The Hagia Sophia is a museum now, although it does host some Islamic prayer. It was originally a cathedral, then was turned into a mosque when Constantinople fell to the warriors of jihad on May 29, 1453. In The History of Jihad From Muhammad to ISIS, I detail what happened on that day. The Byzantine scholar Bessarion wrote to the Doge of Venice two months after the conquest, in July 1453, saying that Constantinople had been
…sacked by the most inhuman barbarians and the most savage enemies of the Christian faith, by the fiercest of wild beasts. The public treasure has been consumed, private wealth has been destroyed, the temples have been stripped of gold, silver, jewels, the relics of the saints, and other most precious ornaments. Men have been butchered like cattle, women abducted, virgins ravished, and children snatched from the arms of their parents.
So much for the much-vaunted Islamic “tolerance” in Europe.
“Hagia Sophia might be reverted to a mosque, Erdoğan says,” Daily Sabah, March 24, 2019:
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday voiced the possibility of reverting the Hagia Sophia, which has been used as a museum since 1935 and is considered one of the world’s wonders, to a mosque.
“This is not unlikely. We might even change its name to Ayasofya Mosque,” Erdoğan said during a live interview with Turkish broadcaster TGRT.
“This is not a strange proposal,” he said regarding the calls to convert the historical building to serve the purpose it did for half a millennium.
“As you know, the mosque was converted to a museum in 1935, as a reflection of the (Republican People’s Party) CHP mentality. We may as well take a step and change that,” he concluded, pointing to the harshly secularist policies of the 1930s CHP, which is the main opposition today….
In 2015, a cleric recited the Quran inside the building, a UNESCO World Heritage site, for the first time in 85 years. The following year, Turkey’s religious authority began hosting and broadcasting religious readings during the holy month of Ramadan and the call to prayer was recited inside on the anniversary of the first revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).
nicu says
Ok –another mosque – but in Turkey : so shut down all those in germany for that !
Brian hoff says
Than other Islamoprobic racist. First the muslim have the legal right to have mosques in germany.
gravenimage says
Does “Brian hoff”–really, “DefenderofIslam”–have *any* problem with his coreligionists having enslaved, raped, and slaughtered the women, children, elderly, disabled, monks, and nuns who took refuge in Hagia Sophia when the Muslim hordes invaded?
Of course not.
And look what he is doing here–claiming that in the West Muslims have a right to build Mosques, and in any area they conquer they have the right to seize Christian and other Infidel places of worship and turn them into Mosques, as well.
What a thug–but this is mainstream Islam.
Indiana Tom says
Islamic Republic of Turkey. Why are they part of NATO?
gravenimage says
Good question, Indiana Tom.
donut says
It has already been defaced with gigantic placards of Islamic calligraphy depicting the name of Allah and Mohammed. Calling it a museum instead of a mosque is a fig leaf – the church has been conquered by the caliphate and you would have to be a complete moron to not recognize that obvious fact.
Minas says
Computer generated Byzantine chant in the church of Hagia Sophia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eCZyvczZaM
Jinxmim says
Events in Turkey are going to be interesting (and tragic) to watch. Erdogan is taking them backwards in time instead of forwards. He’s alienated half his country (the half that didn’t vote for him) and soon he will no longer need the votes of the half that did. It is not going to end well for anyone.
Westman says
Pope Francis will come to the rescue, carrying a night’s feast of lamb on his shoulders. Certainly Erdogan will be delighted and turn Hagia Sophia into a Catholic cathederal as a sign of solidarity and hire Cenk Uygur as his American Ambassador.
CRUSADER says
Erdogan likely will ask for something in return from Pope Candide.
Such as: turn the alter in St Peters into a trough to water the horses of jihad.
Dapto says
Next it will be the Vatican that will be made a Mosque
Kilauea says
It will be interesting to see God’s response to Erdogan’s arrogance. He is a small violent man who has taken his country from prosperity to the brink of destructive judgment.
Rufolino says
And, by the way, Erdogan has vastly enriched himself and his family. He is the ghastly dictator of Romania (whose name I can’t spell), Mark II.
owensgate says
And all because the ignorant Europeans didn’t want the Greeks and Turks facing off across the Bosporus, when they concluded the Treaty of Constantinople in 1832. One of the biggest mistakes in History.
gravenimage says
I actually think that the freedom of Greece, and the recognition of that freedom by Europe, after centuries of oppression under the Islamic heel was a very good thing.
janwog says
Let him do it in order to uncover Islam is still a dangerous religion. And every non Muslim continuing to make Islam apology is a traitor.
Constantine XI says
While I taught English in Istanbul/Constantinople I visited it eight times but will they replaster the frescas or destroy them in an attempt to erase history? I’ve heard that some young turks have been taught it was always a mosque but all the Turks I talked to in 2006 knew it had been a church. I’m sure a lot of secular Turks oppose this. As I recall they have 15,000 mosques in the city so the only reason they want the Hagia Sophia is Islamic dominance, it was conquered. Islam is all about dominance !
gravenimage says
Yes–this is all about dominance over Infidels.
CRUSADER says
Then, can Hagia Sophia have Christian cantata take place under its dome?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-biqw17pTg
+++
gravenimage says
Christians are specifically barred from praying there, CRUSADER.
CRUSADER says
See, now, that seems so unfair.
Max says
It was originally a cathedral, and then was turned into a mosque.
This might be a common occurrence in Europe a couple of decades from now.
gravenimage says
This has been done to other Christian churches, like St. Sophia’s Cathedral in Cyprus, which Muslims seized and turned into the Selimiye Mosque:
https://www.beautifulmosque.com/PostImages/selimiye-mosque-in-nicosia-cyprus-02.jpg
See how they crudely sheared off the bell towers and grafted on a minaret.
Rufolino says
Too true Max ! But it could be events like this which might trigger a game-change.
Some things will be too repugnant for the most peaceable European Christians to tolerate.
CRUSADER says
Erdogan emulates Mohamhead, when he realizes the accretion of power as “Godfather”….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIBpHO1gZgQ
Lavéritétriomphera says
Erdogan is not out of the woods, because he will have the Russian to deal with http://orthochristian.com/88209.html.
MINAS says
Hagia Sophia is Orthodox. To hell with Islam !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwFYUJb03d0
patriotliz says
Why would any Muslim want to live in CHRISTCHURCH, NZ?
To convert it to Islam of course.
Now that Victimhood jihad has been given a big boost by that idiot infidel terrorist attacks on the Mosques in Christchurch…it’s only fitting that the name of the city be changed so as not to offend Muslims.