Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

2-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Program

Political Science

Advisor

Uday Mehta

Keywords

Byzantine, Turkish politics, Turkish Republic, Hagia Sophia, nostalgia, hauntology, politics of space

Abstract

Hagia Sophia is one of the most celebrated cultural heritages, considered sacred for thousands of years. However, Hagia Sophia’s political dimension is often overshadowed by its religious-sacred meanings. This thesis aims to analyze Hagia Sophia’s political character through four pivotal historical events: its foundation by Justinian the Great, its conversion into the imperial mosque of the Ottoman Empire, its secularization under the Turkish Republic, and its subsequent reconsecration into a mosque in 2020. Focusing on these four historical milestones, this thesis illuminates a political pattern embedded in Hagia Sophia, emphasizing its role as a space of political legitimacy and ideological background. This thesis intends to enrich the nostalgic contemplation around the image of Hagia Sophia by integrating Jacques Derrida’s hauntology into the framework. In doing so, this thesis argues that hauntology could be a valuable concept to discuss Hagia Sophia in two ways. Firstly, it posits Hagia Sophia as a haunted space with various meanings that clash and coalesce. Secondly, it delves into the reconsecration of Hagia Sophia in 2020 as the symbol of the haunted future of contemporary Turkish politics.

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