[LadyDoc]

when the Ottomans took over, it was made into a mosque and remained so for years. When the secular gov’t took over, they made it into a museum.

One reason it shouldn’t be a mosque (or a church): earthquake danger. The church has made it through a lot of earthquakes in the past, and was damaged in many of them, but that doesn’t mean it might not collapse in a future quake.

Falling on a couple dozen tourists, no problem. Falling down on a couple hundred (or even thousand) praying Muslims would be a disaster.

https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/earthquakes-pose-threat-to-historic-monuments-in-istanbul-73854#:~:text=The%20Hagia%20Sophia%20was%20built,another%20devastating%20earthquake%20in%201346.

[Marchmain]

Yep, that would be a darn shame.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

Falling down on a couple hundred (or even thousand) praying Muslims would be a disaster.

Brings tears if only the lesser.