Free Republic

The Hagia Sophia, a Byzantine-era religious building in Istanbul, Turkey, was reportedly damaged last week when heavy cleaning equipment cracked the marble floors. It is just the latest incident in recent years that has seen the site damaged. The Hagia Sophia, constructed by the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I between 532 and 537, served as the largest Christian cathedral in the world until Constantinople was taken over by the Ottoman Empire in 1453. It was then turned into a mosque and subsequently into a museum by Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1935. Considered one of the most important religious...

After almost a century, in the former Christian basilica - then museum - of Saint (Hagia) Sophia, which was converted into a mosque by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will once again hear the Islamic prayer for Ramadan. The tarawih, which every devout Muslim recites every night in the holy month of fasting and prayer, will be celebrated inside the building, as confirmed yesterday by the country's highest religious office. The powerful Ali Erbas, head of the Diyanet, already leading the first Islamic Eid prayer in the disputed place of worship, said that "thank God for the first time in...

Last summer, Turkish authorities transformed Hagia Sophia ("Holy Wisdom") — which was originally built, and for a millennium functioned, as one of Christendom's greatest cathedrals — into a mosque (again). On that Friday, July 24, 2020 (which for millions of Eastern Christians is now deemed a "day of mourning"), Muslims met inside the desecrated church, where they were led in prayer by a sword-waving imam, to spasmodic cries of "Allahu akbar." The Turks, beginning with their president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, have been presenting this bit of cultural appropriation as their "right." Imam Ali Erbas, Turkey's president of religious affairs, has...

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a presidential decree on Friday turning the historic Holy Saviour in Chora, a medieval Byzantine church in western Constantinople that was a museum, into a mosque. The move follows the July decision to convert Hagia Sophia to a mosque, a move condemned by the international community. The change in its status was passed in December 2019 but the decision of the State Council of Turkey had not been implemented, until today. Chora is one of the most splendid examples of Byzantine art, and still preserves mosaics and frescoes. The interior is covered with Bible...

A mosque in the capital of the United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi was renamed on Wednesay to “Mariam Umm Eisa” – meaning mother of Jesus in Arabic. The move was aimed at promoting social connections between followers of different religions and strengthen the common characteristics between them, local media reported. The name of the mosque, previously known as “Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Mosque,” was changed by order of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed al-Nahyan to “consolidate bonds of humanity between followers of different religions”. UAE's Minister of State for Tolerance Sheikha Lubna al-Qasimi said the move reflected...

The government of Syria has begun plans to construct a smaller-scale replica of the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul(formerly Constantinople) in the country’s Hama province, in response to the decision of the government of Turkey to convert the historic 6th century cathedral into a mosque for a second time. Hagia Sophia, which was first constructed as a Christian cathedral in the medieval Byzantine Empire, was turned into a mosque upon the 1453 conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire. It was later converted into a museum shortly after the foundation of the modern-day Republic of Turkey, and Turkish President Recep...

The “Great Mosque” – as Hagia Sophia is now called by Turkey – will be open 24 hours a day. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave that order a day after the first Muslim prayer that took place inside the historic monument. “As of today, the president ordered us to open Hagia Sophia 24 hours a day for prayer. The Hagia Sophia ‘Mosque’ will be open all the time, that is 24 hours a day. We express our gratitude to our president,” posted the governor of Constantinople, Ali Yerlikaya, on Twitter. At the same time, ongoing works will be carried...

America and the United Kingdom would be wise to let Egypt, France, and Greece take the lead in balancing a dangerous and resurgent Turkey. With Americans focused on the anarchy in Democrat-led cities, a cryptic tweet from French President Emmanuel Macron on July 20 went out relatively unnoticed. Macron tweeted he had a great discussion with “his friend” Donald Trump about Libya.Within hours, the Egyptian parliament declared they had voted unanimous support for Egyptian President Al-Sisi to send in Egyptian troops and armor in support of battered Eastern Libyan forces on their back foot due to Turkish intervention. Anyone keeping...

The Greek Foreign Ministry said that there was an “irrational manifestation of religious and nationalist fanaticism in present-day Turkey”, responding to Ankara’s inflammatory statement about Hagia Sophia. The full statement of the Greek Foreign Ministry in response to the provocative statement of Turkey is the following: “The international community of the 21st century is astonished to see the irrational manifestation of religious and nationalist fanaticism in present-day Turkey. Such manifestations have been condemned and are unworthy of a response, while they expose internationally those who express and fuel such beliefs.”The representative of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Hami Aksoy, deemed Greece...

‘Assault’: Asian cardinal denounces Muslim resumed takeover of Catholic cathedral Hagia Sophia Cardinal Charles Bo said that ‘turning what was once the world’s largest cathedral into a mosque’ will ‘sow tensions, divide people and inflict pain.’ YANGON, Myanmar, July 24, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — A Catholic cardinal who is the leader of the Asian bishops has strongly condemned the move of the Turkish government to allow the former Catholic cathedral Hagia Sophia, once the most important church in Eastern Christianity, to be turned back into a mosque. Cardinal Charles Bo said that not only does the move “grieve” him, but he...

Muslims Claim Córdoba Cathedral Hagia Sophia sets precedent for Islamic takeover of Christian sites ROME (ChurchMilitant.com) - The ruler of Sharjah — the third largest and third most populous city in the United Arab Emirates — is demanding the conversion of Córdoba's Catholic cathedral into a mosque days after Turkey ordered the Islamic takeover of Hagia Sophia basilica. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, sovereign of one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE), told Sharjah News that Córdoba Cathedral, located in the Spanish region of Andalusia, was "a gift" to Christians "who do not deserve it."Sheikh Sultan bin...

Hagia Sophia: Greek president appeals to Pope Francis to put pressure on Turkey The president of Greece called Pope Francis Monday urging the pope to advocate for the preservation of the status quo regarding Hagia Sophia, which is due to be reverted to a mosque this week.In a phone call July 20, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou told the pope that Turkey’s decision “deeply hurts those who consider this top symbol of Christianity to belong to humanity and the world’s cultural heritage,” according to a statement from the president’s office. She said that the move should be “explicitly and unequivocally condemned” by...

Just ignore those rivers of blood. No one should be concerned about the conversion of Hagia Sophia, the foremost cathedral in the Christian world for nearly a thousand years, into a mosque – at least according to Shahid Qureshi, writing Monday in a Muslim publication known as the London Post. Why not? Because Mehmet the Conqueror, the Ottoman Sultan who conquered Constantinople and destroyed the Byzantine Empire on May 29, 1453, bought the place fair and square. So who could object? Once a mosque, always a mosque, and after all, the Christians sold it to him! Qureshi claims that Mehmet...

Mosaics depicting Christian figures in Istanbul’s ancient Hagia Sophia will be covered with curtains during Muslim prayers, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Sunday, as work to prepare the building for use as a mosque continues. Hagia Sophia dates back to the sixth century and has a history as both a church and a mosque before it was turned into a museum. In an interview with broadcaster NTV, Kalin said some mosaics of Mary and Gabriel that are positioned in the direction of Qiblah, where Muslims face during prayer, would be covered with curtains. He said other mosaics of...

Boston-born Thomas Whittemore, a friend of Turkish reformer Atatürk, uncovered the gems that had been hidden for 500 years.If Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia gets turned into a mosque, as many expect it will, its precious Byzantine mosaic icons are likely to be covered up during Muslim prayers. The mosaics were plastered over for centuries when the former cathedral of the Church of Constantinople served as a place of Muslim worship. On July 10, in an address to the nation, Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, announced that Hagia Sophia would be reopened for Muslim worship on July 24. The Turkish Council of...

[Barf Alert] Vatican on Hagia Sophia: Don’t Blame Islam VATICAN CITY (ChurchMilitant.com) - A Vatican representative is insisting that Turkey's conversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque should not be seen as "Islamic aggression" even as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan fired a shot across the Vatican's bow in an Islamic supremacist speech. "It is the product of the same logic to demand the Vatican be converted into a museum and insist that Hagia Sophia remain as a museum," Erdoğan declared on Turkish television Monday after Turkey's top court annulled President Kemal Atatürk's 1934 decision to turn Hagia Sophia into a museum as...

And Let Our Cry Come Unto Thee” Sunday, July 19, 2020 To the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Again and most fervently, the Members of the Holy Eparchial Synod of Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, under the presidency of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, write to you with...

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decision Friday to convert Hagia Sophia, the foremost cathedral in Christendom for nearly 1,000 years, to a mosque has been condemned the world over, but it has also garnered applause from at least one Christian theologian, the liberal Anglican Giles Fraser, who joins the multitudes of other Christian leaders who believe that appeasement and self-abnegation, even unto utter self-destruction, is the way forward for the Church.

On Sunday, Pope Francis broke his silence regarding the decision by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to convert Hagia Sophia, the foremost cathedral in the Christian world for nearly a thousand years, to a mosque. If you blinked, however, you might have missed it. “I think of Hagia Sophia,” the Pope said, “and I am very saddened.” It was quite clear why he didn’t choose to say more: virtually anything he added would have landed him in troubles that he doesn’t want to have. The Pope’s tardy statement, such as it is, manifests a studied ambiguity. What exactly is he...

Pope Francis has said he's "pained" by Turkey's decision to convert Istanbul's Hagia Sophia back into a mosque. Speaking at a service in the Vatican, the Roman Catholic leader added that his "thoughts go to Istanbul". Hagia Sophia was built as a Christian cathedral nearly 1,500 years ago and turned into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of 1453. The Unesco World Heritage Site became a museum in 1934 under Turkish Republic founding father Ataturk. But earlier this week a Turkish court annulled the site's museum status, saying its use as anything other than a mosque was "not possible legally".