Turkish philography artist Mustafa Baştan has completed a striking depiction of the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque using 120,000 nails over nine months. The 47-year-old artist, who began practicing philography 15 years ago, relocated from Ankara to Istanbul to bring his vision to life.
Baştan’s artwork, weighing approximately 150 kilograms, showcases the intricate craft of philography, which involves hammering nails onto a wooden surface and connecting them with thread. Describing the painting as his “journeyman’s work,” Baştan shared, “This was a dream I had eight years ago. It took significant effort to adapt such a grand design into philography.”