Istanbul monastery to become mosque

Hürriyet Daily News ^ | November 27 2013 | Vercihan Ziflioğlu

[annalex]

Istanbul monastery to become mosque

The Monastery of Stoudios in Istanbul will be converted into a mosque. DAILY NEWS photo, Emrah GÜREL

The largest Byzantium monastery in Istanbul will be converted into a mosque after its restoration next year.

The Monastery of Stoudios, also known as the İmrahor Monument, will be turned into a mosque and be titled İmrahor İlyas Bey Mosque. The renovation of the mosque, which forms part of the Hagia Sophia Museum, will follow the same fate as that of Hagia Sophia churches in Trabzon and İznik, which had been already turned into mosques.

“I wouldn’t like to speak as a member of a council but my personal opinion is that cultural heritage shouldn’t be reflected as an antagonistic heritage. If we reflect it like this, it will damage societies on a macro level,” said Laki Vingas, acting as representatives of the Directorate General of Foundations.

Vingas added that the issue creates grief within society, and it was not only the Greek community’s problem.

“Cultural heritage is universal heritages, meaning that they are humanity’s common heritage,” he said.

İmrahor’s conversion into a mosque came at a time debate continues as to whether to reopen Hagia Sophia as a place of worship. Most recently, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç has expressed his hope to see the Hagia Sophia to be used as a mosque.

Vingas said: “My personal view is that when you are trying to create a new vision you should be careful not to create new problems for the future.”

The Monastery, which dates back to the fifth century, was the most important monastery of Istanbul during the Byzantium era, also serving as the center of Byzantine intelligentsia. The basilica was converted to a mosque, during the period of Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II. After two major fires in the 18th and 19th centuries, the monastery was mostly destroyed. In 1946, it was turned into a museum in line with a ministerial cabinet decision.

[annalex]

Another view

[annalex]

Ping, please.

[Leaning Right]

Let's suppose that two organizations, M and C, are involved in a dice game. Each organization puts up $1000. Then one fair die is rolled. If a "1" is rolled, M wins both bets. Any other roll is a draw.

This is obviously not a balanced game. Over a long enough time, M will take everything C has.

This game is going on today.
M = Muslim world.
C = Christian world.

[GraceG]

I wonder how many “Manhood insecurity towers” will be added to it...

[haroldeveryman]

"İmrahor’s conversion into a mosque came at a time debate continues as to whether to reopen Hagia Sophia as a place of worship" Oh Oh! When the Turks took Constantinople in the 1400's they whitewashed the mosaics. Kamal Ataturk restored the mosaics after WWI, created a secular government.

[MUDDOG]

There's still Mt. Athos, which continues to fly the flag of the Byzantine Empire.

Manzikert didn't need to happen.

[annalex]

As you can see from the comments at source, some Turks genuinely view the world as a loaded dice game. The Jews have a good word for it, “chutzpah”.

Someone there commented that Athens has no mosques at all while the Occupied Constantinople has several churches. Dudes, go back to the sands where you came from and build as many as you want, there.

[annalex]

Christ will reopen the Holy Sophia, as well as the Dome of the Rock Church one day, and probably sooner than we think.

[annalex]

Here it is...