Experts in Turkey have been restoring 452 pieces of historical Byzantine church icons, which date back to 17th century.
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Turkey’s Culture Ministry’s restoration laboratory in Istanbul work on objects, which were brought from across Turkey and kept in the country’s historic Hagia Sophia, a Christian church until it was converted into a mosque when the Ottomans conquered Istanbul in 1453 and later turned into a museum in 1935.
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Mainly wooden Byzantine icons depict religious rituals, and stories as well as Jesus Christ.
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Ali Osman Avsar, manager in the laboratory, told Anadolu Agency that they were working with the help of Prof. Dr. Sema Dogan, an art historian from Ankara Based-Hacettepe University. “It is a very important project for us.”
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“These icons are historical assets. We need to protect them. So far 45 icons have been restored.
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“We want to exhibit [icons] in a museum, which will be opened after we finish the restoration because there is not enough space to display in Hagia Sophia,” Avsar said.
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Two Italian icon restoration experts Prof. Lorenzo Casametti and Rafaella Greca came to Turkey for workshops on how to protect the items without disturbing their original shape.
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One Turkish restorer Gulseren Dikilitas also visited Istituto Lorenzo de Medici in Florence and National University of Arts in Bucharest.
Source: Anadolu Agency [January 06, 2018]
