The most comprehensive restoration in the history of "Green Dome", which is the symbol of the Mevlana Museum, one of the most visited museums in Turkey, has been completed, lasting 3 years and 3 months.
According to the information compiled by the AA correspondent, Green Dome, whose construction started a year after Mevlana's death on December 17, 1273, consists of a 16-segmented cone and turquoise tiles.
Green Dome, which took its current form in 1396, was subjected to the most comprehensive restoration in its history in June 2020, following the restorations it underwent in 1698, 1798, 1816, 1835, 1912, 1949 and 1964.
In the "Green Dome" restoration undertaken by Ali Akkanat, a businessman from Konya, the brick dome built during the Anatolian Seljuk period was reached after the worn and occasionally falling tiles were removed.
Approximately 100 tons of concrete and iron, which reached a thickness of 15 to 18 centimeters in places, between the tiles of Green Dome and the brick dome underneath, were cleared of the subsequently added load.
Based on the tile samples from 1816 and 1835 in the museum archive, the Scientific Board decided to reproduce the blue-turquoise tiles.
Stone tiles made with the Iznik style underglaze technique used in the Green Dome restoration were produced by hand in Konya for the first time after 1396.
RENOVATION WORKS STARTED AGAIN DUE TO DEFORMATION
After approximately 1.5 years of work in the said period, the cover of the dome was removed and the scaffolding began to be dismantled.
Local and foreign tourists who came to the city for the International Commemoration Ceremonies of the 748th Anniversary of Mevlana were able to see Green Dome again during this period.
However, shortly after the Green Dome opened in December 2021, restoration work started again due to the loss of tiles and different deformations.
Due to the negativity experienced before the scaffoldings were dismantled, the Scientific Board decided to re-dismantle the existing tiles in the dome.
Approximately 8,500 hand-made tiles were re-finished using Khorasan mortar.
The construction scaffoldings in Green Dome, whose cover was removed, were also dismantled.
Locals and foreign tourists who come to visit Mevlana are happy to see Green Dome, the symbol of Konya, again.