Greek Concerns Over Hagia Sophia’s Conversion to a Mosque
Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, which was originally an Orthodox church, has undergone transformations throughout history, becoming a mosque and eventually a museum. The holding of Quran recitation ceremonies to mark the beginning of Ramadan in this museum has prompted protests from Greek officials.
Hagia Sophia is considered one of the famous attractions and tourist destinations of Istanbul. Built during the Byzantine Empire in the sixth century AD, it served for several centuries as the primary and central church of Orthodox Christians.
After conquering Istanbul in 1453 AD, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II ordered the conversion of this church into a mosque. Later, the paintings and murals inside Hagia Sophia were covered by order of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, the renowned Ottoman ruler.
Following Atatürk’s rise to power and the declaration of a republic in Turkey, Hagia Sophia mosque was converted into a museum to highlight the image of modern Turkey. With the passage of time, the holding of any religious ceremonies—whether Christian or Islamic—in Hagia Sophia, which is part of the world’s cultural heritage, was also prohibited.
However, a Turkish television network has now broadcast a religious program featuring Quran recitation that was held at Hagia Sophia to mark the beginning of Ramadan. Turkish media reported that this program was conducted with special permission from Turkey’s Ministry of Tourism, and Muhammad Görmez, the head of Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate, was also present.
Notably, Şamil Tayyar, from the Justice and Development Party (Erdoğan’s party) and representative of Istanbul in the Turkish parliament, has called for Hagia Sophia to remain a mosque even after Ramadan. He said in an interview with the Turkish publication Sabah: “Western Christians are no longer friends of the Turks, and therefore, there is no longer any need to consider them.”
The Greek government has criticized and protested this move, given the prohibition on holding religious ceremonies in Hagia Sophia.
The German news agency reported on Tuesday (June 7 / Khordad 18) that Greece’s Foreign Ministry considered this step “incomprehensible and disregard for world cultural heritage.”
The conservative opposition party “New Democracy” in Greece has also called on the government to take more active measures in this matter.
Greek opposition parties have pointed to “Ankara’s non-alignment with European Union policy” and stated: “By holding Islamic ceremonies in Hagia Sophia, which has no precedent in the past 80 years, this place has ‘effectively been converted into a mosque.'”
Greek media has also speculated that the Quran recitation at Hagia Sophia is the first step toward its reconversion into a mosque and the fulfillment of the wishes of Turkish religious and Islamic circles.
Source: DW
