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5.2 Hagia Sophia (1935): From a Mosque to a Museum

The Republic of Turkey was officially declared on October 29, 1923. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk became the first President, and the capital was moved from Istanbul to Ankara to represent a fresh start for the nation.

In 1934, as the new Republic of Turkey sought to modernize and align with secular Western values, Atatürk made the radical decision to turn Hagia Sophia into a museum. It was a message to the world that Turkey was embracing a secular future. Hagia Sophia officially opened its doors to the world as a monument of art and history (no longer a place of worship) on the 1st Feb, 1935.