The Last Divine Liturgy in Hagia Sophia � Constantinople

"They entered the Holy Church with reverence, making the sign of the cross. Father Lefteris said, quietly, with great emotion: 'I enter into your house; I worship towards your Holy Church in fear�'

"He quickly moved towards the Holy Sanctuary, where the Holy Table would have been. He found a small table and placed it within the Sanctuary. He had everything in a small bag; he took everything out, he put on his vestments and began:

�'Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages'.

�'Amen', replied the Major Liaromatis. The Divine Liturgy had begun in Hagia Sophia, for the first time since the 29 May 1453."

The Last Divine Liturgy in St. Sophia � Constantinople

Londinoupolis via OCP Media � May 29, 2015

Many, even Orthodox, even Greeks, believe that the last Divine Liturgy in St. Sophia, in Constantinople, was celebrated on the 29 May 1453. However, the last Liturgy took place in 1919. The priest who celebrated the Divine Liturgy was Fr. Lefteris Noufarakis, who was from Alones Rethymnou, Crete. He was an army priest in the Second Greek Army Division, one of the two army divisions which was part of the allied expeditionary body in Ukraine. This Army Division went to Ukraine via Constantinople, which then was under �allied sovereignty�, after the end of WW I.

A group of Greek Officers, led by the priest, General Frantzis, Major Liaromati, Captain Stamatiou and Lieutenant Nikolaou were observing the City and Hagia Sophia, keeping to themselves their secret, i.e. to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in St. Sophia � a decision taken primarily by the priest. The difficulty of this endeavour was the fact that during that period St. Sophia was a mosque, creating therefore some major issues. This could have created a diplomatic incident between Greece and Turkey. However, Fr. Lefteris had decided that he was going to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in St. Sophia, whatever difficulty came his way.

� If you do not come, I will go alone! I just need a chanter. You, Konstantine (Liaromati), will you be my chanter?

-Ok Father, he replied. He had agreed to go with him.

The other officers followed too. They all boarded a small boat, with a Greek rower from Constantinople. Kosmas, the local boater, took them through a shortcut to Hagia Sophia. The doors were open. The Turkish guard was about to stop them, but General Fratzis gave him an angry look, which left the guard speechless. They all entered the Holy Church with reverence, making the sign of the cross. Father Lefteris said, quietly, with great emotion: �I enter into your house; I worship towards your Holy Church in fear��

He quickly moved towards the Holy Sanctuary, where the Holy Table would have been. He found a small table and placed it within the Sanctuary. He had everything in a small bag; he took everything out, he put on his vestments and began:

�Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages�.

�Amen�, replied the Major Liaromatis. The Divine Liturgy had begun in Hagia Sophia, for the first time since the 29 May 1453. All of them wished one thing that they could finish the Divine Liturgy, without being interrupted. Everything had happened so quickly, they could not believe what was happening.

In the meantime the church was filling up with Turks; however, they remained silent, probably not understanding or not being able to believe what was actually happening. It was, in many respects, an unimaginable reality. During this time more and more people. Among them were also Greeks who lived in Constantinople, who happened to come to Hagia Sophia by chance. They were surprised and extremely moved by what was happening. During the Anaphora, all the Greeks bowed, listening to the chanter chant: �We praise you, we bless you, we give thanks to you, O Lord, and we pray to you, our God�. The time then came, where all of the Greeks went and received Holy Communion, after 466 years. After the Holy Communion they quickly finished the Liturgy. Fr. Lefteris told Lieutenant Nikolaou �quickly gather everything and place them in the bag�.

The Divine Liturgy is finished. However, by the end of the Liturgy the church was packed with Turks, who began to get aggressive, understanding what just happened. Their lives were in danger. However, they do not hesitate. They joined together and walked out. The mob is ready to hit them. At that point a Turkish Officer told them to let them come through. He was also angry, but he understood that he had to let them go, for political reasons. It would have not looked good for Turkey to have killed five Greek officers in Hagia Sophia. Let us not forget that there were two Greek Divisions near the City, and Constantinople was under foreign occupation, under the winners of WWI. The Greek officers made it to the boat. However, a �giant� Turk followed them, he grabbed a large wooden branch and tried to hit the priest, understanding that it was him who initiated this event.

The priest crouched down, but the wood hit his shoulder. Major Liaromatis and Captain Stamatiou achieved to take the wood from the Turk, who was ready to hit the priest again. They eventually achieved to reach the Greek War Ship. However, this event did create a diplomatic incident, with the allies complaining to the Greek Prime Minister, Eleftherios Venizelos, who eventually had to reprimand Fr. Lefteri. Nevertheless, he contacted him privately and congratulated him, for realising in Hagia Sophia the dream all Greeks have.

The unfortunate fact about this real story is the fact that not many people know about it. Even in his home town they are ignorant about it. However, he is the only one, who after 1453, gave life to Hagia Sophia, reminded it of its past glory, and showed its true colours. We, now, can only hope that in the near future, the Turkish Government will see the significance this Church has for the Christian world, and might allow for it to become a Church again. Maybe this is an ideal thought and wish. However, it cannot and should not return to its previous status, i.e. to become a mosque, as many Turks now wish to see it[1].

[1] For a more elaborate version, in Greek, please look at: Sp??d??�ata, ?e???? 11, ??s?a 2004, pp. 58-62

Source:

Muslims from across Turkey demand Hagia Sophia be turned back into mosque

Timed to coincide with the anniversary of the Muslim defeat of Constantinople in 1453. More Islamic supremacism in rapidly re-Islamizing Turkey. 

Related:

• End of Days: A Lamentation for Constantinople
• Thousands call for Hagia Sophia to be converted into mosque in Istanbul rally
• Muslim Prayers at Hagia Sophia: A Sign Calling Us to Repent

Morning prayer held before Hagia Sophia to demand re-conversion into mosque
H�rriyet Daily News, May 31, 2015 (via Jihad Watch)

A group of devout Muslims from across Turkey prayed before the city�s historic Hagia Sophia on the 562nd anniversary of the Turkish conquest of Istanbul, demanding that the site be turned back into a mosque.

Men and women from across the country gathered before the Hagia Sophia museum early May 31, as part of an event organized by the Anatolian Youth Association (AGD) with the motto �Break the chains, Open Hagia Sophia,� and prayed the morning prayer with a call for the reconversion of the museum into a mosque.

Designed as a Christian basilica in the sixth century by Anthemios of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus, Hagia Sophia is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Hagia Sophia remained a center of Orthodox Christianity until 1453, when the city was conquered by Ottoman Turks under Sultan Mehmed II, known as the Conqueror of Istanbul. After 916 years of service as a church, he ordered Hagia Sophia to become a �victory mosque,� symbolizing the Muslim conquest. The mosaics of the church were covered with plaster, but they were successfully restored in the 20th century.

Hagia Sophia was used as a mosque for 482 years. Following the Ottoman Empire�s collapse, it was converted into a museum by republican officials in 1935.

Thousands call for Hagia Sophia (Church) to be converted into mosque in Istanbul rally (VIDEO)

Pressure continues to build for converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque in rapidly re-Islamizing Turkey.

Related:

• Qur'an read inside Hagia Sophia for the first time in 85 years
• Muslim Prayers at Hagia Sophia: A Sign Calling Us to Repent
• More posts on 'Hagia Sophia'...

via Jihad Watch � May 25, 2015

Thousands call for Hagia Sophia (Church) to be converted into mosque in Istanbul rally

Well, they say hundreds: www.hurriyetdailynews.com

Hundreds of people demanded that the historic Istanbul Hagia Sophia museum be converted into a mosque during a rally in Istanbul on May 24.

People gathered outside Istanbul�s Hagia Sophia, in the historical Sultanahmet district, with some carrying signs that read: �Hagia Sophia needs to be reopened as a mosque,� and �Let our lives be sacrificed for Islam.�

The protest was led by many Turkish nongovernmental organizations, including the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH).

Designed as a Christian basilica in the sixth century by Anthemios of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus, Hagia Sophia is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.


Hagia Sophia remained a center of Orthodox Christianity until 1453, when the city was conquered by Ottoman Turks under Sultan Mehmed II, known as the Conqueror of Istanbul. After 916 years of service as a church, he ordered Hagia Sophia to become a �victory mosque,� symbolizing the Muslim conquest. The mosaics of the church were covered with plaster and were successfully restored in the 20th century.

Hagia Sophia was used as a mosque for 482 years. Following the Ottoman Empire�s collapse, it was converted into a museum by republican officials in 1935.

I'd say 10s of thousands looking at the video:

Turkey Renovates Byzantine Church Into Mosque

A 900-year-old Christian church in Turkey is to be renovated into a functioning mosque�despite former governmental assurances that it would likely be renovated into a museum.

Update on this story. which gives some historical background.

Related:

• Qur'an read inside Hagia Sophia for the first time in 85 years
• Ninth Hagia Sophia Church converted into mosque in Turkey
• Muslim Prayers at Hagia Sophia: A Sign Calling Us to Repent
• More posts on 'Hagia Sophia'...

by Raymond Ibrahim � May 11, 2015

Foundations General Director Adnan Ertem argues that the building was a �sanctuary that was consecrated as a mosque�.  It is a foundation that can be put into service in line with its foundational charter. Thus its function will be preserved.�

Enez�s Hagia Sophia, the name of the ancient church, is located inside the city of Ainos, along the border with Greece and stationed atop a hill, visible to all.

Another several-hundred-year-old church, Hagia Sophia in Trabzon along the Black Sea, although a museum for many years, was reopened in July 2013 as a mosque.

For many Muslims, the ultimate Islamic triumph will come when the primary Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (Constantinople), which is currently a museum, is transformed into a mosque�as Turkish leaders recently threatened when Pope Francis acknowledged the Armenian Genocide.

Turkey: Historic 12th-century Hagia Sophia church to be reopened as a mosque

According to my count, this makes the tenth Hagia Sophia Orthodox church to be converted into a mosque in rapidly re-Islamizing Turkey in the past several years.

Related: 

• Qur'an read inside Hagia Sophia for the first time in 85 years
• Ninth Hagia Sophia Church converted into mosque in Turkey
• Muslim Prayers at Hagia Sophia: A Sign Calling Us to Repent
• More posts on 'Hagia Sophia'...

Historic Hagia Sophia in a Turkish province to be re-opened as mosque

by Serdar Korucu, H�rriyet Daily News, May 1, 2015

h/t Jihad Watch

A ruined Hagia Sophia dating back to the 12th century in the western border province of Edirne will be renovated as a mosque, despite former statements made about the possibility of restoring it as a museum.

Following the conversion of two Hagia Sophia into museums, which were initially built as churches and then turned into mosques and, subsequently, museums, the third Hagia Sophia in Edirne�s Enez district will be reconverted into a mosque, according to Foundations General Director Adnan Ertem, despite previous debates on turning it into a museum after reconstruction.

Speaking to state-run Anadolu Agency, Ertem said the Edirne Culture Assets Protection Regional Board approved the reconstruction project of the structure, which he called a �mosque� during the interview.

Ertem said the project would start as soon as possible, adding that the Hagia Sophia has been taken into the Foundations General Directorate�s investment program.

Explaining why it should be re-opened as a mosque, Erdem said the building was a �sanctuary that was consecrated as a mosque.�

�It is a foundation that can be put into service in line with its foundational charter. Thus its function will be preserved,� said Ertem.

Enez�s Hagia Sophia is located inside the ancient city of Ainos and although there are no records, it is thought to date back to the 12th century. It is located along the border with Greece and stationed on top of a hill seen from all around.

The district governor of Enez, Fatih Baysal, said in 2012 the usage of the structure as a mosque or not was a matter to be decided after the renovation.

�But even if it is used as a museum or a mosque, this place really needs to be [opened],� said Baysal.

Enez Mayor Abdullah Bostanci said the structure would have similar properties to the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

The main Hagia Sophia, which has been a museum since 1935, was built in the fourth century and converted into a mosque, when Mehmet the Conqueror took Istanbul in 1453.

The Hagia Sophia in Turkey�s western district of Iznik, which was initially constructed as a church in the eighth century and turned into a mosque when the city was conquered by the Ottomans in the 14th century, became a museum in the Turkish Republic. The building was later converted into a mosque in November 2011.

Another Hagia Sophia church, located in the Black Sea province of Trabzon, had been a mosque for many years after the conquest of the city and registered as a mosque in its land title. It was then turned into a museum and transferred to the Culture and Tourism Ministry. It was retransferred to the Trabzon Regional Directorate of Foundations through a court decision and reopened for Muslim worship in July 2013.

After the conversion from museum to mosque, 33 historic artifacts from the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman eras in the garden of Trabzon�s Hagia Sophia were moved to the Trabzon Museum in January 2014.

Churches in Turkey on the Verge of Extinction

"Turkey... has largely succeeded in destroying the entire Christian cultural heritage of Asia Minor."

Related: 

• Qur�an read inside Hagia Sophia for the first time in 85 years
• Ninth Hagia Sophia Church converted into mosque
• Muslim Prayers at Hagia Sophia: A Sign Calling Us to Repent

by Uzay Bulut

Gatestone Institute via Raymond Ibrahim � April 21, 2015

While Eastern Orthodox Christians recently celebrated their Easter holy week, a historic church in Istanbul � the once magnificent Christian city of Constantinople � is witnessing yet another abuse at the hands of its current authorities.

�The historic Istanbul cathedral and museum, Hagia Sophia, witnessed its first Quran recitation under its roof after 85 years Saturday,� reported the state-run Anatolian News Agency of Turkey. �The Religious Affairs Directorate launched the exhibition �Love of Prophet,� as part of commemorations of the birth of Islamic Prophet Muhammad.�

Even though Christians are a tiny minority in Turkey today, Christianity has a long history in Asia Minor, the birthplace of many Christian Apostles and Saints, including Paul of Tarsus, Timothy, Nicholas of Myra, and Polycarp of Smyrna.

All of the first seven Ecumenical Councils were held in what is today Turkey. Two out of the five centers (Patriarchates) of the ancient Pentarchy � Constantinople (Istanbul) and Antioch (Antakya) � are also situated there. Antioch was the place where, for the first time, the followers of Jesus were called �Christians.�

Turkey is also home to the Seven Churches of Asia, where were sent the Revelations to John. During the centuries that followed, countless churches were established throughout the region.

One of them, Hagia Sophia, was once the grandest cathedral in the Christian world � until the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans on May 29, 1453, followed by a three days of unbridled pillage.[1]

Hagia Sophia was not exempt. Pillagers made their way to the Hagia Sophia and battered down its doors. Trapped in the church, congregants and refugees became spoils to be divided among the Ottoman invaders.

The historian Steven Runciman writes in The Fall of Constantinople, 1453:

�They slew everyone that they met in the streets, men, women and children without discrimination. The blood ran in rivers down the steep streets from the heights of Petra towards the Golden Horn. But soon the lust for slaughter was assuaged. The soldiers realized that captives and precious objects would bring them greater profit.�[2]

After the fall of the city, the Hagia Sophia Church was converted into a mosque.

A mosque with the name Hagia Sophia (in Greek ???a S?f?a, �Holy Wisdom�) is possible if the church is brought under the control of an Islamic theocracy. It is like having a mosque called �the Armenian Mosque of the Holy Cross�.

In the 1930s, the Turkish government made it into a museum. But turning a church into a museum is also not a trait of a truly democratic state. One of the common features of the Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey seems to be their intolerance of churches.

In 2013, Turkey�s Deputy Prime Minister, Bulent Arinc, expressed his hope to see the Hagia Sophia Museum be used as a mosque, and even referred to it as the �Hagia Sophia Mosque.�

�Turkey is not converting churches into mosques because there is a need for more mosques, and Turkey does not have the resources to build them,� wrote Constantine Tzanos. �The message conveyed by those in Turkey who have achieved the conversion of Christian churches into mosques and demand the conversion of Hagia Sofia is that Turkey is an Islamic state and no other religion is tolerated.�

In November 2014, Pope Francis paid the fourth ever visit of a Pope to Turkey. Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Tanju Bilgic told reporters that during the trip, the issue of an �alliance of civilizations, dialogue between cultures, xenophobia, the fight against racism and political developments in the region� would be on the agenda.

The agenda of Pope Francis should actually have included the churches of Turkey that have been destroyed, damaged or converted into many things, including stables � like the historical Armenian Gregoryan Church in the province of Izmir (Smyrna). �Some citizens put their cows and horses inside the church, while the inhabitants of the neighborhood complain that the church has been turned into a site of drug addicts and alcoholics,� reported the newspaper Milliyet.

Another victim of Turkey�s intolerance of churches, the Agios Theodoros Byzantine Church in Istanbul, was first converted into a mosque during the rule of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II; it was named after Mollah Gurani, the fourth Sheikh-ul-Islam (the authority that governed religious affairs of the Muslims in the Ottoman Empire).

It was reported in March 2014 that the entrance area of the former church-mosque has become a �house,� and its upper story turned into a �flat.� A shanty has been built inside its garden. The priest�s room is now a toilet.

Centuries later, the habits of Ottoman Turks seem not to have changed.

Today, Turkey has less Christians as a percentage of its population than any of its neighbors � less than Syria, Iraq and Iran. The greatest cause of this was the Assyrian, Armenian and Greek slaughters or genocides between 1915 and 1923.

At least 2.5 million indigenous Christians of Asia Minor were killed � either massacred outright, or victims of deportations, slave labor or death marches. Many of them died in concentration camps of diseases or starvation.

Many Greeks who survived the slaughter were driven from their homes in Asia Minor in the 1923 forcible population exchange between Turkey and Greece.

The physical devastation was followed by a cultural devastation. Throughout the history of the Turkish Republic, countless Christian churches and schools have been destroyed or turned into mosques, storehouses and stables, among other things.

The columnist Raffi Bedrosyan reported in the Armenian Weekly that

�There are only 34 churches and 18 schools left in Turkey today, mostly in Istanbul, with about less than 3,000 students in these schools.� [�]

�Recent research pegs the number of Armenian churches in Turkey before 1915 at around 2,300. The number of schools before 1915 is estimated at nearly 700, with 82,000 students. These numbers are only for churches and schools under the jurisdiction of the Istanbul Armenian Patriarchate and the Apostolic Church, and therefore do not include the numerous churches and schools belonging to the Protestant and Catholic Armenian parishes.�

Walter Flick, a scholar with the International Society for Human Rights in Germany, says that the Christian minority in Turkey does not enjoy the same rights as the Muslim majority.

�Turkey has almost 80 million inhabitants,� he said. �There are only around 120,000 Christians, which is less than 1 percent of the population. Christians are certainly seen as second-class citizens. A real citizen is Muslim, and those who aren�t Muslim are seen as suspicious.�

According to a 2014 survey, 89% of the Turkish population said that what defines a nation is belonging to a certain religion. Among the 38 countries that participated in the question of if belonging to a specific religion [Islam] is important in defining the concept of a nation, Turkey, with 89% of its population agreeing, ranked number one in the world. [3]

�In some ways, Ankara�s policies against Turkey�s Christian citizens have added a modern veneer and sophisticated brutality to Ottoman norms and practices,� wrote political scientist Dr. Elizabeth H. Prodromou and historian Dr. Alexandros K. Kyrou. �In the words of an anonymous Church hierarch in Turkey fearful for the life of his flock, Christians in Turkey are an endangered species.�

On April 4, 1949, the signers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Washington D.C. announced: �The Parties to this Treaty reaffirm their faith in the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and their desire to live in peace with all peoples and all governments. They are determined to safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilisation of their peoples, founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law. They seek to promote stability and well-being in the North Atlantic area. They are resolved to unite their efforts for collective defence and for the preservation of peace and security.�

Being part of the European Union and NATO requires respecting the Jewish, Christian, Hellenic and secular humanist values that have characterized Western Civilization, and contributed to civil rights, democracy, philosophy and science, from which everyone can benefit.

Sadly, Turkey, a NATO member since 1952 and reportedly a candidate for membership in the European Union, has largely succeeded in destroying the entire Christian cultural heritage of Asia Minor. 

All this is reminiscent of what ISIS and other jihadist armies have been doing in the Middle East. In Turkey, the remaining Christian population, the grandchildren of genocide survivors, are still exposed to discrimination. The old habits of Ottoman Turks do not seem to die.

Uzay Bulut, born a Muslim, is a Turkish journalist based in Ankara.

_______

NOTES:

[1] Runciman, Steven (1965). The Fall of Constantinople, 1453. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[2] Ibid.

[3] In 2014, Professor Ersin Kalaycioglu of Sabanci University and Professor Ali ?Carkoglu of Koc University conducted a survey, �Nationalism in Turkey and ?in the world,� based on interviews with Turkish citizens ?above the age of 18 in 64 cities across Turkey. �So according to [Turkish] citizens in the streets, a Turk is the one who is a Muslim,� said Prof. Carkoglu.

Qur�an read inside Hagia Sophia for the first time in 85 years

Islam is innately supremacist, seeking to re-conquer or wipe out the remnants of Christianity, and the Turkish Muslim desire to re-convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque has been gathering great momentum over the last decade. Indeed, nine other Hagia Sophia (former) churches have been reconverted into mosques in the last few years alone.

See all posts related to Hagia Sophia.

posted at Jihad Watch, April 11, 2015

It was once the grandest cathedral in the Christian world, surpassing anything in Rome or anywhere else � until the Muslim conquest of Constantinople on May 29, 1453. Then it was converted into a mosque. In the 1930s, the secular Turkish government made it into a museum. But now, with Turkish secularism breathing its dying breaths, it will soon be a mosque again.

Istanbul`s Hagia Sophia sees first Koran reading in 85 years

AFP, April 11, 2015:

Istanbul: A Muslim cleric has for the first time in 85 years recited the Koran in the Hagia Sophia, the world famous landmark of Istanbul which is now a museum after serving as a church and a mosque, reports said Saturday.

The Hagia Sophia was turned into a museum accessible to all by the secular founders of modern Turkey in the 1930s and secular Turks are wary of any moves to re-Islamise the building.

A passage from the Koran, the holy scripture of Islam, was recited late Friday at a ceremony in the Hagia Sophia to mark the opening of a new exhibition �Love of the Prophet.�

It was read by Ali Tel, imam at the Ahmet Hamdi Akseki Mosque in Ankara, the official Anatolia news agency said.

The ceremony was attended by top Turkish officials including the head of the country`s religious affairs agency Diyanet, Mehmet Gormez.

Anatolia said it was the first recitation of the holy Koran in the Hagia Sophia for 85 years.

The exhibition inside the Hagia Sophia is a show of calligraphic work in devotion to the Muslim Prophet Mohammed and runs until May 8.

The magnificent edifice was constructed in the sixth century as a church in the Christian Byzantine Empire and was the seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the former name of Istanbul.

When Ottoman forces under Mehmet II conquered the city in 1453 he ordered the immediate conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. Islamic minarets were built around its Byzantine dome.

It served as a mosque until after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire when in the mid-1930s the authorities of the new Turkish state under secular leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk ordered it to become a museum for all.

But under the rule of the Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP), co-founded by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan which came to power in 2002, there have been noises about reconverting the Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc caused a furore in November 2013 when he indicated that he hoped to change the status of the Hagia Sophia, saying it looked �sad� but hopefully would be �smiling again soon�.

Greece reacted furiously at the time, saying such statements �are offending the religious feeling of millions of Christians.�

Ninth Hagia Sophia Church converted into a mosque in Turkey

Rapidly re-Islamizing Turkey continues its push to eliminate all traces of Orthodox Christianity and literally recapture its supposed former glory of the Ottoman period. 

Pravoslavie - September 25, 2014

Muslim prayers are being performed in another ancient Orthodox Church, reports AgionOros

The Hagia Sophia Church in Eregli (the Greek form is Heraclea) has become the ninth Hagia Sophia Church converted into a mosque by Turks over recent years.

The Orthodox Church was given a new name by the Turkish authorities � the Orhan Mosque, in honor of the Turkish Sultan Orhan I (who reigned from 1326 till 1359).

The Turkish historian Recep Cetin, speaking at the unveiling of the new mosque, noted the �historic significance of the event�: �Hagia Sophia in Eregli is already the ninth church with such name, converted into a Muslim mosque�.

Earlier the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Trabzon (Trebizond) and the Hagia Sophia Church in Nicaea (it was the very church where the Seventh Ecumenical Council was held) had been given to [that is, seized by] the Muslim community. The importance of this event can scarcely be overestimated, since the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Heraclea is more ancient than the famous Hagia Sophia Church in Constantinople. According to the historians� information, it was built under the Roman Emperor Theodosius II, that is, between 408 and 450 AD.

Originally posted at: http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/73914.htm

Don�t Turn Turkey�s Iconic Hagia Sophia Back Into A Mosque

"Turkey can�t get enough of the continuous re-conquering of Istanbul. Just such a power play is once again at work over the Hagia Sophia."

Pravmir � June 14, 2014

by Karin Karakasli � Worldcrunch

ISTANBUL � In our divided existences, everyone lives their own reality, with their own priorities. Right now, the demand that this city's Hagia Sophia museum be transformed into a mosque has suddenly become the singular issue for a certain segment of the Turkish population.

The Anatolia Youth Association announced a gathering at the iconic location with slogans such as �take your prayer mat and come� and �we meet at the Hagia Sophia Mosque for the morning prayer.� And so the group gathered at the Hagia Sophia Square, coming from all around Istanbul and the surrounding province before disbanding around midnight following a collective prayer.

�Let the chains break,� was their slogan. �Let Hagia Sophia be open.� This organization, which uses prayer for activism, deserves a closer look � for while the association seems to prioritize religion, this issue is actually quite political.

Let us put the debates revolving around it aside for a moment, and remember that the Hagia Sophia is a magical place before all. It offers a state of eternal encounter to the visitors with its wondrous icons and calligraphy referring to both Christianity and Islam. This is a middle world where people can place themselves without any prerequisite identification.

It reminds you of the fluidity of life, its changes, and the endless tale of humanity under the watchful eye of angels.

However, it also is imbued with codes, and has been a symbol of power since the times of Byzantium. The Hagia Sophia as such holds utterly different meanings and specific importance beyond the universal pleasures that may be tasted by any given individual.

As can be seen by the pompous symbolic celebrations and the unending urban renewal projects, Turkey can�t get enough of the continuous re-conquering of Istanbul. Just such a power play is once again at work over the Hagia Sophia.

Equal, endless, unique

Hagia Sophia, the biggest church in Istanbul from the Byzantine Empire, is actually the third of three churches that have been built on the site. This place of worship where the emperors were crowned is the �Meğali tou Hristou Ekklisia� or �the Great Church of the Messiah,� as mentioned in the recent statement of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, and is �known as such in the whole world of Christianity.�

Hagia Sophia accompanied the history of Istanbul since the 4th Century. It was transformed into a mosque in 1453 after the Ottomans conquered the city, and now stands open as a museum since 1935. So, what is this recent activism about?

Hagia Sophia always has been a defining symbol for political Islamic movements to score votes and boost reputations. There is the illusion that reopening the place as a mosque would amount to a return to the glory of the days of the Ottoman Empire.

On the other hand, the Hagia Sophia is the exact definition of a century-long alternative history for the Orthodox Christians. Therefore the recent debate should be analyzed in the context of the upcoming presidential elections, aware of the possibility that this may be used as a trump card.

Bartholomew I saw the matter from this angle and made the following statement to the weekly Agos newspaper on May 29: �We believe the Hagia Sophia should remain as a museum because this magnificent work of architecture with an exceptional place in world civilization should be open to and visited by everybody this way.� He also recalled that it was transformed into a museum by the will of modern Turkey�s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk � a decision which was accepted by all sides.

The Patriarch added that if its status were to be changed and if it were to reopen as a place of worship, �it should not be forgotten that it was built as a church, and it should be opened as a church.�

Keeping the Hagia Sophia out of election politics requires it to be simply kept as a museum, says the Cultural Heritage Watch Platform, which also released a joint statement signed by many academics:

�The Hagia Sophia is included among the leading religious, artistic and political symbols of Istanbul and Turkey, as well as the Middle East, Eastern Mediterranean and Europe,� the statement read. �The Hagia Sophia remaining as a museum that is welcoming all of its visitors is a peaceful and inclusive act that reflects the universal value of this unique monument without alienating any part of its many layered history. Preserving this distinguished artifact as the shared heritage of the histories of Istanbul and the world depends on the museum status being kept.�