Hagia Sophia: UNESCO deeply regrets

[caesar novus]

On protesting the announced conversion of the Byzantine church, then mosque, then museum back to a mosque with potential modifications and limited access:

“Hagia Sophia is an architectural masterpiece and a unique testimony to interactions between Europe and Asia over the centuries. Its status as a museum reflects the universal nature of its heritage, and makes it a powerful symbol for dialogue,” said Director-General Audrey Azoulay.

https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-statement-hagia-sophia-istanbul

[caesar novus]

By now, you may have seen announcement of another Istanbul museum converting to a mosque. Another populist/nationalist blow to globalism and Unesco. Instead of posting links to the news stories which have a bunch of intrusive video ads, I will post one of the most interesting youtube video I have seen about the "why" of nationalism. Nationalism brings some crude accountability that may be missing not only in today's globalism but for those from the past who served distant empires.

The lack of any nationalist connection at all can not only make war sacrifices seem pointless but promote worse behavior. Atkinson's "The Day of Battle" details WW2 atrocities against Italian women and children by troops from one corner of of the French empire, and other sources claim this continued into Germany. They had no altruistic stake in the war and expected plunder in exchange for their risks.

Anyway, a bunch of documents from attics in the US fell into the hands of professor Weber that illuminated early mental development of Hitler. He thought OH NO, I don't want to be known as a Hitler historian, but the documents from Jews who were very early acquaintances of Adolph (then fled to the US) were just too important and newly explanatory of ultra nationalist impulses. I may be misremembering a few things since I first encountered this material, but: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmDK2VC53XY

 

Edited August 22, 2020 by caesar novus