At the end of May, he gave his strongest signal yet on Hagia Sophia, as he opened remotely, because of the coronavirus a ceremony and sound-and-light show to commemorate the 567th anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople by the Muslim army of Mehmed II the Conqueror. A global backlash nevertheless came. Machemer, Theresa. Read theoriginal article. Famous Architecture Tour With Sathe Academy Hagia Sophia, Instanbul, Turkey Hagia Sophia (lit. In that context, one notes that the president of Turkeys religious affairs agency, Ali Erbas, held up a sword during a sermon delivered during the mosques reopening. In a strongly worded statement, the Greek culture minister, Lina Mendoni, condemned Turkeys decision as a direct challenge to the entire civilized world, adding that Mr. Erdogans nationalism had pushed the country back six centuries. Huseyin Gulerce, a pro-government columnist for the Star newspaper reprinted a column he had written 30 years ago in which he had criticized the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a museum as an unnecessary gesture of deference to the West that cast a dark shadow over Turkish independence. But it has been a source of Christian-Muslim rivalry, having stood at the center of Christendom for nearly a millennium and then, after being conquered, of the Muslim Ottoman Empire, when it was last used as a mosque. On Friday, July 24, Hagia Sophia was reopened as a mosque, after about a century as a museum. In the name of . Russias Patriarch Kirill branded the move a threat to the whole of Christian civilization. On Sunday, Pope Francis declared that he was thinking of St. Sophia and was deeply pained. UNESCO, the United Nations cultural agency, released a statement warning Turkish authorities against taking any decision that might impact the universal value of the site. Governments from neighboring Greece to the Trump administration to the Kremlin issued notes of concern and protest. Under Atatrks leadership, Turkish armies drove out the Allies in the Turkish War of Independence, a conflict that led to large casualties, both military and civilian on both sides, unleashed a storm of forced migration, and established the Republic of Turkey in October 1923. Describing the interior as stuffy and filled with an unpleasant odor, Soylus comments sparked a flurry of online discussions. Hagia Sophia cannot be turned into a mosque. First published on Fri 24 Jul 2020 11.50 EDT Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoan, has led worshippers in the first prayers in Istanbul's iconic Hagia Sophia since his controversial. Cevdet Yilmaz, the deputy chairman responsible for foreign affairs for Mr. Erdogans Justice and Development Party, known as the A.K.P., said the government would determine how to carry out the change. The Nika Revolt had burned down the cathedral that had previously stood on the site (a few marble blocks with carved reliefs are all that remain today, and theyre mostly buried beneath Hagia Sophia). It's Converting Again. The awe-inspiring edifice, built as an Orthodox cathedral and later used for centuries as . After the prayers are completed, the curtains can be removed so visitors can see them. These include the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, the Cistern, Hippodrome, and Topkapi Palace. Why Erdogan Wants Hagia Sophia to Be a Mosque - The New York Times In May journalist Engin Aar, a correspondent for the pro-opposition TELE1 TV station, was briefly detained for reporting on the damage to Hagia Sophia. Until Friday, when the Turkish president announced that Hagia Sophia would be a mosque again, with Muslim prayers resuming in the compound in two weeks. Hagia Sophia was built as an Orthodox Christian cathedral and first converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest nine centuries later. He also banned the popular and powerful Sufi mystical orders such as theMevlevisandBektashis. Niki Kitsantonis contributed reporting from Athens. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended Muslim prayers in the Hagia Sophia two weeks after he declared the buildinga museum for the past 86 yearsa mosque again in a controversial move aimed . Factbox: How Hagia Sophia's status changed over centuries of history At that time, many cracks were repaired in the dome, a new platform for the sultans prayer space was built, and the mosaics were cleaned. The recitation upset many. A turquoise carpet had been laid on the floor to prepare for prayers and Christian relics were covered up with white drapes or obscured by lighting. In mid-2020, Turkey moved to convert the 1,500-year-old Hagia Sophia, a museum since 1934, into a mosque. , religious sensibilities that objected to praying in the direction of human images meant that the mosaics with such depictions were plastered over, even as they were preserved. Advocates for the mosque argue that the conversion to a museum was, as the change was never published in Turkeys. Built 1,500 years ago as an Orthodox Christian cathedral, Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest in 1453. Hagia Sophia Mosque, Istanbul: "Will upstairs be ever open again?" | Check out 5 answers, plus see 44,737 reviews, articles, and 36,474 photos of Hagia Sophia Mosque, ranked No.3 on Tripadvisor among 5,048 attractions in Istanbul. The very idea of changing the monuments status has escalated tensions with Turkeys longtime rival, Greece; upset Christians around the world; and set off a chorus of dismay from political and religious leaders as diverse as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church. Used by many for daily prayers and home to the tomb of Ahmed I (Sultan of the Ottoman Empire) . Mr. Erdogan had voiced his intention to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque several times. ISTANBUL President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a decree Friday ordering Hagia Sophia to be opened for Muslim prayers, an action likely to provoke international furor around a World Heritage Site cherished by Christians and Muslims alike for its religious significance, for its stunning structure and as a symbol of conquest. Built in the sixth century as a cathedral, Hagia Sophia stands as the greatest example of Byzantine Christian architecture in the world. These advocates hoped to restore the, . ISTANBUL Since it was built in the sixth century, changing hands from empire to empire, Hagia Sophia has been a Byzantine cathedral, a mosque under the Ottomans and finally a museum, making it one of the worlds most potent symbols of Christian-Muslim rivalry and of Turkeys more recent devotion to secularism. Hagia Sophia (lit. The ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew, who is the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church from his seat in Istanbul, said the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque would disappoint millions of Christians around the world and divide Muslims and Christians since it had long been a place of worship for both. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I ordered. The Fourth Crusade came galloping into Constantinople in 1204. Watch on. The date, July 24, was not chosen at random, but marks a significant moment in military history. , removal of the plasters over the mosaics, and, eventually, adding a gift shop and ticket booth. Even before these developments, proponents of the church, and a cross reinstalled on the crest of the dome. Hagia Sophia | History, Architecture, Mosaics, Facts - Britannica More about Carlotta Gall, A version of this article appears in print on, Erdogan Signs Decree Allowing Hagia Sophia to Be Used as a Mosque Again, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/10/world/europe/hagia-sophia-erdogan.html. And 15 years later, the Council of State ruled that a waqf endowment cant be changed, so according to Islamic law, the Hagia Sophia could only be turned back into a mosque. He added that the building would remain open to all . After the demise of the Ottomans in the early 20th century, the new Republic of Turkey, founded onsecular principlesand seeking legitimacy in international institutions, renovated the Hagia Sophia as a museum. We want back what already belonged to us, Mr. Gulerce wrote. (Video: Reuters), Pope Francis said on July 12 he was hurt by Turkey's decision to make Istanbul's Hagia Sophia museum a mosque, the latest religious leader to condemn the move. Istanbul's Hagia Sophia is a mosque again. Do Turkish citizens want Christian leaders too have stated that they are are very saddened by the regrettable and lamentable change. However, Soylu was quick to emphasize that the solution lies in better maintenance practices rather than changing its status. Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved, Since its origins in the sixth century A.D, the, has served as a church, a mosque, and, since 1934, a museum. Hagia Sophia has been converted back into a mosque, but the veiling of Its mosaics were destroyed or plastered over (as no figural images are allowed inside a mosque) and Islamic features (including a pulpit and a prayer niche) were added. Byzantine churches, including Hagia Sophia, were made into museums, ending their religious function and opening them up for tourism, conservation and study. For a leader who has championed the steady reassertion of his nations Islamic heritage, restoring Turkeys most famous site of worship to the Muslim faithful would be a powerful legacy. She previously covered the aftershocks of the Arab Spring from Tunisia, reported from the Balkans during the war in Kosovo and Serbia, and covered Afghanistan and Pakistan. Having lost Istanbul in local elections last year, the president has watched the standing of his party continue to slide in the polls as the Covid-19 pandemic has further undone a vulnerable economy. In neighbouring Greece, which was marking the anniversary of the restoration of democracy in 1974, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis conveyed a message of sorrow to millions of Greek Orthodox Christians. Their much earlier predecessor, Emperor Justinian I of the Eastern Roman Empire, would probably be nodding in grudging recognition right about now. Since its origins in the sixth century A.D, the Hagia Sophia has served as a church, a mosque, and, since 1934, a museum. It was widely viewed as a symbol of shared cultural heritage and unity between people of different faiths. Minarets were added, and later the great Ottoman architect Sinan built massive buttresses to prevent the walls from buckling under the weight of the dome, which was damaged in earthquakes. Entry to the monument would be free of charge, foregoing the ticket price from several million visitors a year, and the first prayers inside Hagia Sophia will take place on July 24. This paved the way for president Erdoan to order the conversion of the historic Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage site, back into a mosque. Fans rejoice in Madrid as Spain makes history, 25 great images from the Women's World Cup 2023. On July 10 2020, a Turkish court annulled the 1934 decree by Mustafa Kemal Atatrk which turned the mosque into a museum. The many mosaics of Christian figures such as, were mostly left intact and not completely plastered over until the 1840s when Sultan, At that time, many cracks were repaired in the dome, a new platform for the sultans prayer space was built, and the mosaics were cleaned. Mr. Erdogan may choose to hold prayers only on ceremonial occasions, as he did to mark the anniversary of the Ottoman conquest of the city in May. The iconic, domed building sits in Istanbul's Fatih district, on the west bank of the Bosporus, overlooking the Golden Horn harbour. Christian mosaics that had been plastered over in the late 1400s were carefully uncovered, and they shared the domed space with Muslim prayer niches and pulpits. But it is Hagia Sophia, one of the oldest and architecturally one of the most impressive cathedrals in the world, that commands pride of place on the historical peninsula. Ars may earn compensation on sales from links on this site. "Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror dedicated this magnificent construction to believers to remain a mosque until the Day of Resurrection," he said, referring to the emperor who conquered Istanbul in the 15th Century. Visiting Hagia Sophia on Friday. It has since become one of its most popular tourist sites, receiving more than 3.7 million visitors last year. There are millions of secular Turks like me who are crying against this but their voices are not heard., Political rivals harped on the timing of the act, as Erdogan reckons with a tanking economy that has been further ravaged during the coronavirus pandemic. Bulent Kilic/Agence France-Presse Getty Images. Hagia Sophia, the common heritage of humanity, will go forward to embrace everyone with its new status in a much more sincere and much more unique way, he said in a live television address. Istanbul's Hagia Sophia is a mosque again. One of the delights of touring the building at night, he said, was that the dome seems even larger and the gold mosaics gleam more brilliantly in the dim light. Hagia Sophia & Its Transformations | SAPIENTIA Anna Bigelow is anAssociate Professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University. The Hagia Sophia has been designated as a mosque again, its status as a museum viewed for decades as a seal on the country's spirit. By Friday the scaffolding was largely covered by red panelling. Built as a cathedral, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, has also been a mosque and a museum and is now again a working mosque. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the modern secular republic of Turkey, ended the role of religion in the state and closed religious institutions. The world will watch and wait to see whether the change in the status of Turkeys most famous monument is more than symbolic. Carlotta Gall is the Istanbul bureau chief, covering Turkey. Turkeys president wants to convert Hagia Sophia in Istanbul back into a mosque, which threatens to set off an international furor over one of the worlds architectural treasures. Hagia Sophia - HISTORY 2023 BBC. It was named a masterpiece of the World Heritage site in Istanbul and has become Turkeys most popular tourist attraction, drawing 3.7 million visitors last year. It is regrettable that the Turkish decision was made without any form of dialogue or prior notice. The conflict over the site has long been weaponized by the countrys current Hindu nationalist rulers. Tuesday, August 4, 2020 2 min read By: These include Turkeys Christians who form0.5% of the population. At its peak,3 million people a yearpassed through the complex with foreign visitors paying the equivalent of US$10 to enter; Turkish nationals could visit at reduced rates. The iconic structure is also gearing up for extensive restoration due to concerns over its minarets inability to withstand major earthquakes. This is a world legacy, a magnificent work, Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and a member of Turkeys largest opposition party, said in an interview last month before Fridays announcement. "After 86 years, Hagia Sophia will serve as a mosque again, in the way Fatih the conqueror of Istanbul had indicated in his deed," he said. (Image credit: Getty Images) There are many Turkish citizens, bothnon-MuslimandMuslim, who are opposed to these developments. The Permanent Foundations Service to Historical Artifacts and Environment Association, whose name is presumably more concise in Turkish, reportedly intends to pursue similar actions for several former mosques in Greece, which were built during the reign of Mehmet II. Ozan Kose/Agence France-Presse Getty Images. Hagia Sophia, built by the Emperor Justinian I in 537, was once the largest and grandest church in all of Christendom and remains at the spiritual heart of Orthodox Christianity. VideoFour scientifically-proven ways to live longer. The return of Hagia Sophia to its status as a mosque plays well with Erdoans base. Today, the Hagia Sophia is one of Turkeys largest tourist attractions; an estimated 3.7 million people visited the site in 2019. Atatrk, the Republics first President, represented the movement to make the new Turkey a secular state. ' Holy Wisdom '; Turkish: Ayasofya; Greek: , romanized : Haga Sopha; Latin: Sancta Sapientia ), officially the Hagia Sophia Mosque (Turkish: Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i erifi ), [3] is a mosque and a major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The countrys opposition parties havent made too much of a fuss. by the Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University. It is unsurpassed for its grandeur and immense dome. Hagia Sophia, an stanbul landmark with a history dating back more than 1,500 years, is again in the spotlight due to an unpleasant odor that has led to complaints three years after it was converted from a museum to a mosque by the Turkish government, local media reported Monday. Ataturk came up with a brilliant solution by having the Hagia Sophia turned into a museum that everyone could enjoy and was not claimed by any one religion. He has made it a nationalist issue, lashing out at Greece for interfering in his countrys affairs and insisting that Turkey was proceeding according to the law. Read our affiliate link policy. Governments including Greece and the United States have lodged their objections. For almost a millennium and a half Hagia Sophia has embodied both possibilities. The desire of some Turkish Muslims to pray in the Hagia Sophia was partially realized in the early 1990s when aprayer space was openedin a passageway through a minaret. In the endowment, Mehmet II specified that the former cathedral was supposed to become a mosque. Turkey is a country where religion and nationalism intersect, so that many of the staunchly anti-Erdogan camp would back the principle of Turkish sovereignty over the monument, observed Louis Fishman, a professor at Brooklyn College. The 1,500-year-old Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, will become an active mosque beginning on July 24, ending its 85-year run as a secular museum. Since its origins in the sixth century A.D, theHagia Sophiahas served as a church, a mosque, and, since 1934, a museum. In a post on Twitter that included a copy of the decree, Mr. Erdogan simply wrote Hayirli olsun, or Congratulations.. It is not about us, neither the agendas to convert it to a mosque nor loud reactions against it in Turkey or abroad, Ziya Meral, director of the Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research in Britain and a Turkish Christian, told Todays WorldView. Hagia Sophia is the most visited tourist site in Turkey, with 3.7 million visitors last year. In a Controversial Move, Turkey Will Cover Mosaics Depicting Christian The decree came after a Turkish court revoked the sites 80-year-old status as a museum and is likely to provoke an international furor. He cleaned up the Golden Horn, built bridges and tunnels across the famous waters and placed new mosques at the most prominent sites. It was converted into a mosque in 1453, when the Ottomans conquered Istanbul, with minarets placed around its perimeter, its Byzantine mosaics covered in whitewash, wrote my colleague Kareem Fahim. Some critics lamented what they saw as a blow to Turkish secularism. Opening this place to worship will not make Hagia Sophia lose anything from its world heritage identity, he said in an interview with Anadolu Agency. In 1934 it became a museum and is now a Unesco World. It is worth considering why so many have, for so long, cared so much about the fate of the Hagia Sophia as responses, specializing in Islam, I have studied the. Turkeys current president, Recep Tayyip Erdoan, is the countrys most powerful leader since Atatrk. Governor Yerlikaya had urged those attending prayers on Friday to bring "[face] masks, a prayer rug, patience and understanding" to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. A 45-year-old woman said she had always liked Hagia Sophia as a museum, but "always thought it was a cold building". The founder and leader of the new Turkish Republic, numerous projects to minimize the public role of religion, in society, from changing the script of the language from Arabic to Roman to outlawing public displays of religiously marked clothing. The Hagia Sophia has always been as much a political landmark as a religious or cultural oneso its not surprising that it has also changed hands, and functions, at least four times in its history. This article is republished fromThe Conversationunder a Creative Commons license. A new cathedral, bigger and grander than anything else in the world, built atop the one destroyed by a thwarted rebellion, allowed Justinian to make a powerful statement about his well, power. If the museum becomes a mosque, the mosaics will have to be covered during Muslim prayers somehow, including seraphs high up at the base of the dome. Ive been asked why the Hagia Sophia stinks. Shortly thereafter, he included it in a special type of Muslim charitable endowment called a waqf, which he gave to the newly renamed city of Istanbul. There were clear reasons to avoid the temptation. Ad Choices, By Jorge Lscar from Australia - CC BY 2.0. Hagia Sophia will be the fourth Byzantine church museum to be restored as a mosque under Mr. Erdogan, but by far the most significant one. Upholding that prerogative absolutely would trump the debate of whether Hagia Sophia should be a museum or a mosque.. Hagia Sophia's continuing legacy | Stanford News SultanMehmed II, who lived from 1432 to 1481 A.D., established an endowment in perpetuity providing the Hagia Sophia mosque with the necessary support and staff. The Director-General of UNESCO deeply regrets the decision of the Turkish authorities, made without prior discussion, to change the status of Hagia Sophia, said UNESCO in a July 10 statement. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 1/1/20) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated 1/1/20) and Ars Technica Addendum (effective 8/21/2018). pic.twitter.com/2mor93MlJy. Join the Ars Orbital Transmission mailing list to get weekly updates delivered to your inbox. . Hagia Sophia is hardly the first historic religious site to fall afoul of modern politics. For 500 years it was the venerated center of the Muslim Ottoman Empire. Even if Erdogan wanted to restore the ancient caliphate, he would need public support. The emperor needed a spectacular means of, Justinian, called the builder of the world by his chronicler, , hoped the monument a cathedral would help establish his political domain and unify. WIRED Media Group It was not immediately clear how the ruling would change life around the monument. After all, he ordered the cathedrals construction in the first place for similar reasons. The head of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Patriarch Bartholomew I, warned that the conversion of the building would "disappoint millions of Christians" and fracture two worlds. "We've waited for years to pray here" - the history of Hagia Sophia. Originally built as a Christian Orthodox church and serving that purpose for centuries, Hagia Sophia was transformed into a mosque by the Ottomans upon their conquest of Constantinople in 1453.. While a significant section of Turkish society has criticised the change to a mosque, the emotion and enthusiasm outside it was palpable. This month a Turkish court annulled its status, saying any use other than as a mosque was "not possible legally". The first Friday prayer service is scheduled for July 24. "Erdogan Signs Decree Allowing Hagia Sophia to Be Used as a Mosque Again". The museums rules actually forbade any religious group from holding services inside (except for a small prayer room set aside for museum staff). Hagia Sophia has experienced a lot, and there is still more future ahead. Hagia Sophia - Wikipedia Hagia Sophia: UNESCO deeply regrets the decision of the Turkish authorities, made without prior discussion, and calls for the universal value of #WorldHeritage to be preserved.Full statement: https://t.co/WiZpjyagqF pic.twitter.com/klcMR9pmxC. Photograph: Tina. And I'm saying this neither as Greek nor as Orthodox but merely as a civilized person. The Old areas of Istanbul, particularly, Sulthanamet is replete with historical attractions, all located closed to each other. The lucky ones found shade under a tree. Visitors pay double for the nighttime tour, and most of his customers are Turkish, he said. Hagia Sophia Mosque, Istanbul - Tripadvisor About 1,000 people attended Friday prayers there. Many Things to See and Visit Here! July 10, 2020, updated July 15, 2020. Macaulay-Lewis, Elizabeth and Dr. Steven Zucker, "Hagia Sophia as a mosque," in Smarthistory, December 15, 2015. Presidential spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, said Hagia Sophia could be a working mosque and be open to visitors in the same way that Notre Dame cathedral and the Sacre Coeur basilica in France hold services and are open to tourists. #hagiasophia https://t.co/xsrQhDmfWx. To understand whats happening now, we have to go back to 1453 CE, the year the Ottoman sultan Mehmet II conquered the city of Constantinople (been a long time gone, Constantinople). Hagia Sophia, or 'Divine Wisdom' in Greek, was completed in 537 by Byzantine emperor Justinian. Well-known in Turkey, the treaty deserves more attention in the West, because it marks one of the first successful revisions to the Peace of Paris imposed by the Allies at the end of the First World War. Following the decision to reconvert the monument to a mosque, the UNs cultural heritage organization UNESCO said in a statement that it deeply regrets the move. Murad Sezer / Reuters Today, it is one of the country's most popular attractions, with millions visiting. Can Okar suggested on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the unpleasant odor might be attributed to the stench of feet, pointing to the intent to use it as a cathedral in the original construction. Pope Francis responded by saying that his "thoughts go to Istanbul", adding: "I think of Santa Sophia and I am very pained.". Three years earlier, in 1920, the Allies had imposed another agreement, the Treaty of Svres, on the former Ottoman Empire, under which large parts of Anatolia and Eastern Thrace would have been lost to Turkish rule. Changing the secular space back into a religious one is a. Either today or tomorrow, Hagia Sophia will be opened.. All rights reserved. The first shift in the buildings identity occurred during the. But in its shadow, there existed large and prominent Greek and Christian communities throughout what is now Turkey. Only a great ruler could build such an edifice, and only a great empire could sustain it. Tens of thousands of men and women waited for the call to prayer - many had travelled from cities across Turkey. He said, Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror dedicated this magnificent construction to believers to remain a mosque until the Day of Resurrection, referring to the conquest of the city in 1453. Turkish commentators invoke what happened to numerous medieval mosques in Spain and Greece as a kind of precedent; many of these structures, such as the Great Mosque of Cordoba, were converted into churches or turned into secular spaces or lie in disrepair. Changing Hagia Sophias status appears to be a move to appeal to his base and assert his political brand a strident nationalism inflected by his religiosity that anchors itself in a decades-old ideological struggle with more secular Turks. It became a monument to a universal legacy that transcends religion and underscored Istanbuls place at the heart of different cultures and faiths.

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