Muslims Pray to Turn Turkey's Greatest Monument Back into a Mosque [Hagia Sophia]

Reuters ^ | 5/30/14 | Ayla Jean Yackley

[Ray76]

>> It has served as the exalted seat of two faiths since its vast dome and lustrous gold mosaics first levitated above Istanbul in the 6th Century

Constantinople, not Istanbul.

[cizinec]

ROFLOL.

They didn’t build it, they just defiled it, while destroying most of the beauty.

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

Ayla Jean Yackley would be wise to understand that the Hagia Sophia 'first levitated above Istanbul Constantinople in the 6th Century'. It only became Istanbul after 1453, in spite of the author's desire that this not be s. Typical Reuters Muslim propaganda.

[Slyfox]

And we ought to pray that it gets turned back into a Catholic Church.

[ghost of stonewall jackson]

i’d settle for it being turned back into an Orthodox Church...

[Biggirl]

Just get it turned back into a Christian church, period.

[Salvation]

Catholics need to pray to keep it a Church.

Christians can join in too.

[cloudmountain]

I doubt they would do that. THAT monument is one of the VERY few things that bring people to Turkey. It's an absolutely fabulous church! The mosaics themselves were worth the trip. WHAT faith the Ephesians had to built that church.

The day might come, though, that the Turks do this...and keep Christians out of Ephesus.
I visited both places some time ago. The little stone house of Mary's in Ephesus was so simple and stark!

[Salvation]

Or rather a Byzantine Church.

**Built in 537 by Byzantine Emperor Justinian whose rule stretched from Spain to the Middle East, Hagia Sophia - meaning “Divine Wisdom” in Greek - was unrivalled in the Christian world**

[Salvation]

I’ll go for either of you. How about a ring of people around it praying a perpetual Rosary?

[Biggirl]

A Byzantine Rite Church.

[Biggirl]

That is what is bringing in the tourists to Turkey. This would be to cut their nose to spite their face.

[cloudmountain]

That is what is bringing in the tourists to Turkey. This would be to cut their nose to spite their face.

The Turks are not stupid. MOST Muslim countries respect the Bible and Christianity. Well, my husband and I lived in Saudi Arabia for five years and they respected the Bible and Jesus.

Jesus and Mary are in the Koran. However, Mary is called MIRIAM and Jesus is called ISSA.

FWIW: California has a Republican state official named DARRYLL ISSA...Darryll Jesus.

[Biggirl]

True.

But sometimes I wonder myself, if the Muslims “respect” Jesus and Mary, then why there is so many attacks and suffering which includes dying as marytrs Christians in the Middle Eastern countries?

[Biggirl]

Rep. Darryll Issa, USA House Rep. from CA, R/CA.

[Kolokotronis]

“A Byzantine Rite Church.”

I am likely the only poster on FR who had a family member die in battle at the side of the God Ordained Emperor Constantine Paleologos XI, and other family members, women and children, raped and hauled off into slavery when the savage Mohammedan Turks broke into Agia Sophia during the last Liturgy, on that most tragic night of Tuesday, May 28, 1453. Their stories were my bedtime stories. One of my dearest and best friends is a direct descendant of the Emperor. I never understood the expressed sentiment of the Imperial Official Loukas Notaras when he exclaimed “Better the Sultan’s turban than the Pope’s cap!” But when I read the disgusting suggestion that our holy cathedral be converted to a Uniate church, I finally understand!

[Biggirl]

Well the Christian faith was once united from east to west.

[Kolokotronis]

Indeed; and as if the Pope’s 4th crusade wasn’t enough to ensure the fall of the Empire and schism, his legate, the damnable Cardinal Humberto, guaranteed it with his “bull of excommunication” tossed on the altar of Agia Sohia in 1452!

[cloudmountain]

But sometimes I wonder myself, if the Muslims “respect” Jesus and Mary, then why there is so many attacks and suffering which includes dying as marytrs Christians in the Middle Eastern countries?

That's easy. Our media are controlled by folks who loathe the Muslims and really dislike Arabs. I LIVED over there and saw it all the time from Western media. It used to annoy me because the Western media saw NOTHING good, EVER from ANYthing middle eastern.
Now that just isn't normal. Every culture has SOMEthing good about it, SOMETHING.

Our media will NEVER say ANYthing good about ANYthing Muslim, Arab or middle eastern. They just won't. It's a shame that there are such BLINDERS on the media, especially the written media.

Oh well. Not my problem.

I NEVER, ever, saw or heard anything disrespectful about Jesus or Mary in the KSA, ever. I know this will be hard for you to believe but the Western media even, on occasion, EXAGGERATED stuff about the Arabs, Islam, Muslims and the middle east.

Jesus was "Issa" and the Saudis thought he was a very holy man, the Son of God even, and did many good things. But He was not Allah. There was nothing I could say. I couldn't ask for more.

We Christians were "people of the Book" (Bible) and were good. None of the Muslim countries ever hired Hindus. They DID hire Muslim and Christian Indians but NO Hindus, as they were NOT "people of the Book."