Turkish Parliament Considers Converting Hagia Sophia To Mosque

[Apotheoun]

Turkish Parliament considers converting Hagia Sophia to mosque

 

DALLAS  February 5, 2013 – In a surprise move, a commission of the Turkish Parliament last week accepted a petition from a Turkish citizen to reopen the Hagia Sophia as a place of worship for Muslims.

 

The center of Orthodox worship in the Eastern Roman Empire for over a thousand years (360 – 1453), the Church of the Holy Wisdom, more commonly known by its Greek name Hagia Sophia, has been a museum since 1935 and draws millions of visitors every year. After the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453, it became the first imperial mosque of the Ottoman Empire, and the call to prayer sounded from its minarets for almost 500 years.

 

The decision by Atatürk’s government to designate the building as a museum was an obvious attempt at reconciliation between the Turks and Greeks, who had been feuding for centuries.

 

The fact that the Turkish Parliament would consider opening the building for use as a mosque may reopen old wounds. The former church still prominently features six gigantic green medallions with the names of Allah, the Prophet, and Islam’s first four caliphs.

 

 

Click the link to read the rest of the article:  Turkish Parliament considers converting Hagia Sophia to mosque

[4588686]

Turkey has a lot of historical Mosques that are also historical sites.  The Blue Mosque comes to mind.  

 

My only point being that this bill seems to be offering a similar idea for the Hagia Sophia.  So it would remain open to the public while hosting prayers throughout the day.  I don't see why this is a problem unless you just have way too much free time on your hands.  The Byzantine empire was a conquering force that suppressed the rights of religious minorities.  The Ottoman Empire was the exact same thing.  The Byzantine Empire lost and the Ottoman's won and the Ottoman's made sure that everybody knew that they were the new kids on the block by turning their big Church into a big Mosque.  Just like Spain did to the Mosques when they launched the Reconquista.  Much as the Hapsburgs did to the Ottomans when their time came.  Buildings don't have rights and neither do empires.  

Edited February 7, 2013 by Hasan

[4588686]

It would be best if nobody prayed in it and it just stayed a museum.  But, as Gore Vidal observed, the monotheists will never rest in their relentless drive to sanctify to world for their god.     

[Basilisa Marie]

Part of me thinks it'd be nice if the house of prayer became a house of prayer again...

 

But really I hope it just stays a museum.  Muslim/Christian relations are hard enough to manage as it is. 

[Fidei Defensor]

Let them have it. It's just a building. The temple of God is the universe.