The Hagia Sophia
A Christian Church turned into a Mosque by Muslims, turned into a Museum by Masons.
In the wake of the horrible events in New Zealand, Turkish President Recep Erdogan has dabbled in the idea of reopening the historic Cathedral/Mosque/Museum known as the Hagia Sophia as a mosque. This has recently been blocked by Turkish courts so it appears that Erdogan is just rattling his sabre here.
The theft(let’s call it what it is) of the Hagia Sophia from the Greeks by the Turks is a tragic event in the history of Christendom. Of course this was done with numerous other churches in Constantinople and elsewhere in Anatolia. Those buildings were built with Greek money, on Greek land, for Greek people. Anatolia isn’t the native land of the Turks. They invaded it in the 11th century. They’re originally from central Asia.
To be honest, they should give the landmark churches that they stole back to the Greeks. I think the fact that they don’t shows poor character on the part of the Turks, especially Erdogan. Now, many Muslims feel a need to defend this theft so they point to mosques in Spain that were converted into churches. This was certainly done. So, how is this not a double standard?
It’s not a double standard because Arab Muslims invaded Spain in the 8th century. Spain was never a Muslim country; it was a Christian country under Islamic occupation though most Christians never yielded to Muhammad’s religion. Over several centuries the Spaniards would take back their land. Obviously mosques and other architecture would have been built on Spanish occupied land. Since this was built on stolen land, it’s not a moral equivalence. I don’t see Muslims complaining about the Latin churches that were destroyed or converted into mosques when Saladin took Jerusalem back from the crusaders.
What the Turks should do is give those buildings back to the Greeks. It seems like the obvious thing to do. The Hagia Sophia wasn’t meant to be a museum any more than it was meant to be a mosque.
I also wonder what’s going to happen to the restored iconography? Do the Turkish Muslims really want to pray in a building with pictures of Christ, Mary, and other saints? Every mosque that I’ve ever seen is completely void of iconography. Certainly in the Sunni tradition there is a total ban on images of religious figures.
The fall of Constantinople to the Turks and the excessive theft of Church property on the part of the Muslims is one of the most horrible events in Church history. Constantinople was the New Rome. It was a city built for Christians with Christian money. Although the 11th century saw the schism between Rome and Constantinople happen, dialogue between the two churches continued until the tragic event in 1453.
I honestly don’t think it’ll get turned into a mosque again; at least not anytime soon. Erdogan is simply an egomaniac who tries to flaunt his religiosity while the Turkish people are becoming more secular. On the other hand, I don’t see it becoming a Church again anytime soon. It will though and it’ll be a good day when that happens. It’ll be a huge step towards crushing Muhammad’s religion.
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
– Philippians 2:10-11
But they did restore Muslim prayer times to a section in the back of the Hagia Sophia in recent years. (at the back near the entrance to the Topkapi Palace, which also has the Hagia Irene in it. (where the council of Constantinople in 381 AD was held – it has never been turned into a Mosque and has no minarets.)
I actually witnesses the prayer times there in 2014 – it was a shock to me.
You are right that the wars and conquering (s) by the Seljuks (1071, battle of Manzikurt, most of Anatolia was conquered) and later by the Ottomans (1453, fall of Constantinople) was unjust and wrong.
But God is sovereign over events in history. Why do you think God allowed the Muslims to conquer so much of the Byzantine Empire? (from 636 AD onward to 1453)
Could Revelation 2:4-5 provide some clues?
“you have left your first love”
“I am coming and I will remove your lamp stand from it’s place, unless you repent.”
Hi Ken,
I did hear that some prayers were done in 2015 but I don’t know if this has continued. You would probably know more than me, although I don’t think it’s officially a mosque. It is still considered a Museum. I heard Robert Spencer say once that Muslims can do marriage ceremonies in there. My parents were there in 2017 and they never mentioned any prayers. Maybe I’ll ask them when they’re back from Tunisia. Another formerly Christian country gone Islamic….sigh…
As for removing the lampstand of the Byzantine Empire, I’m very nervous about playing this game. A lot of Catholics like to point out that out of the 5 big bishoprics of the first millenium, Rome is the only one that didn’t fall to Islam hence Catholicism is true. I don’t think we can play that game. I won’t anyway. Places with true faith have been conquered and places with false faith have been untouched. Look at Armenia. We both believe that monophysitism is false but they have prevailed despite being occupied by several different Islamic Empires over the years. Jesus Christ didn’t promise his Church military success. But that’s just my opinion.
God bless,
Allan
It was a side door in the back of the Hagia Sophia – see photo; probably a small room inside there, not in the main sanctuary of the Hagia Sophia. There are so many structures that are at the bottom that seem to be separate, yet part of the larger building.
https://www.dreamstime.com/editorial-image-street-hagia-sophia-to-topkapi-palace-istanbul-turkey-backside-image83260945
Didn’t Jesus’ warning to Ephesus in Revelation 2:4-5 come true?
To be honest, I haven’t thought about it that much. I’ll have to consult early medieval Greek and Latin commentaries on the subject.
Places with true faith have been conquered and places with false faith have been untouched.
True, I think that all liberal churches that used to believe the Bible have left their first love and the “conquering” of them is the liberal theology/heresy itself. (churches that deny the Deity of Christ, virgin birth, resurrection of Jesus in history, and/or affirm LGBT immorality.)
Not to mention the flirtation of many churches with LGBT in order to keep their precious ‘nonprofit/religious’, tax-exempt status intact in the coming years.
“No one is able to serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and he will love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and he will despise the other. You are not able to serve God and mammon.” – Matthew 6:24
–The theft(let’s call it what it is) of the Hagia Sophia from the Greeks by the Turks is a tragic event in the history of Christendom. Of course this was done with numerous other churches in Constantinople and elsewhere in Anatolia.–
I say it all the time – the domed design of mosques is cultural appropriation of Byzantine Christian architecture. The Hagia Sophia predates the Dome of the Rock by a century. The latter not only copies the Byzantine style, its floor plan is in the shape of an Equal-Armed Cross enclosed by an octagon like many churches.
–It’s not a double standard because Arab Muslims invaded Spain in the 8th century. Spain was never a Muslim country; it was a Christian country under Islamic occupation though most Christians never yielded to Muhammad’s religion.–
Actually Islam should give back every square inch of land they occupy today, since even their own sources (proudly!) say that it was all won by conquest.
–Obviously mosques and other architecture would have been built on Spanish occupied land.–
Nono, please keep the Spanish mosques intact.
After all, they are extant proof that the Kiblas do not all face Mecca – they point parallel to a line between Petra and Mecca.
Petra??? Whatever would Petra have to do with Islam??? Hmm…
Hey Scott,
Here’s an article that I wrote a while back on this subject.
http://allanruhl.com/what-did-the-early-muslim-empire-look-like/
Dear Mr Ruhl
The fall of the Church of the Holy Wisdom into the hands of the Ishmaelites (Muslims) was a terribly sad moment in the history of the One Holy Church, and I pray every day that the cross will be raised over the dome again. But if this ever were to happen, I fear that chaos would ensue. The Greek Patriarchate would claim the Church, saying that it belonged to them historically, the Russian Church would claim it because they believed that they alone remained truly Orthodox while their Greek cousins were corrupted by the council of Ferrera Florence. In addition to this they would have the support of Mr Putin. And finally the Roman Church would wish to claim it since we believe that the Emperor St Justinian of Blessed Memory was not as Schismatic but a true member of the One Church. All of this is very much in the realm of ‘what if ‘ but it is worrying nonetheless.
God and St Mary be with you
Allan, as a Muslim, I have been stating this very thing. When other Muslims cry about what people are doing to us, I always bring them back to Hagia Sophia. Until we as Ummah give back what is rightfully theirs, which our own Islamic laws state is haram how we acquired the church and what we have done to it is despicable, we really don’t have room to cry oppression. Thank you for this beaitiful article. I will be sharing and I hope I am able to wake more people up to this travesty and, God-willing help spark the change. Also, know that Islamic Escatology states we will give Hagia Sophia back. It will happen willing or unwillingly, we have no choice, but to correct our wrongs.
Hello Nourah,
Thank you for this and God bless you.
I think I’m aware of what you’re saying about the Hagia Sophia. In Islamic eschatology, the Dajjal will come right after Constantinople is taken, which implies that it’ll at least become Christian again before the end times.
Thanks for commenting and feel free to comment anytime.
Allan