Sultan Mehmet’s Charter About Aya Sofya

Sultan Mehmet’s Charter About Aya Sofya

As prayers are offered in the Aya Sofya after 86 years, it’s important to remember the charter established by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453. The Turkish courts have revoked Atatürk’s decision of 1935 on the basis of this charter.

Sultan Mehmed II’s charter (Waqfiyya) for Ayasofya, registered in 1462, established the iconic building as an inalienable Islamic religious endowment (waqf) to be operated as a mosque in perpetuity. The charter protected it from alteration, outlined its management, and dedicated surrounding properties to fund its maintenance.  Key Aspects of the Charter:

• Establishment as a Mosque: The charter codified the conversion of Hagia Sophia from a cathedral into a mosque after the 1453 conquest.
• Permanent Status: It officially created the Fatih Complex and the Hagia Sophia Al-Kabeer Foundation, declaring that the foundation’s rules cannot be amended, and the building cannot be converted from its purpose.
• Financial Endowment: It dedicated surrounding schools, libraries, shops, and houses in Istanbul to the foundation, ensuring the mosque would be maintained using the revenue from these properties.
• Protection: The document formally protected the structure from being sold, pledged, or seized, calling for its protection eternally.
• The Foundation Curse: The document famously contains a “foundation curse” directed towards those who might try to change the function of the property. 

The original charter was written on a 66-meter-long gazelle skin. It is important to note that while some narratives claim Sultan Mehmed purchased the building, the trust charter demonstrates that it was treated as public property (waqf) after the conquest,

 

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