It was once the grandest cathedral in the Christian world, surpassing anything in Rome or anywhere else — until the Muslim conquest of Constantinople on May 29, 1453. Then it was converted into a mosque. In the 1930s, the secular Turkish government made it into a museum. But now, with Turkish secularism breathing its dying breaths, it will soon be a mosque again.
“Istanbul`s Hagia Sophia sees first Koran reading in 85 years,” AFP, April 11, 2015:
Istanbul: A Muslim cleric has for the first time in 85 years recited the Koran in the Hagia Sophia, the world famous landmark of Istanbul which is now a museum after serving as a church and a mosque, reports said Saturday.
The Hagia Sophia was turned into a museum accessible to all by the secular founders of modern Turkey in the 1930s and secular Turks are wary of any moves to re-Islamise the building.
A passage from the Koran, the holy scripture of Islam, was recited late Friday at a ceremony in the Hagia Sophia to mark the opening of a new exhibition “Love of the Prophet.”
It was read by Ali Tel, imam at the Ahmet Hamdi Akseki Mosque in Ankara, the official Anatolia news agency said.
The ceremony was attended by top Turkish officials including the head of the country`s religious affairs agency Diyanet, Mehmet Gormez.
Anatolia said it was the first recitation of the holy Koran in the Hagia Sophia for 85 years.
The exhibition inside the Hagia Sophia is a show of calligraphic work in devotion to the Muslim Prophet Mohammed and runs until May 8.
The magnificent edifice was constructed in the sixth century as a church in the Christian Byzantine Empire and was the seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the former name of Istanbul.
When Ottoman forces under Mehmet II conquered the city in 1453 he ordered the immediate conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. Islamic minarets were built around its Byzantine dome.
It served as a mosque until after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire when in the mid-1930s the authorities of the new Turkish state under secular leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk ordered it to become a museum for all.
But under the rule of the Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP), co-founded by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan which came to power in 2002, there have been noises about reconverting the Hagia Sophia into a mosque.
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc caused a furore in November 2013 when he indicated that he hoped to change the status of the Hagia Sophia, saying it looked “sad” but hopefully would be “smiling again soon”.
Greece reacted furiously at the time, saying such statements “are offending the religious feeling of millions of Christians.”
Ayatrollah says
Because islam is the one true religion, muslims can convert anything to a mosque when allah wills it. If anyone changed the crappist little mosque to anything other than a mosque believers defend islam with force. Islam is a bueatiful way of life.
Fr. Basil` says
Hagia Sophia sits on a severe fault time.
My prayer is that God will allow it to collapse and sink into the earth before the mahometans further defile it.
CogitoErgoSum says
I would much rather see a cross standing atop the great dome along with a cross on each minaret so as to be a constant reminder of Christ’s victory over Islam.
Babasigatiger says
When was that?
Peggy says
You know what’s really sad here. Constantinople begged for help when they knew they were being invaded by Muslims and then just like now Christians abandoned their fellow Christians.
We should all learn something from that.
Rev. Albert W. Kovacs, UCC says
When the Ottomans invaded Hungary in 1526, its king and army of 30,000 were wiped out by 200,000 Muslims. No one came to help. The French hated the Hapsburgs so much, they encouraged victory over Vienna. When the Turks left over 200 years later, the population of 10,000,000 were massacred and only about 2,000,000 survived, . . . Who helped Hungary in 1956? . . . With our sleazy politicians, America has been doing the same, abandoning our allies – what an embarrassment unbefitting our American and Christian heritage!
Oliver says
I (personally) would rather see it collapse and sink WHEN FULL OF THE FAITHFUL MUSLIMS, rather then when nobody there.
I would also like to see the same on mosques in all countries, as well as the entire mountain range where Iran has their nuclear workings. (With ALL of their scientists and engineers as the range is swallowed up).
Jay Airahs says
Islam round two
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/06/100601-sinkhole-in-guatemala-2010-world-science/
particolor says
Hmm ? Customized on Friday Ay !!
Shane says
I still call the city – Constantinople and hope that it will be renamed when Islam falls.
Rev. Albert W. Kovacs, UCC says
FORCE is the kez word in Islam, not PEACE’ It is a brutal system of subjugation and terrorism, under which women cower, girls are raped, slaves are condemned to a life of misery, boys are brainwashed, and men are encouraged to live a life of ignorance. Islam is the true road to Hell – on earth and hereafter. It is a perpetrator of HATE to any except those who promulgate the stupid lifestyle of its author. The paedophile who married a six year old and raped her at nine, the owner of slaves, the slaughterer of any who disagreed with his maniacal views, who has well earned his place in Hell, where he keeps company with other butchers like Hitler, Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot. Their day has already come – vengeance belongs to the Lord – and will come to those who oppress and kill in the name of Islam, to suffer the pains of Hell.
Braccio Sr says
Well I guess Mother Nature will be calling again soon to rebalance after all the aborting and cavorting and decades of interacting with Islam without a condom or birth control. Obama and his Muslim Brothehood – the long night of the soul.
Richie says
Given the importance this church has in the history of Christiandom, it is very surprising the Muslim barbarians have’t reduced the building to rubble
Baconeatingkaffir says
That would destroy part of their tourist industry. Last time I was there, they were charging entry.
gravenimage says
Richie, the Muslims invaders were actually starting to tear Hagia Sophia apart following the massacre when the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II showed up and convinced his men that turning the greatest cathedral in Christendom into a mosque would be a greater act of Muslim supremacism than destroying it.
Richie says
when it becomes a demonic mosque, what are the odds that the remaining 1000 year old Christian images that survive intact painted on the walls be be scratched out?
Muslims who take over Christian churches are like squatters who break into your home, crap all over your floor, knock holes in every wall and claim that the house always belonged to them
ECAW says
“Muslims who take over Christian churches are like squatters who break into your home, crap all over your floor, knock holes in every wall and claim that the house always belonged to them”
Hahaha. Very good!
baconeatingkaffir says
I hope they continue to forbid the koranderthals from using the Cordoba mosque in Spain. It seems that Erdoclowin is doing everything possible to turn Turkey into a 21st Century version of Iran. After all, he’s one of Obonghit’s “best buddies” who he “consults about raising his daughters”. From the behavior of the AK party over the last 12 years or so it makes you wonder how they’ve managed to stay a member of NATO.
Billy Corr says
The remaining Greek population of Istanbul is small, ageing and in terminal decline (read William Dalrymple’s book ‘From the Holy Mountain’) and the Greek communities on the islands of Imbros and Tenedos are fewer in number every year.
By contrast, the Turkish minority in Greek Thrace is growing numerically and proportionately, their interests safeguarded by the bossy aunties of the European Union
On the bright side, both Greeks and Bulgarians have built strong fences to deter the flood of Third World asylum-seekers whom the duplicitous Turks have permitted to journey through Turkish territory.
Scott says
Perhaps the Jews should “re-convert” the entire Temple Mount back to it’s original grandeur and use the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque as new homes for the Arc of the Covenant.
Just imagine the world’s reaction to that!…..
Georg says
This would highlight the double-dealing nature of Islamist ethics for sure.
Baucent says
It’s clear the Turks are itching to convert the Hagia Sophia into a mosque but they are wary of the reaction. This Koranic reading was a “test of the waters”, watch now for follow up Islamic celebrations relating to various historical events.
mortimer says
This latest supremacist act (which could have been staged elsewhere) is yet another sign that Turkey is not ready for prime time. They are a bunch of backward, primitive savages who want to take their ball and go home if they can’t make ALL the rules.
Without cooperation and team spirit, no Turk should be welcomed into any country. If Turkey wants to be supremacist, let them play the supremacist game in isolation until they learn to grow up. Same for Iran.
Georg says
And keep them out of the EU!
Timothius says
We in the U.S. Have had an on and of love affair with Turkye for decades. I really can’t understand why we kiss their asses so much? These folks can’t even admit genocide when there is photo, interviews, and the written word which corraberates with the rest! My wife has lived on band off in turkey fo many years. She loves the place. I have had Turks to our home, but hare the fuss they all seem to demand.
So, after many years I feel that I can say the the middle easterners are untrustworthy fussy and a pain in the ass. Certainly not worthy of my time. After the past few years I am fed up with the whole region. I cringe when I hear of the destruction of artifacts our our world history, and frankly do not understand why. But let’s just keep em all where we can keep an eye on them. Don’t!!! Bring here!
Papa Whiskey says
We in the U.S. Have had an on and of love affair with Turkye for decades. I really can’t understand why we kiss their asses so much?
Location, location, location. We needed that big air base at Incirlik during the Cold War, and still do.
gravenimage says
Timothius wrote:
So, after many years I feel that I can say the the middle easterners are untrustworthy fussy and a pain in the ass.
…………………………..
Timothius, this really has nothing to do with “middle easterners”—Robert Spencer is of Middle Eastern Christian heritage—but everything to do with Islam.
Manuel Paleologus says
What happen on May 29, 1453 in Constantinople is exactly what Islam is about. Nothing more, nothing less.
It is a shame that the Western nations do not seem to see or simply refused to see what is happening for 13 centuries. This is the ‘luck’ of islamists. The mosque in Jerusalem’s holy hill should not be allowed to exist , since many churches are transformed into mosques or bombed. Islam has nothing to do with Jerusalem.
All the mosques in the Western world should be shut down until the Muslim world is open to the Christianity. Very soon the Orthodox Patriarchate will be forced to move out-it is almost extinguished.
Brian Hoff says
The Greece Government told the EUC that than mosque will be built in they capital Atmen it isnot built for the past 20 year.
Western Canadian says
And if the Greeks are at all smart, the filthy mosque will never be built.
Charli Main says
One of Christianity´s most holy places, defiled and desecrated with the filth of Islam.
I can only hope, in a time yet to come, that every last vestige of Muslim filth will be erased from the Hagia Sophia.
CogitoErgoSum says
The Crusaders of old would have said, “Deus Vult.” I say we must will it to be also.
Charli Main says
yes, it is in our hands
delenta est islamica
duh_swami says
Did the ground rumble? Did any plaster fall from the ceiling? The Imam could have caused an earthquake doing that. Most of Turkey’s earthquakes can be traced to a bismillah going off somewhere first.
Edward says
Bluntly, I’m in a point in saying that with the present raunchy trending state of demographics is in a most ruinous situation. The erosion of the world’s beauty created by the Creator’s WORD uttered “at the beginning” account recorded in Genesis, is causing it to come to an end. Not because by the process of man’s caused drastic weather changes, but by the run away stampede of Evil’s hoofs.
When Our Almighty Triune Godhead said the WORD: “Let Us create” everything was good! Now that His creation’s are being led to the obfuscation of His established Faith’s natural laws and have trampled with His Real Estate. His patience with us may wane. Bad enough that we may be in His recall list.
‘God Save Us’…. our repenting cries will be heard by Him. For He is a transcendental Omnipotent Merciful Triune God in contrast to other man made worldly religious faiths!
Edward says
An additional word entry: monotheistic
‘God Save Us’…. our repenting cries will be heard by Him. For He is a transcendental Omnipotent Merciful Triune God in contrast to other man made worldly [monotheistic] religious faiths!
Edward says
A complementary reply:
When writing the above particular post I came to realize why Christianity is hated by the secular world and some hard lined ultra liberals. In reality a monotheistic God is preferred by the secularists over a polytheistic, i.e. Triune Godhead because its stringency of its beliefs are harder to be perverted or corrupted (as Satan’s tactics prefer). Their exists two Christianity sects; the conservative Christians who follows the dogmas to its maximum and the pseudo Christians who are in name only as Christians, but are adherents of a buffet counter style of beliefs to suit their worldly source of freedoms. Hence, they abhorred the Christian viability and its vestige’s (the crucifixes, crosses and icons).
Our POTUS can be labeled a pseudo Christian or else he is practicing his ancestry permission rule to be one under the taqqiya culture. That’s why true Christianity is a burden in his way of thinking. That is why he always makes an effort to exhibit many forms of subliminal antagonism towards True Christianity!
A side note: Having read up about how the the Triune Godhead (The Holy Trinity is structured. BTW the word trinity in not found in the NT’s bible, but God’s plurality is inferred in Genesis 1) is interestingly somewhat comparable to the three branches of our federal government. Perhaps, the Founding Father’s found that this scheme was fool proof and the most viable structure too.
BTW, Judaism believes in the Holy Spirit as Christians too, but their Holy Spirit’s role is not the same as Christianity’s.
http://www.beth-elsa.org/Worship/Sermons/Guest_Speakers/Do_Jews_Believe_in_the_Holy_Spirit_01_15_10
We can say that Judaism is 1/3 away from being Christians though. If only the Sadducees Jews had accepted the Messiah 2014 years ago perhaps Islam would not exist to day
And, yes the Jews and America would not be facing trials and tribulations through many years past. Who can we blame this pesky dilemma to….the Liberals (and the 2014 years ago Liberal Palestinian Jewish sect Sadducees) of course. From both sides of the great pond that divides our Nations.
Here is he complete essence of the Triune Godhead’s plurality roles (aka) The Holy Trinity: The Father ((legislative role) creates a plan, Jesus Christ (executive role) implements the plan, and the Holy Spirit (judicial role) administers the plan.
The federal government is composed of three distinct branches: legislative, executive and judicial, whose powers are vested by the U.S. Constitution in the Congress, the President, and the federal courts, including the Supreme Court, respectively
Babasigatiger says
You are not making any sense. To have a son, god must have come onto mary. Awesome story.
AnneM says
…..Yet in the southern half of the world, the Christian faith is GROWING BIGTIME because it is the conservative Christian missionaries, be they Catholic, Evangelical, or Anglican who have brought many folks to Christ.
cs says
Since Edorgan came to power, I only call it Constantinople, no more Istanbul.
Dallas says
Me too. Although I use the prefix ‘Occupied’. Occupied by belligerent force as well, no lefty justification has any merit.
ted says
This reminds me of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem was the undisputed capital of the Jewish people for millennium. moslems conquered Jerusalem, and erected a mosque on the holiest site of Judaism where the Temple of the dome of the rock stood. At the Abraham nearly sacrificed his son Isaac. moslems have a tradition of replaceing with mosques any church’s or synagogues in land they conquered.
moslems say their mohamed flew to Jerusalem on a donkey during the night and was on the Jewish Temple mount. History tells us mohamed never went to Jerusalem, Ever.
Now if we would like to return the Temple Mount to its rightful owners, The Jewish People, moslems would riot.
somehistory says
When I see comments such as yours, or read news accounts of the things you mentioned, it always makes me think of what Christ said, and referring to Daniel, “When you catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes destruction…standing where it ought not…(or a holy place)….. (Matthew 24:15-16),”
In the days of 70 CE when Jerusalem was surrounded and then conquered by the Roman armies, they took their symbols inside the Temple walls and this fulfilled Jesus’ words. The Roman armies were there destroying the Holy place in fulfillment of Christ’s prophecy.
There will be another fulfillment of His words…the disgusting thing that causes destruction will stand in a holy place. I keep looking, trying to discern, as Jesus said to use discernment when reading His words.
Georg says
Did they put up any more scratch-n-sniff Islamic insignia to mark the occasion? I’m seeing a trend in the way churches are treated in the Middle East…. hmm… wonder what it could be. At least our ally Saudi Arabia isn’t desecrating its churches, as the Islamophobic Brits do their mosques with the odd slice of bacon.
Western Canadian says
What churches in Saudi Arabia?? None.
Maria says
This is a insult to Orthodox Christians around the world but they dont care they only care when its them when there are cartoons of muhammed Erdogan will cry about islamophobia and they always go on about the al aqsa mosque being stolen from them they are so hypocritical and the Western Government and UN (Useless Nations) just strand by and call Turkey a country that’s democratic and the pope visiting there kissing there backsides all the time wouldn’t surprise me on the pope’s next visit to Turkey he will go in Agia Sopia and kiss the Koran with the iman and talk about peace and some other Rubbish about unity
Russia and Greece should unite against Turkey I hope Greece leaves the EU and has stronger ties to Russia
gravenimage says
Maria, Russia has been playing footsie with Iran for decades now. I don’t think you can count on former-KGB agent Putin to stand up for Christianity in any meaningful way.
Braccio says
What became of ‘The price of liberty is eternal vigilance’? Anything remarkable about someone who wears a Muslim Power ring and places his dirty shoe sole on the Oval Office desk
Stipe says
Is not interesting to note that since the last reading till the recent there was a period of time when the world was not threatened by a caliphate.
JamesonRocks says
A profoundly sad day. This is Easter/Bright Week for Catholics and Holy Week for the Orthodox. Hmmm… What a coincidence… As the old saying goes, “a really interesting coincidence takes a good deal of planning.”
boakai ngomby says
the Allah god of Islam (unknowable; the best of all deceivers) must be so gay at this, being delighted to defile this edifice of strength, as its slaves recite slanderous words and false attribution of praise abrogating to itself power it does not have.
It cannot make new. It cannot bring to life that which is dead. it does not bring either justice or peace, only despair.
.
AnneM says
Allah = SATAN.
Former Moderate says
After reading your comments, so-called, christians now I understand why should I support Islamic state. Still I was under doubts but for now truth is clear. Either you, or we and better we.
Knight of St. John says
Former Moderate but Still an Idiot:
Yes, it’s our fault you’re a wanna-be murderous, mohammmaden piece of shit.
Typical of you whining, sniveling, vile inbreds. Why don’t you have the guts to just admit what you really are? See my first sentence for help since being an inbred I know you’ll have trouble finding the words.
One last thing. Next time you even think of using the word Christian let alone write it, you better use an upper case “C”. Now get back to fucking your goat and leave the nine year-old girls alone. I don’t care what the “Perfect Pedophile” did, it’s just plain wrong, not that I expect any mohammmaden to know the difference between right and wrong since your despicable koran and phony “prophet” didn’t.
gravenimage says
“Former Moderate” wrote:
After reading your comments, so-called, christians now I understand why should I support Islamic state. Still I was under doubts but for now truth is clear. Either you, or we and better we.
……………………………
How typical is *this*? Since Westerners are concerned about what was for a thousand years the greatest cathedral in Christendom being turned back into a supremacist mosque, this “former moderate” is supposedly forced to support a sanguinary tyranny that beheads journalists and aid workers, uses Infidel women as sex slaves, photographs little children playing with severed heads, stones women to death, and commits genocide.
This is grotesque, but is typical of pious Muslims blaming Infidels for their own sick savagery. *Ugh*.
jorge says
Robert, check out the patriarch of constantinople’s paschal encyclical this year. Orthodox christians have just celebrated Pascha on april 12, which is equivalent to the west’s easter. It’s a message of hope for christians in the face of the marauding of muslims. He of course didn’t name islam by name as his patriarchal throne is in istanbul thus doing so would cause problems for his flock there, but there’s no doubt that he’s referring to islam.
“Yet, while we gladly celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection as the reality of life and hope, all around us in the world, we can hear the cries and threats of death launched in many parts of the planet by those who believe that they can resolve human conflicts by destroying their enemies, which in itself constitutes the greatest proof of their weakness. For, by causing the death of another, by taking revenge on our neighbor, on whosoever differs from us, neither is the world improved nor are our problems solved. After all, as everyone – especially the intellectual people of all periods – admits and recognizes, evil is never overcome by evil, but always by good.”
http://pemptousia.com/2015/04/patriarchal-encyclical-for-holy-pascha-2015/
Jeff says
Stop the illegal occupation of Byzantium!
Donovan Nuera says
What irks me as well is the banal line “served both as church and a mosque”; so the Hagia Sofia is just a “re-purposed” commercial building then? Oh gee, maybe it will have a cafe and a “pop-up” retail shop for various veils and genital scalpels in sterilized packaging [from the “Hello, Khalifa” brand]? The long and continuous sieges of Constantinople were brutal and inhumane. The Hagia Sophia should be looked by us as a memorial to the brave citizens and soldiers who were killed or died in slavery after the fall and all of their ancestors built and worshipped within her for almost 1000 years. I can’t get over the fact that the main construction took only 5 years (the mosaics were completed several years later)! I hope we get blest with Holy Wisdom of God [Hagia Sophia] in order to figure out a way to end these continuing injustices and sufferings for our faith.
What is the “The Love of mohammad” exhibit really about? Poems about raping little girls?
ronald says
Please watch the Utube A critique of islam by jAY SMITH..a death cult is what islam is and if they think they are going to threaten us as christians with death if we do not convert they have another think coming..we will not be forced to believe in this cult off destruction and death.. The evidence of what islam is, is already all over the middle east and else where.
gravenimage says
Qur’an read inside Hagia Sophia for the first time in 85 years
………………………………
And the re-Islamization of Turkey continues apace…
More:
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc caused a furore in November 2013 when he indicated that he hoped to change the status of the Hagia Sophia, saying it looked “sad” but hopefully would be “smiling again soon”.
………………………………
I guess Hagia Sophia first “smiled’ when the ravening Mohammedan invaders massacred Christian women, children, old people, monks, and nuns who sought sanctuary there…sarc/off