Turkey vows to ‘Liberate Al-Aqsa Mosque’ after Turning Hagia Sophia to Mosque

                                          

Aqsa Mushtaq                                                                                                   

                     21 July 2020

 

Recently, the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that the Hagia Sophia Museum has been converted into a mosque, the decision was made by the Council of State of Turkey. Afterward, the President warned that this action is a part of the plan and a step towards the liberation of the Al-Aqsa mosque which is situated in Jerusalem.

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Hagia Sophia is an ancient world heritage building which was built by the Byzantine Emperor of that time as an orthodox church in 537. In 1453, when Istanbul was conquered by Sultan Mohammad Fateh of the Ottoman Empire, Hagia Sophia was converted and given the legal status of a mosque. The construction of minarets and other parts of the mosque were done in different periods.

 

When the rule of the Ottoman Empire ended, the era of the communist president Kemal Ataturk began, who converted the Ottoman Empire into the Republic of Turkey. In 1931, Thomas Whitmore, the founder of the Byzantine Institute of America, visited Turkey and met with the president Kemal Ataturk, he sought the permission to repair the plaster covering the Byzantine Mosaics on the walls of Hagia Sophia. He also asked for the conversion of the mosque into a museum, the conversion was made in 1934. In the 1972 book “ Hagia Sophia: A History of Constantinople” Thomas Whitmore says “ The Santa Sophia was a mosque the day that I talked to him. The next morning, when I went to the mosque, there was a sign on the door written in Ataturk’s hand. It said: ‘The mosque is closed for repairs’.”

 

After 85 years, on the decision of Turkey’s Counsel of State, pursuing a petition from an NGO, Hagia Sophia has been reconverted into a mosque. The leaders of multiple countries especially Greeks are criticizing President Erdogan because of this decision, and some religious and political Christian leaders are warning that this conversion will build a new wall of hatred between all Muslims and Christians all over the world. Pope Francis was pained by the move, and the Orthodox Christians’ spiritual leader Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said he was shaken and saddened when came to know that Hagia Sophia was reconverted.

 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a speech replied to those who have been criticizing him on this move, he said: “You are not the government here in our country, Turkey has its Parliament and the judicial system; we are running the government here so you had better improve yourself and mind your own business.” Last year, the Turkish President was talking in a public gathering, when the people there started to demand the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque. The President told them that he would convert the museum into a mosque if they filled the Blue Mosque, situated nearby, with worshippers of Allah.

 

Blue Mosque is also known as Sultan Ahmed Mosque and it is located beside Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. It was constructed in 1616 during the era of the Ottoman Empire. The president appears to have said this due to two reasons. Firstly to direct as many people as possible towards religion and secondly, an increase in the number of devouts in the area will give him a solid reason to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

 

President said on this conversion that “ Hagia Sophia is a sign of determination and resolution since the battle of Baddar to Mlazgirt then to the fort of Chinak. It is the trust of our martyrs and warriors and a reminder of our glorious era.” The president, in a response to his critics, said that there are about 435 churches and Synagogues in Turkey where Jews and Christians can pray and practice their religion freely, their religious places, and their lives have been protected ever since. On the other hand, mosques are being demolished around the world, several other mosques have been converted to Temples and Churches.

 

When Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque by Sultan Mohammad Fateh in 1453, the call of prayer (Azaan) was proclaimed, Surat Fatiha was recited. This year also, under the rule of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the call of prayer was again said in Hagia Sophia and then Surat Fatiha was also recited which received great criticism from all the Europe. For the last few years, local Muslims organize the special recitation of the Holy Quran in Hagia Sophia. The president has announced that Friday prayers will be performed in Hagia Sophia on 24 July 2020, and a reopening ceremony of the mosque would be held. In this regard, the president of Turkey, on 21st July 2020, visited the mosque and monitored the preparations.

 

Hagia Sophia is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site where millions of tourists come to visit it from different countries of the globe. In 2019, 3.8 million persons visited the mosque. President Erdogan has assured the world that the tourists are still allowed to visit Hagia Sophia Mosque.

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