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Turkey: Muslims deface and destroy priceless Byzantine frescoes in Panagia Sumela monastery

Sep 20, 2020 11:00 am By Robert Spencer 31 Comments

Note that mostly the faces are scratched out. Some Muslims believe that to remove the face or head destroys the character of the image as a depiction of a human being. Also, besides removing supposed temptations to idolatry, Islamic jihadists want to destroy the artifacts of non-Muslim civilizations because doing so testifies to the truth of Islam, as the Qur’an suggests that the destroyed remnants of ancient non-Muslim civilizations are a sign of Allah’s punishment of those who rejected his truth: “Many were the Ways of Life that have passed away before you: travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who rejected Truth.” (Qur’an 3:137)

This is one of the foundations of the Islamic idea that pre-Islamic civilizations, and non-Islamic civilizations, are all jahiliyya — the society of unbelievers, which is worthless.

“Panagia Sumela Monastery frescoes destroyed in Turkey (photos),” Thema News, August 9, 2020:

The authorities say no damage was done

Vandals defaced and damaged priceless Byzantine frescoes in the Holy Monastery of Panagia Sumela in Trabzon, on the coast of northeast Turky [sic].

Sumela Monastery is a Greek Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary and attracts many pilgrims and tourists every year on her feast day on August 15. It was built in 386 AD.

Th [sic] culprits destroyed Byzantine frescoes, while the Monastery was closed for repairs.

Turkish authorities deny the disaster, with the Deputy Director General of Cultural Heritage and Museums of the country’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism stating that there was no recent damage to the frescoes in the Monastery.

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Filed Under: Featured, Islamic supremacism, Turkey Tagged With: Holy Monastery of Panagia Sumela, Trabzon


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Comments

  1. Boycott Turkey says

    Sep 20, 2020 at 12:04 pm

    Typical the Turkish authorities would lie what you expect No matter how many Byzantium churches they desecrate and scratch out Faces from icons it won’t make Islam the Truth Islam will always be evil and fausle Muhammad is always a murderer and child abuser and in hell.

    Reply
    • Sylvia Drummond says

      Sep 20, 2020 at 12:38 pm

      “““““““““““““““““““““““`Absolutely right

      Reply
    • john smith says

      Sep 20, 2020 at 5:33 pm

      +1

      Reply
      • GreekEmpress says

        Sep 20, 2020 at 5:50 pm

        This will happen to the Byzantine mosaics in the Hagia Sofia; you can count on it.

        Reply
        • Boycott Turkey says

          Sep 20, 2020 at 6:54 pm

          I hope not they attempted to destroy them before but failed my mum told me it’s because the mosaics have a special power protecting them and it prevented the Turks from destroying them before

        • gravenimage says

          Sep 20, 2020 at 8:06 pm

          I worry about this too, GreekEmpress.

          And BT, Muslims initially plastered over the mosaics. This is not indicative of their somehow being protected. Note that these frescoes did not have any special protection.

        • Mauricio says

          Sep 21, 2020 at 8:50 am

          Indeed, it seems a miracle that Hagia Sophia is still there.

  2. mortimer says

    Sep 20, 2020 at 2:00 pm

    Islam’s source texts are so anti-Byzantine, anti-Roman and anti-Christian, one could justifiably call foundational Islam ‘ANTI-ROMANISM’. Virtually everything Roman is criticized by Islam except for the ‘People of Yellow’ (meaning people of blond hair). Mohammed tempted his followers to go on jihad with the promise of raping blond Byzantine Romans.

    The hatred of the Romans persists even today in Turkey. What savagery! Normative Islam (following the ‘ideal’ example of Mohammed the vandalizer), rather than an aberration.

    Reply
    • R Thomasson says

      Sep 21, 2020 at 8:11 am

      @mortimer. How terrible it is for the civilized modern world to share the planet with ignorant and primitive people who are still living with a mindset of the early Middle Ages. People who have no respect for cultural heritage and civilization. Scratching faces of ancient Byzantine frescos belong to the same Einstein’s who had ruined the Hellenistic ruins of Palmyra in Syria, and severely damaged archaeological Assyrian/Babylonian sites in the North Iraq. It is only logic that no Muslim country had ever brought any Nobel Prize laureate, and no inventions or technological developments had ever found place in those countries. Where ever Allah lives, there is no place for people like Nikola Tesla, Jonas Salk, Robert Koch, Mozart or Leonardo da Vinci. But there is a lot of space for illiteracy, ignorance and degeneration.

      Reply
      • Mike Forrester says

        Sep 21, 2020 at 2:24 pm

        Is it possible that the Muslims never had technological developments, Nobel Prizes, etc because of their intermarriage, which we know leads to decreased IQ and other problems?

        Reply
        • gravenimage says

          Sep 21, 2020 at 3:37 pm

          This is not the only reason–Islam rejects reason, disdains productive labor as fit only for slaves, and considers innovation a sin. It also wallows in “Inshallah” fatalism. Not a good combination for creating anything useful.

    • Boycott Turkey says

      Sep 21, 2020 at 5:13 pm

      True Koran is Anti Greek and Anti Italian Byzantines where Greek and Romans where Italian it’s a racist hate book it’s why Byzantium Churches are destroyed

      Reply
  3. mortimer says

    Sep 20, 2020 at 2:18 pm

    Trebizond was once the center of a Christian empire of that name. From Roman times it was a melting pot of cultures. Christian Georgians, Lazics and Armenians fled there from Muslim depredations and persecutions and created a modern city with modern economy and institutions. Most of the Pontic ‘Rhomaioi’ and Lazics left the region after the genocides of the Great Fatwa of 1915 declaring war against Turkish Christians. Of course, almost all Armenians in the region perished in the OFFICIAL ISLAMIC GENOCIDE practiced against Armenians from 1915-1924.

    The last phase of genocide is to destroy all the evidence that a people existed prior to being wiped out. This vandalism is encouraged by the vicious, intolerant atmosphere created by Erdogan’s party of supremacist fanatics.

    Reply
    • gravenimage says

      Sep 20, 2020 at 8:03 pm

      So true, Mortimer.

      Reply
    • elee says

      Sep 21, 2020 at 11:25 pm

      +1

      Reply
  4. Arnold Jackson says

    Sep 20, 2020 at 2:52 pm

    I feel completely justified in defacing the Qur’an.

    Reply
    • gravenimage says

      Sep 20, 2020 at 8:02 pm

      This is very different. There are many copies of the vicious Qur’an; these frescoes are unique and cannot be replicated.

      Reply
      • Boycott Turkey says

        Sep 21, 2020 at 5:20 pm

        True Gravenimage but the way I see it exposing the hate in the Koran in a way has desecrated Islam’s image islamic dictators like Erdogan want Islam to be seen in a good light but people know the truth now that’s what really hurts them

        Reply
        • gravenimage says

          Sep 21, 2020 at 5:33 pm

          We need to expose the ugliness of Islam at every turn.

  5. Wellington says

    Sep 20, 2020 at 3:31 pm

    Defacing and destroying non-Islamic anything is one of about 17 things (or is it about ten times this number?) Islam is simply superb at destroying. I would point to liberty as Exhibit #1.

    Reply
    • gravenimage says

      Sep 20, 2020 at 8:01 pm

      +1

      Reply
  6. Vladimir says

    Sep 20, 2020 at 6:12 pm

    I am reminded of this;

    ”Then the king will do as he pleases and will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will speak monstrous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must be accomplished. He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers, nor for the one desired by women, nor for any other god, because he will magnify himself above them all. And in their place, HE WILL HONOR A GOD OF FORTRESSES—a GOD HIS FATHERS DID NOT KNOW—with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches.…”

    And of this;

    ”It magnified itself, even to the Prince of the host; it removed His daily sacrifice and overthrew the place of His sanctuary.”

    From the Book of St. Daniel. Is not Allah such an one as this, a ”god of fortresses”, that is a war god? And have they not removed the ”daily sacrifice” from the churches the followers of Allah/Muhammad took over?

    Reply
  7. Peter Stephens says

    Sep 20, 2020 at 7:22 pm

    Every word from a Muslim is a lie, as are all aspects of the fundamental human dishonesty, that is Islam!

    Reply
  8. gravenimage says

    Sep 20, 2020 at 8:00 pm

    Turkey: Muslims deface and destroy priceless Byzantine frescoes in Panagia Sumela monastery

    The authorities say no damage was done
    …………….

    What they mean is that pious Muslims don’t consider this damage.

    First Hagia Sophia, then the razing of the church in Bursa:

    “Turkey demolishes iconic church, ‘Hagia Sophia of Bursa’”

    https://www.jihadwatch.org/2020/09/turkey-demolishes-iconic-church-hagia-sophia-of-bursa

    There is a concerted destruction of Turkey’s Christian heritage. Just sickening–but this is what Islam calls for.

    Reply
    • Vladimir says

      Sep 20, 2020 at 10:46 pm

      Exactly so. And we should as a general rule consider no less from truly pious Muslims. And there is an old saying that ”the corruption of the best is the worst” which can apply here too. Silence is complicity from the Muslim world, and they will feel they owe the Infidel no honest explanation.

      Reply
      • gravenimage says

        Sep 20, 2020 at 10:55 pm

        Very true, Vladimir.

        Reply
    • Boycott Turkey says

      Sep 21, 2020 at 5:25 pm

      It’s no different to what isis did when they destroyed the ancient Babylonian statues and it was condemned but Turkey gets away with it why does Turkey get Away with everything murder rape stealing homes it’s is very sickening I lose hope sometimes.

      Reply
  9. Mafya says

    Sep 20, 2020 at 11:16 pm

    With his hateful speeches and behaviors Erdogan is responsible for this. He destroyed the morality of Turkish people with using his hired media. If Erdogan stays in power I’m afraid there could be more horrible things in 2023 which year he aims for.

    Personally I am not a Christian yet but church buildings always make me feel safe and peaceful. There are some beautiful churches here in Turkey, some are Byzantine heritage. Some of them date before Islam. But given that how cruel Islam is it is not a surprise that Christians in Turkey is just about 0.2% of the total population.

    Reply
  10. Ade Fegan says

    Sep 21, 2020 at 2:36 am

    meanwhile in the UK it’s death in prison for a rasher of bacon on a mosque door handle …
    and yet the authorities still insist on bringing more of them into the country

    Reply
  11. elee says

    Sep 21, 2020 at 11:26 pm

    My heart is both broken and hardened.

    Reply
  12. infidel says

    Sep 22, 2020 at 12:27 pm

    What else can be expected from these mad vile creatures schooled in hate and destruction

    Reply

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