Effect ن

The Hagia Sophia was one of the most famous Christian cathedrals in the world. It was built in Constantinople/Istanbul in the 6th century under the direction of the Greek Byzantine emperor Justinian I. It was also the world’s greatest cathedral at least until the Turks invaded the city in the 15th century, and turned this magnificent edifice into a mosque. Similar to the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Parthenon in Athens, the Hagia Sophia is a long-enduring symbol of Constantinople. And if it were located in a country that respects history, religious freedom and cultural heritage, no doubt it would still be recognised and respected as the Cathedral that it was built to be. The Turkish government, however, turned it into a museum in 1934, then back into a mosque in 2020. Referring to Ottoman sultan Mehmet II, who converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque, as the “Conqueror”, Erdogan said yesterday: “After 80 years of longing [since Hagia Sophia’s conversion into a museum], we broke the chains together. In accordance with the Conquerer’s will, we restored Hagia Sophia to its original identity." How can the original identity of such a monumental cathedral, built as the greatest of its time, be a mosque? So the great Byzantine emperors, architects and workers built this spectacular cathedral as a “mosque” nearly 1500 years ago before Islam even emerged in Arabia? What kind of claim is this? Only a Muslim fanatic could have such a distorted view of theology and history.