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Finally:
Hagia Sophia becoming a mosque again!
Turkey passes a law to reopen Hagia Sophia Mosque!
(Frustration guaranteed for Greeks)
Hagia Sophia becoming a mosque again!
Turkey passes a law to reopen Hagia Sophia Mosque!
(Frustration guaranteed for Greeks)
In 1453, immediately after Istanbul fell, people of the Byzantine took refuge in Hagia Sophia. Sultan Mehmed immediately headed to Hagia Sophia with his army. Only those who resisted in the city were killed, the rest declared safe.
Sultan stopped his soldiers intending to attack Hagia Sophia. He stepped off his horse and entered the temple with respect. Noone was harmed. In Ottoman tradition, the biggest building of the conquered city would be turned into a mosque as the property of the Sultan.
The first Friday prayer in Istanbul was performed in Hagia Sophie mosque. In Greek and Genoese history records, witnesses reported that Sultan had ordered to cover the mosaics with plaster only and protect the icons. Sultan is the sole owner of the mosque.
During the same time in Spain, Andalusian mosques were demolished or converted to churches. What Sultan Mehmed did was in fact a great kindness, likes of which we still don't see from Greece in 21st century. Hundreds of Ottoman artifacts are being destroyed in Greece.
Sultan and his descendants maintained Hagia Sophia with love and care for almost 500 years. Over time, libraries, hospitals and other social services were integrated. More than half of Hagia Sophia complex today are additions by the Ottoman.
Hagia Sophia was converted into a museum in 1935 with foreign pressure, while the newly-established Turkish Republic was healing from war. Nevertheless, it still is the personal property of Sultan Mehmed. The decision to revert belongs to Turkey. Hagia Sophia is a mosque.
Greek are making a lot of noise about Hagia Sophia, all the while distroying Ottoman buildings within their borders despite international agreements. They should learn from the Turks by looking at how well we maintained Hagia Sophia for centuries. Hagia Sophia is a mosque!
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