Çidem İnç: Aya Sofia becomes a Mosque… Again

When it was built by Justinian in 537, Hagia Sophia or Aya Sofia (Church of Holy Wisdom) was the grandest structure in the entire world.  It was the largest bulding in Constantinople.  If not the largest building in the world, it was the largest building, by far, in the region.  Today, the world is full of bigger, taller, and perhaps more spectacular buildings.  Yet, the grandeur and majesty of Aya Sofia still impresses.  It impressed me on April 13, 2010 when I visited and toured this great wonder of the world.

This church was converted to the Ayasofia Mosque in 1453 when the Ottomans conquered Istanbul.  It was a most impressive symbol of the conquering forces that ruled the city and built an empire that lasted until World War I.  The Christian motifs and frescos were plastered over.  In 1935, Mosque was “secularized” into a museum.  It was a museum the day I visited.  Later that day, back in my hotel room, I wrote:

I heard there is a movement to make Aya Sophia into an active mosque again. I would love to see this grand building become a religious center again. I will reveal my complete naïveté and total optimism by wishing it could be both. I would love to see the Greek Orthodox and Moslems using it for high holidays. It would be great but I realize the very low probability of that happening.

Today, a bit over ten years later, it was announced Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, issued a decree that will result in the Aya Sofia Museum being transferred to the Presidency of Religious Affairs.  The museum will close, the frescos which were in the process of being restored will be presumably be plastered over again, and the Holy Mosque of Aya Sofia will be open for prayers on Friday, July 24^th. 

With Siragan Magar
April 13, 2010

Erdogan has wanted to do this for many years.  There have been many postings on social media claiming he is playing to his supporters to strengthen their support in view of the economic woes and unemployment facing the country.  There is no doubt in my mind that this is a calculated move on his part.

In 1935, Aya Sofia was made a museum by Turkey’s first President Kemal Ataturk who advocated for a much more secular country.  Erodogan advocates the opposite.  In doing this, Erdogan continues to undermine the image and reputation of Ataturk in favor of his vision of himself as an Ottoman Sultan.

Aya Sofia is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  UNESCO has expressed concern about the move they were not consulted about.  Naturally, Greece opposed the move as Aya Sofia was the premier cathedral of the Greek Orthdox Church before it was converted to a mosque the first time.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Turkey to keep Aya Sofia as a museum. 

Erdogan has expressed annoyance at international opposition to the plan, led by neighbor Greece. "They say 'don't convert Aya Sofya into a mosque,'" he said in an interview with state broadcaster TRT on July 5. "Are you ruling Turkey or us? Turkey has institutions. If that step [is] to be taken It is obvious who has authority to do that."  ~CNN

It is their country.  He is the leader, some might say dictator, of Turkey.  They get to do what they want.  Other countries have complained but to what avail?  Spokesmen for the Turkish government have said the policy is to protect all minorities, allow freedom of worship, and other things that I am certain Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Syriacs, and Jews might take exception to.  I am sure the Kurds would also take exception to these claims.  The country is 99.5% Moslem today.  In 1910, maybe the same geography was 75% Moslem.  What happened to the 24.5% non-Moslems?  Where did they go?  And, why?  Where did all the Armenian Churches go?  They were destroyed.  Aghtamar was restored and made into a museum.  Might Erdogan make it a mosque?  Many would complain… loudly.  But, truly who could stop him.  Surp Giragos Church in Diyarbekir was in ruins for many years.  It was restored as an Armenian Church in 2011.  In February 2016, it was again ruined during armed clashes between the Kurds and the Turkish Army.  It is unclear if it will be restored any time soon as the Turkish Government confiscated the property.  Did the world express outrage?  Armenians for sure did, but the Turkish Government has a long history of ignoring Armenian complaints.

I still stand by what I wrote ten years ago.  I proudly aspire for a world where Aya Sofia could be shared as a place of worship for both religions if not all religions.  Something like that will never happen in my lifetime.  In a few days, Aya Sofia will again be a mosque and the vast majority of us will move on to whatever next issue becomes a top news story. 

Erdogan gets his way in Turkey to maintain power.  It is that simple.  Whether he is viewed as a patriot or despot depends on ones ethnicity and religion. 

Çidem İnç indeed.

Both photos from my April 13, 2010 visit.
It is truly an amazing place.