Russian church leader says calls to turn Hagia Sophia into mosque threaten Christianity

[Nick Moser]

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has proposed restoring the mosque status of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, an ancient building at the heart of both the Christian Byzantine and Muslim Ottoman empires and now one of Turkey’s most visited monuments.

The proposal has been criticised by several religious and political leaders, including the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch, spirtual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, as well as Greece, France and the United States.

“A threat against Hagia Sophia is a threat to all of Christian civilization, meaning (a threat to) our spirituality and history,” Patriarch Kirill said in a statement.


Russian church leader says calls to turn Hagia Sophia into mosque threaten Christianity

 

[archer75]

Wasn't it already a mosque, and then a museum?

 

[ArmyMatt]

Wasn't it already a mosque, and then a museum?

yep, but it seems they are only making it a mosque to thumb it to Christians.

Lord have mercy.

 

[~Anastasia~]

If they return it to being a mosque, surely they will deface or cover or destroy the iconography there. That would be a shame.

Lord have mercy indeed. I wish it would be restored to being a Church.

 

[buzuxi02]

Not really ideal for a mosque as this Church still contains Christian mosaics, faces east and not towards mecca and is built in a cruciform pattern. Unfortunately nothing we can do about it.
Turks do not have a guilty conscience as in the west. For Turks the conquering of this once roman capital and the eventual elimination of its native populace is cause for celebration and ultimate victory, the Church is their trophy of triumph.

 

[Phronema]

I'm to understand that for them to have ever made it into a mosque without the permission of the bishops, or having bought it from the Orthodox Church makes what they're doing against Islamic law. At least that's what I was told, but as buzuxi stated I highly doubt they care one way, or another.

 

[Not David]

That's sad but there is nothing we can do about it.

 

[Barney2.0]

If they return it to being a mosque, surely they will deface or cover or destroy the iconography there. That would be a shame.

Lord have mercy indeed. I wish it would be restored to being a Church.

I’m pretty sure Erdogan is still desperate for tourism, the icons will most likely simply be covered with curtains in my opinion or covered with any kind of fabric, if even the Ottomans were too stunned by the beauty of the icons to destroy them, I’m pretty the “Secular” Republic of Turkey won’t do so either.

 

[Barney2.0]

Not really ideal for a mosque as this Church still contains Christian mosaics, faces east and not towards mecca and is built in a cruciform pattern. Unfortunately nothing we can do about it.
Turks do not have a guilty conscience as in the west. For Turks the conquering of this once roman capital and the eventual elimination of its native populace is cause for celebration and ultimate victory, the Church is their trophy of triumph.

With Turkey’s major economic and political crisis I’m not sure how long that triumph will last, I would give it a few years, God brought down their Empire low and tore it to shreds thus the Lord says:

Therefore, this is what the LORD says: "Behold, I will plead your case and take vengeance on your behalf; I will dry up her sea and make her springs run dry.

Jeremiah 51:36

 

[buzuxi02]

With Turkey’s major economic and political crisis I’m not sure how long that triumph will last, is give it a few years, God brought down their Empire low and tore it to shreds thus the Lord says:

Therefore, this is what the LORD says: "Behold, I will plead your case and take vengeance on your behalf; I will dry up her sea and make her springs run dry.

Jeremiah 51:36

The decision can always be reversed. But nothing is bringing down Turkey. Their economy is still better than anything in the Balkans. They have the 3rd largest tourism industry of any Mediterranean country. In fact maybe the only thing that a future Turkish politician may be convinced to revert it back to a museum, would be the tourist dollars.

 

[Hermit76]

Buzuxi02... They are pushing buttons with Cyprus and Greece about maritime borders and drilling. The EU, Russia, Egypt, The US and a host of other nations have voiced their opposition. This was actually predicted by St. Paisios. He said it would lead to the destruction of Turkey.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I’m pretty sure Erdogan is still desperate for tourism, the icons will most likely simply be covered with curtains in my opinion or covered with any kind of fabric, if even the Ottomans were too stunned by the beauty of the icons to destroy them, I’m pretty the “Secular” Republic of Turkey won’t do so either.

That would certainly be preferable.

I guess I’m surprised at the idea that Muslims could worship in a mosque with Christian iconography on the walls, even if covered by a curtain. But I certainly hope you are right.

I’d still very much like to see it in person someday. I don’t have many icons but one is a copy from the Christ icon in Hagia Sophia - it is probably my favorite icon of all of them in the world.

 

[Barney2.0]

That would certainly be preferable.

I guess I’m surprised at the idea that Muslims could worship in a mosque with Christian iconography on the walls, even if covered by a curtain. But I certainly hope you are right.

I’d still very much like to see it in person someday. I don’t have many icons but one is a copy from the Christ icon in Hagia Sophia - it is probably my favorite icon of all of them in the world.

Well Sultan Mehmed covered the icons with plaster instead of completely getting rid of them, Mohammed himself, the “prophet” of Islam worshipped in a pagan shrine so don’t be surprised.

 

[Barney2.0]

yep, but it seems they are only making it a mosque to thumb it to Christians.

Lord have mercy.

Well in reality God is thumbing them through their own stupidity, this only serves to damage Turkey’s own interests, I don’t see a chance of Turkey ever ascending to the EU now.

 

[Barney2.0]

Buzuxi02... They are pushing buttons with Cyprus and Greece about maritime borders and drilling. The EU, Russia, Egypt, The US and a host of other nations have voiced their opposition. This was actually predicted by St. Paisios. He said it would lead to the destruction of Turkey.

Let’s hope so.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Well in reality God is thumbing them through their own stupidity, this only serves to damage Turkey’s own interests, I don’t see a chance of Turkey ever ascending to the EU now.

it's certainly not helping them, that's for sure.

 

[Barney2.0]

it's certainly not helping them, that's for sure.

Which is good, I hope Turkey really gets what’s coming to it what with all the atrocities its committed in Syria and its meddling in Libya.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Which is good, I hope Turkey really gets what’s coming to it what with all the atrocities its committed in Syria and its meddling in Libya.

Lord have mercy

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I can’t believe these idiots declared it to be a mosque again. They better not cover those icons!!!

 

[Nick Moser]