It has now suffered near-total destruction. Ramadan: Hagia Sophia a glimpse of Turkey's modern transformation Claire Harbage/NPR Former Istanbul Orthodox church becomes a mosque in Turkey During his Sunday Angelus on 12 July, Pope Francis expressed his sadness following President Erdogans decision to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque. Below the dome is an Opus sectile pavement of multicolored stones. A report drafted by the local union of architects heavily criticized the 2013 mosque conversion, and a court ordered the ministry of religious affairs to fulfill its promise and make the frescoes visible outside prayer time. Historians of science are still puzzled by how 6th century engineers would be able to build such a large dome without modern tools such as steel and calculus. Given that there seems to be a clear push towards religion in politics in the country, it may be very difficult to achieve. The decision to transform the museum into a mosque comes just one month after a similar conversion of the UNESCO World-Heritage recognised Hagia Sofia. Bitter statements also came from Orthodox churches in Greece and Russia, where the church's foreign relations director, Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev, warned Hagia Sophia held the same value for Orthodox Christians as St. Peter's in Rome for Catholics. In Istanbul, Tombs of Religious Figures Still Draw Pilgrims - The New Wed 16 Aug 2023 08.11 EDT. ". SOAS, University of London provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK. It was originally converted into the Kariye Mosque half a century after the 1453 conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks. As the community here, of course, we are deeply sad, we are in great despair. [1] Between 1958 and 1964 the surviving frescoes were uncovered and the church consolidated with the help of experts from the University of Edinburgh and the General Directorate of Foundations; one expert involved in the work estimated no more than one-sixth of the original decorations had survived. The building was being converted "not from a church to a mosque, but from a museum to a mosque," Kalin reminded journalists, and Turkey would invite "everyone, including Christians and Buddhists," to visit it for free, scrapping the previous entrance fee. The former Chora Church is famed for its fine frescoes and mosaics. On 5 July 2013, the former church was partially converted for a while into a mosque according to the local Vakif Direction of Trabzon, which is the owner of the estate. Hagia Sophia (named after Gods Holy Wisdom) in its original form was built by Emperor Constantine as a Christian church sometime around the year 537AD, about 500 years after Christ himself walked among us. Dr. Bill Warner, the president of the Center for the Study of Political Islam (CSPI), notes: Chora Church "The Koran defines the kafir and kafir is not a neutral word. It is located near the seashore and two miles west of the medieval town's limits. With tarawih prayers resuming after 88 years this Ramadan, the museum-turned-mosque stands as a sublime feat of Turkey's Ottoman past. ", The director-general of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, whose organization declared Hagia Sophia a World Heritage Site in 1985, said the basilica, which attracted 3.7 million visitors annually before COVID-19, had been "a unique testimony to interactions between Europe and Asia over the centuries," and regretted its handover had been made "without any form of dialogue or prior notice. Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Dominic Evans/Mark Heinrich. The Apostle Peter brought Christianity to ancient Antioch in the first few decades after Jesus' death. Claire Harbage/NPR Religion in ruins: Turkiye's oldest mosque and world's oldest church "A breach has certainly been opened up for the possible recovery of buildings belonging to our own church, and we'll be looking at this problem afresh. (CNS/Reuters/Umit Bektas), Send your thoughts to Letters to the Editor. Built around 300 BCE, the city, now called Antakya, has survived several previous calamitous earthquakes. Erden also said he is increasingly concerned by what he sees as an exploitation of that history as such actions do a disservice to the city and its illustrious past. Exhibition shines light on Claude Monet's overlooked brother Leon, Czech brewery wins European Heritage prize, Archaeologists unearth slave bedroom in Roman villa near Pompeii. Adjoining mosque, church defy hate Hagia Sophia was built by the Byzantine Christian Emperor Justinian in 537 and dedicated to Divine Wisdom. A A 0 A mosque ADVERTISEMENT Almost two weeks ago Turkey's Council of State made a landmark decision, rectifying history by reverting Hagia Sophia to a mosque. It was rebuilt two centuries later after a devastating fire and stood as an Orthodox Christian church. This Habib-I Nejjar mosque is so valuable to us Muslims. Yusuf Kocaoglu stands in front of the synagogue in Antakya, which is still standing. David Talbot Rice, "The Church of Haghia Sophia at Trebizond", p6. We just lean on each other. Claire Harbage/NPR . But Turkey resumed diplomatic ties with the Vatican in 2016, and Catholics were encouraged by a warmmessagefrom Erdogan at Easter, praising Turkey's "culture of coexistence" and pledging to safeguard religious freedom. Yusuf Kocaoglu stands in the wreckage of buildings damaged by the earthquake in Antakya, Turkey, as he tries to walk through the city where he used to give history tours. A Turkish soldier walks past the main entrance of the historic Habib Najjar mosque which destroyed during the devastated earthquake, in the old city of Antakya, Turkey, Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. Today, a narrow street of bars and restaurants lies in waste. Such judgements were vigorously contested in a report this July by the governing AKP, which insisted non-Muslim minority rights had improved since it took power in 2002, and listed hundreds of properties handed back to Christian denominations. It is the place in which the call for prayer (named ezan) is made. It is mainly famous for its outstanding Late Byzantine mosaics and frescos . The Taj Mahal is another heritage site at the centre of conversations of religous ownership. The Hagia Sophia church is an important example of late Byzantine architecture, being characterised by a high central dome and four large column arches supporting the weight of the dome and ceiling. This place means so much to us, it is so valuable. It is located in Trabzon, northeastern Turkey.It was converted into a museum in 1964 and back into a mosque in 2013. "Every province is believed to have a holy person that keeps it safe by Gods will and of course, Habib-I Nejjar was one of them. Turkey to reconvert Chora Museum into mosque - DW - 08/27/2020 - dw.com The televised reopening of the Ayasofya Grand Mosque was attended on July 24 by Erdogan and around 500 Muslims, with thousands more in the blocked-off streets outside. The Sermaye Mosque, built in the early 1700s, was unique in mosque architecture for its entrance built through the minaret. Hagia Sophia is seen in Istanbul June 30, 2020. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I ordered the . However, Erdogan has in the past few years placed a greater emphasis on the battles that resulted in the defeat of Byzantium by the Ottomans. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. The freedom to show your breasts: Why does Amaral's gesture matter? During renovation works from 2018 to 2020 the building was closed to visitors. As a museum (by order of Turkish President Kemal Atatrk, founder of secular Turkey) 1935-2020. The minaret is an important component of a mosque that is typically has a thinly designed tower with balconies and a cone on top. The church was built with a cross-in-square plan, but with an exterior form that takes the shape of a cross thanks to prominent north and south porches. A na Navarro fans have reminded the star to be respectful of other cultures after complaining that she had to remove her shoes while visiting a holy space in Turkey. In 2007 a Greek-American politician, Christos Spirou, launched an international campaign to restore the Hagia Sophia to a Christian church. Yusuf Kocaoglu points to the Orthodox Church in Antakya that was destroyed during the earthquake. The Hagia Sophia Was a Cathedral, a Mosque and a Museum. It's Hagia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ordered another ancient Orthodox Church that became a mosque and then a popular Istanbul museum to be turned back into a Muslim place of worship. (CNS/Reuters/Murad Sezer). Khawar Randhawa August 20, 2023. A church was first built at the site in the 4th century, but most of the existing building dates to an 11th century church that was partly rebuilt 200 years later following an earthquake. This is the place where Christianity was born. A group of American art historians then helped restore the original churchs mosaics and opened them up for public display in 1958. The building is an example of Byzantine architecture. A view inside what was the dome of the historic Habib-i Najjar Mosque in Antakya. But we have been told that it has not yet been opened for prayers. Yet Turkey's Christian minorities have been guarded about the handover of Hagia Sophia now called Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque with some suggesting the move may not prove quite so damaging. On Friday, an edict signed by Erdogan and published in Turkeys official gazette declared the management of the Kariye Mosque be transferred to the Religious Affairs Directorate, and (the mosque) opened to worship.. Its history reflects Turkeys past. History haven Hagia Sophia in Trabzon, Turkey. ANTAKYA, Turkey Yusuf Kocaoglu, a professional guide, leads us on a tour he never wanted to give. Turkey's scattered Catholics enjoy greater recognition now than in the past, Bizzeti told Italy's Servizio Informazione Religiosa. Focusing at the national level, secular inhabitants of Istanbul and Turkey fear that the Hagia Sophia will never again be a museum. Between 1566 and 1574, Mimar Sinan extensively strengthened the Byzantine structure by adding two more minarets, securing its status as a monument that amalgamates symbols of both Christianity and Sunni Islam. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. It is located in Trabzon, northeastern Turkey. After the quake, the community's surviving members moved to Istanbul. "We came here to pray after we learned about the decision. Many Turkish inhabitants commend the transformation while mostly secular Turkish inhabitants and much of the international community find it inconceivable. "The earthquakes damaged structures spanning centuries and cultures, from Roman forts to historic mosques to churches holy to a number of Christian denominations," Bndicte de Montlaur, president and CEO of the World Monuments Fund, tells NPR. The Turkish president wants to turn Istanbul's Hagia Sophia back into a mosque. In 1928, Turkey became a secular state, and the mosque was soon converted into a museum. The Antakya synagogue is still standing, having sustained minor damage. "Most of the people left the city.". Senija Causevic does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Getty Images A woman wrapped in a Turkish national flag gestures outside the Hagia Sophia museum The world-famous Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul - originally founded as a cathedral - has been. "It is vital that our focus remain on the living people in need, while recognizing that these monuments are a significant part of the region's history and contemporary life. "The View" host, 51 . Speaking to journalists before inspecting work on the building, the president defended its conversion as "fulfilment of a historic debt," insisting he'd "given the necessary answers" to critics. Orhan Uyanik (left), the owner of Pasha Restaurant in Antakya, sits in the rubble and opens one of the remaining beers that survived the quake. Just what that may mean in practice remains to be seen. Minaret. Blue Mosque, Istanbul - Wikipedia Part of Pasha Restaurant still stands amidst the rubble in Antakya. The Geneva-based World Council of Churches told Erdogan its 350 member-denominations also felt "grief and dismay" at a development that would encourage groups seeking "to overturn the existing status quo and promote renewed divisions. It all begs the question, what is Turkeys endgame? After the founding of the Turkish Republic, Cabinet members decided to secularize the space, turning it into a museum in 1945. One of the cities most affected by the earthquake that hit 10 provinces was Antakya-Hatay. Claire Harbage/NPR The Hagia Sophia: A landmark that was converted from a church to a But the Christian frescos that adorn its walls are about to be strategically covered up. Loudspeakers attached to street poles now carry the prayer call a symbol, Kocaoglu says, that life in Antakya clings on. ", Having initially been criticized for failing to react, the pope said in a July 12 Angelus message he too had been "very saddened," while Greece's Bishops Conference said it had warned Erdogan in a letter that his "big mistake" would spur "division and conflict among peoples. The Orthodox Church from 537-1204 (this includes the 100 years held by iconoclasts during the 8th and 9th centuries); The Crusaders/Roman Church from 1204-1261; The Ottomans/Turks as a mosque 1453-1934; and. Bodies are still believed to be rotting under the debris. Ancient Antioch was also a major hub of Judaism outside the Holy Land. The decision to convert the building in Istanbul, Turkey from a museum back into a mosque has divided opinion. Get ready for Uniqlo and Clare Waight Keller's newest collection, Italian general's self published book stirs controversy. The decree on the issue regarding the Kariye Museum was published in Turkey's official gazette on Friday. With the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque, secular Turkish citizens are othered as well. A local Muslim worshipper of the Habib-I Nejjar Mosque. Is it to the nation where it is situated or does its beauty, value and significance go beyond national ownership? However, although its ancient Byzantine mosaics of angels, saints and the Virgin and Child will be screened or darkened during Muslim services, the council has said they need not "constitute an obstacle for establishing prayers there healthily. ", Trabzon Hagia Sophia Evangelists' fresco most of it, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Evangelists' fresco centre, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Evangelists' fresco Mark closer up, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Evangelists' fresco Matthew, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Evangelists' fresco John close up, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Evangelists' fresco Luke, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Marriage in Kanaa detail, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Christ teaching in the temple, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Christ teaching in the temple detail, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Feeding of the thousands, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Feeding of the thousands detail, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Healing of the blind man at the pool of Siloam, Trabzon Hagia Sophia Mary and Christ detail with Christ. Kocatepe Mosque, Ankara. Much like the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the . People visit Hagia Sophia in Istanbul June 30. Pakistani police have arrested two Christian brothers accused of blasphemy, a spokesperson and a source said on Friday, two days after a Muslim mob burnt churches and houses, blaming the two men . On Qadr Night (the most holiest day of the year and Ramadan month) we used to come here for prayers. During World War I the city was occupied by the Russian military and for the first time the church could be examined by archaeologists, including Fyodor Uspensky, and some preliminary cleaning of the wall paintings began.
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