“Drop your bombs between the minarets”
I was in Istanbul last year in May. Walking around the square at night by the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. There was a large commotion and I soon came across a large demonstration with speakers loudly haranguing the crowd and shouts of Allah Akbar.
I walked on and went into a tour office to arrange airport transport, and asked the guy what was up. He rolled his eyes and said the group “wanted to turn Hagia Sophia back into a Mosque so they can prey there”. I pointed out the Blue Mosque was across the street, and there are literally THOUSANDS of mosques in Istanbul. He just shrugged his shoulders. I then asked about the gorgeous murals inside, restored after centuries of being covered up. “What about all the mosiacs and paintings inside?” “Oh they would have to be covered again”. I was shaking with anger.....