Dursun said the scaffolding had been used to restore mosaics in the dome since the beginning of this year, the Anatolia news agency reported him as saying on Thursday.The scaffolding will be removed gradually, taking some 20-30 days, Dursun said. New scaffolding will go up in other parts of the museum slated for restoration, he added. “My biggest concern,” Dursun said, “is scaffolding that is not being used.” The scaffolding was put together as part of a renovation project by UNESCO's technical support team in 1992-93. The 55-meter-high scaffolding weighs 181 tons. For 16 years, the scaffolding sat under the dome of Hagia Sofia, but little work was done. “The scaffolding served as decoration. If the scaffolding is put up again for any restoration, we will not allow it to stay there for no reason,” Dursun stressed. Scaffolding has been erected in the museum multiple times, the director said. “However, it wasn't always up for work. It is too difficult to remove the scaffolding and build it again when restoration become necessary,” Dursun said. The director also guaranteed that no chemical solvents were used to clean the mosaics.
The restoration uncovered several faces under the dome, believed to be those of angels. Historians estimate the newly found mosaics are around 700 years old.
For almost a decade and half, tourists visiting the Hagia Sofia museum have been greeted by the sight of the scaffolding erected in the middle of the architectural wonder, with many saying it spoiled their view of the museum.
