Greeks' concerns about Hagia Sophia museum being turned into a mosque
The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, which was originally an Orthodox church, was transformed into a mosque and finally a museum over the course of its history. The holding of a Quran recitation ceremony at the museum to mark the start of the month of Ramadan has drawn protests from Greek authorities.
Hagia Sophia is one of the famous places and tourist attractions in Istanbul. Hagia Sophia was built during the Byzantine Empire in the 6th century AD and was the main and central church of Orthodox Christians for several centuries.
After conquering Istanbul in 1453, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II ordered the church to be converted into a mosque. Later, the paintings and sculptures inside the Hagia Sophia were covered up by order of Sultan Suleiman I, the famous Ottoman king.
After Ataturk came to power and declared the Republic of Turkey, the Hagia Sophia Mosque was turned into a museum to further highlight the face of modern Turkey. Over time, holding any religious rituals and ceremonies (whether Christian or Islamic) in Hagia Sophia, which is one of the world's cultural heritage sites, was also banned.
A Turkish television channel, however, recently broadcast a religious program and Quran recitation held in the Hagia Sophia to mark the beginning of the month of Ramadan. Turkish media reported that the program was conducted with special permission from the Turkish Ministry of Tourism and was attended by Mehmet Görmez, the head of the Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate.
It is noteworthy that Samil Tayyar, a member of the Justice and Development Party (Erdogan's party) and a representative of Istanbul in the Turkish parliament, has called for Hagia Sophia to remain a mosque after Ramadan. In an interview with the Turkish newspaper Sabah, he said: "Western Christians are no longer friends of Turks, and therefore there is no need to consider them anymore."
The Greek government has criticized and protested this move, given the prohibition of holding religious ceremonies in Hagia Sophia.
The German news agency reported on Tuesday (June 7) that the Greek Foreign Ministry called the step "incomprehensible and a disregard for world cultural heritage."
The conservative New Democracy party, part of the Greek opposition, has also called on the country's government to act more actively in this matter.
In this regard, the Greek opposition has spoken of "Ankara's actions being out of sync with the European Union's policy" and stated: "By holding Islamic ceremonies in Hagia Sophia, which has not happened in the past 80 years, this place has "practically become a mosque."
Speculation has also been rising in the Greek media that the recitation of the Quran in Hagia Sophia is the first step towards transforming it back into a mosque and meeting the demands of Turkish religious and Islamic circles.
Manee :DW
