Turkey's "mosque" Hagia Sophia celebrates Friday after 86 years

Turkish worship at Hagia Sophia "mosque" for the first time in 86 years July 24, 20:32

After the Turkish President Erdogan changed the world heritage Hagia Sophia from a museum to a mosque that is a place of Islamic worship, a group prayer on Friday has been held for the first time in 86 years. There are disappointments from the Christian sphere in this Turkish measure, and it is expected that the gap between Europe and the United States will deepen in the future.

Hagia Sophia, a world heritage site in Istanbul, Turkey, was constructed as a Christian cathedral and then converted into an Islamic mosque under the Ottoman Empire. It has also been called the symbol of the coexistence of different religions and cultures.

Under such circumstances, Turkish President Erdogan, who values ​​Islamic values, decided to return Hagia Sophia to the mosque again this month.

In response to this decision, in Hagia Sophia, the group worship on Friday was held for the first time in 86 years, with President Erdogan also participating from 7:00 pm on the 24th of Japan time.

The worship is wearing masks as a countermeasure against the new coronavirus, and is held at a distance from each other, but there are many people who could not enter the building in the square around Hagia Sophia.

President Erdogan decides to cover Christianity-themed mosaics with cloths only during the worship service, and he says that he will continue to publish them as usual.

However, the decision to return Hagia Sophia, which has been seen as a symbol of the separation of modern Turkish politics to Islamic mosques, has been followed by dissatisfaction from the Christian sphere, and a gap between Europe and the United States is expected. It is expected to deepen.

Aim of President Erdogan

Turkey has argued for secularism and secularism as its national policy, but President Erdogan has promoted policies that emphasize Islamic values.

In addition to banning the use of scarves in public places, which was previously prohibited, he often mentioned and was willing to return Hagia Sophia to the mosque.

However, political motives have been pointed out as the background to the decision to turn into a mosque at this timing.

The ruling party headed by President Erdogan has lost its popularity last year in the mayoral elections in the capital Ankara and Istanbul, and has recently become very popular.

While the domestic economy was hit hard by the impact of the new coronavirus and public dissatisfaction increased, President Erdogan suspected he might have aimed to retain a conservative support group by returning Hagia Sophia to the mosque. It is being done.

Erdogan responded with disappointment from the Christian sphere, "How to use Hagia Sophia is a matter of Turkish sovereignty. Hagia Sophia will continue to be open to everyone. I am asking for understanding.

Changes in Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia has a history of changing its uses as Istanbul's rulers changed.

Hagia Sophia was founded in 537 during the Byzantine Empire as a Christian cathedral in Constantinople at that time and in Istanbul today.

Almost 1000 years later, it became the main temple of the Greek Orthodox Church, but when the Ottoman Empire conquered the town in 1453, the Ottoman Sultan converted Hagia Sophia into an Islamic mosque. At this time, four towers called minaret were built outside the building, and a disk-shaped ornament such as "Prophet Muhammad" was installed inside.

And when modern Turkey was founded after World War I, the first president of Ataturk decided in 1934 to change Hagia Sophia to a non-religious museum.

It is said that this decision was intended to promote the modernization of Turkey and harmony with Western Europe, and Hagia Sophia has also been called a symbol of the coexistence of different religions and cultures.

However, more than 80 years have passed since this historic decision. On 10th of this month, the Turkish Supreme Administrative Court ruled that the decision to turn the mosque into a museum was invalid, and Turkish President Erdogan issued a decree on that day to return Hagia Sophia to the mosque.

In response to this, EU High Representative for Borrell of the European Union said, “The court upsets one of the landmark decisions made by modern Turkey to make Hagia Sophia a museum and manages it by the ministries responsible for religion. It was a pity that President Erdogan decided to move it down," and called the Turkish government to reconsider.

In addition, the US State Department spokesman Ortagus has issued a statement that "we are discouraged," and Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church said, "I am very distressed when I think of Hagia Sophia." , There is a disappointment from the Christian sphere.