No matter how many years have passed, Hagia Sophia continues to surprise us. According to statements by Turkish Philosophy professor at the University of Istanbul Ferhat Aslan, everything you know about the church will change.
In an interview with Turkish newspaper Sabah, Aslan said that the Byzantines buried large quantities of gold and silver under the historic church.
The Philosophy professor spoke to the newspaper on the occasion of his new book release. He stated his belief that the columns inside Hagia Sophia are made from a rare material transferred from Mount Kafdağı, a mythical mountain for the Turks, much like Caucasus and, according to Turkish tradition, the mountain surrounds the whole world, a very typical symbolism for Hagia Sophia.
Furthermore, Aslan, who has worked on research involving Hagia Sophia for many years, claims that its foundations reach 70 meters below the ground, while the foundation contains large amounts of gold and silver. The reason that the Byzantines buried the precious gold and silver in the majestic temple’s foundation was to protect the church from disaster.
Moreover, Aslan argues that another temple can be found beneath Hagia Sophia. He claims it is an underground temple, also built by the Byzantines, and it still remains unknown to date. This latest revelation is expected to shake Istanbul.