental structures such as the Fātiḥ Mosque. By tracing its reception across various chronicles, it also evaluates the influence of Byzantine sources, such as the Diegesis (9th century), on Ottoman historical writing. This analysis reveals how Ottoman authors appropriated and reinterpreted Byzantine narratives, embedding them within an Ottoman-Islamic historiographical framework.
With the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople, Hagia Sophia entered a new cultural and ideological context, where it was reinterpreted within the evolving framework of Ottoman perceptions. This process, initiated in the early Ottoman period, marked the empire’s first direct engagement with Hagia Sophia, shaping impressions that were subsequently articulated in texts, primarily historical chronicles. The portrayal of Hagia Sophia in these chronicles reflects the emergence of an “Ottoman Hagia Sophia,” shaped by political decisions, patronage networks, the roles of historians, and the legendary Byzantine historical narratives that preceded them. Each chronicle, composed by different authors, reflects diverse perspectives influenced by the sources they drew upon and the political environment in which they were written.
The policies pursued during the reigns of Mehmed II (r. 1451–1481) and Bayezid II (r. 1481–1512) played a decisive role in shaping the attitudes of chroniclers. During this period, the Ottoman rulers sought to establish a new empire to replace Byzantium while simultaneously positioning themselves as leaders of the Islamic world. Though a common practice in conquered territories, Mehmed II’s conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque played a crucial role in constructing an imperial image. The transformation of Hagia Sophia served to transfer its religious and political significance from Byzantine to Ottoman sovereignty, reinforcing the legitimacy of the new empire.
The chronicles that emerged between the mid-15th and early 16th centuries were written under the influence of these political developments and often reflected the interests of ruling elites. As historiography developed as an extension of political authority, chroniclers presented differing narratives based on their affiliations. From Mehmed II’s reign onward, Ottoman chronicles became divided into pro-imperial and anti-imperial accounts, reflecting tensions between the central administration and the frontier begs, gazis, and dervishes. One of the
central points of contention was Mehmed II’s decision to establish Istanbul as the imperial capital, a move that reshaped political power structures.
In pro-imperial Ottoman chronicles, the monumental and architectural transformation of Hagia Sophia played a key role in legitimizing Ottoman rule. These texts sought to appropriate the imperial legacy of the structure by embedding it within an Islamic framework, mirroring the Christian connotations attributed to Hagia Sophia in Byzantine historiography. Ottoman chroniclers thus imbued Hagia Sophia with Islamic significance, reinforcing the empirebuilding policies of the period. This shift represents a crucial turning point in Hagia Sophia’s historical trajectory, as the narratives constructed in this period significantly influenced its later perception as an Ottoman imperial mosque.
Conversely, anti-imperial chronicles treated Hagia Sophia’s association with the emperor and the empire in a more superficial manner. While they acknowledged the building’s incorporation into an Islamic framework, they also emphasized its Byzantine Christian past, preserving narratives that were sometimes incongruous with Ottoman-Islamic interpretations.
Focusing on the Early Classical Period, when the Ottoman conceptualization of Hagia Sophia took shape, this study examines its historical evolution through the chronicles of Yazıcıoghlu Aḥmed Bīcān, Ṭūrsūn Beg, Oruç Beg, Idrīs Bitlīsī, İbn Kemāl, and the Anonymous Tevārīkh-i Āl-i ʿOthmān. By analyzing early Ottoman chronicles, this research investigates the processes through which Hagia Sophia’s architectural identity was constructed and transformed in the half-century following the conquest. The central question guiding this study is: How was Hagia Sophia historicized through architectural concepts and approaches in Ottoman chronicles between 1451 and 1512?
In this context, the study explores how Hagia Sophia was represented in historical texts, both immediately after the conquest and in the period following the construction of monumental structures such as the Fātiḥ Mosque, which symbolically “rivaled” it. The interplay between various sources also forms a key dimension of this research. Accordingly, the study examines the influence of Byzantine historical texts, particularly ninth-century works such as the Diegesis, and analyzes how Ottoman authors adapted and reinterpreted these sources within the intellectual framework of Ottoman and Islamic thought in composing their own historical narratives.
