Hagia Sophia, Christian Church turned into a Mosque

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gthever said:
My two cents:

I would like to see Hagia Sophia as a seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople, but I understand this is very unlikely.
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Especially since Turkey has laws controlling who can actually be the Patriarch (must be ethnically Greek and a Turkish citizen).

Altho’, to be fair, one would almost think a similar law existed in Italy re the Pope for a few hundred years. :rolleyes:
 
gthever said:
My two cents:

I would like to see Hagia Sophia as a seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople, but I understand this is very unlikely.

Although might does not make right in theory, in practice that’s the reality of things. I think Ataturk’s conversion of Hagia Sophia from a mosque into a public museum is a fine middle ground solution.

The other side of the argument that no one has seemed to bring up is the conversion of Mosques into Christian churches. Many of beautiful churches in Spain and Portugal are converted mosques. By analogy, it’s essentially the opposite side of the same coin. No one is complaining when mosques get turned into churches when Christian rulers reconquer lands from the Muslims.
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Interestingly, the Parthenon was a Pagan temple, a Christian church, a Mosque and an ammunition dump (that didn’t end well).
 
Aydan said:
good we agree on the same thing then I also want things to remain status quo as far asHagia Sophia is concerned I think that the Greek Orthodox have every right to hold divine liturgies there I just don’t wanna see it turned back into a church that is what I’m saying. I’m not ethnically Turkish I’ve made it clear that I was talking about my own view of my Catholic heritage as it relates to the Turkish nation and the Turkish people just like you see a Byzantine connection with the city of Istanbul I see a connection between the Turkish nation and Catholicism because of Antioch Turkey. I’m not asking you to agree with me I’m just telling you guys how I see my own Christian heritage and its connection to the Turkish nation and its people. You have the right to interpret your Christian heritage why can’t I have the same right to interpret my own? I hope that one day I will have the honor to be called a Turk.
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Turkey will be destroyed!! Asia Minor will once again be Christian!! Hagia Sophia will be a Christian temple once again!!
 
Nine_Two said:
I had an opportunity to visit the Hagia Sofia this past spring and it is a beautiful place. Although officially a “museum” it should be noted that in Turkish State Speak, Museum means “Closed religious house that people can enter.” There isn’t (or at least wasn’t) anything on display other than the church itself, although there are a few interesting things in the courtyard outside (St. John Chrysostom’s podium).
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I also had the privilege of visiting the Hagia Sofia back in October 2007. At the time I visited there was a large art display in the middle of the church, so - at least at that time - it was being used as a more traditional museum, not just as an old church/mosque.

I must admit, I would have preferred that those works weren’t there. I just wanted to soak in the place and cast my mind back to what it would have been like when it was first built. But maybe that’s my little architect brain, rather than my God-brain!
 
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