Restoring The Hagia Sophia

[Manuel I Comnenus]

Recently with Turkey attempting to join the European Union, members of the Roman Catholic Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Byzantine Catholic Church have been leading the movement in asking the European Union not to grant Turkey entrance into the EU until it has restored Hagia Sophia back to the Greek Orthodox Church and to the Patriarch of Constantinople.

 

As may know, the Hagia Sophia was used as a mosque after the conquest of the city, but during the process of secularization in Turkey has been converted into a "muesuem." The building has been sitting in need of major repair.. and for such a work of art, little is done to upkep it.

 

The government of Turkey has continued to refuse money and assistance from Orthodox Christians and money from the Roman Holy See which were offered to pay for the repairs to the church's hundreds of glistening mosaics depicting some of Eastern Rome's most beautiful works of art.

 

This Site:

 

http://www.hagiasophiablog.com/mainpage.html

 

Is a petition collecting signatures calling for the European Union to make the restoration of the Hagia Sophia as a Christian church a condition in which TUrkey must oblige if wanting to enter the EU.

 

For those who appreciate the beauty of Rome's most beautiful church, please sign this petition now and pass it on.

[Andrew Dalby]

Recently with Turkey attempting to join the European Union, members of the Roman Catholic Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Byzantine Catholic Church have been leading the movement in asking the European Union not to grant Turkey entrance into the EU until it has restored Hagia Sophia back to the Greek Orthodox Church and to the Patriarch of Constantinople.

 

As may know, the Hagia Sophia was used as a mosque after the conquest of the city ...

 

Turkey does have a lot of issues to face in terms of current human rights of women and minorities. And it won't find it possible, as it approaches membership, to go on glossing over the Armenian massacre etc.

 

But this is a step too far. Hagia Sophia has been sacred to two religions successively. If it can be satisfyingly restored and function as a museum, accessible to all visitors, that will be good. There is no logic in restoring it to Christians, and certainly no logic in making an EU issue of it.

[Pertinax]

Much Christian iconography has been preserved in the Hagia -The Sultans were aware that they were "Emperors of Rome" -AD will know more but I understood that very wording was part of the Sultans title.The historical continuity was known and embraced regardless of the change of religious focus-something rather more unlikely today .

[P.Clodius]

To the victor belong the spoils. Certainly they should upkeep this treasure, but it is their responsibility to do so not ours.

[Lucius Calpurnius Capitolinus]

Europe seems like such a secular place these days that I wonder how much sway the various churches have on politics. As a Tennessean, I am perhaps unaware of some of the subtler aspects of European politics. Is Europe not as secular as it appears? Or does the Church simply hold more political power than religious power? Regardless, I find it odd that Turkey is being asked to be less relgious (i.e. less Islamic) on the one hand and then asked to submit in a sense to Catholicism on the other.

 

All of that said, when I was in the Hagia Sophia in 2000, I was saddened by its poor state and would like to see restoration efforts made regardless of who makes them.

[Primus Pilus]

This post is a little too modern to truly fit in the 'post Roman history' forum. Nothing wrong with the discussion... I just moved it to the off topic area.

[Ursus]

until it has restored Hagia Sophia back to the Greek Orthodox Church and to the Patriarch of Constantinople.

 

 

Yeah, the same Greek Orthodox Church that doesn't want Pagans to perform rituals at the Parthenon.

[Pertinax]

until it has restored Hagia Sophia back to the Greek Orthodox Church and to the Patriarch of Constantinople.

 

 

Yeah, the same Greek Orthodox Church that doesn't want Pagans to perform rituals at the Parthenon.

 

and thinks the Elgin marbles are pagan idolatory

[FLavius Valerius Constantinus]

I'm gonna side with the Church. I mean really, even though some may not care, but this 'place of worship' sure means a who big lot to the archaeologists, classicists, and Catholic/Orthodox members!

[Favonius Cornelius]

In a rare unexpected opinion from Favonius, he sides with the church, because this building is far too important to take lightly or poorly. I am sick of Turk racisim over it's rich archaeological content.

[Honorius]

im siding with the church as is flavius...i would love to see hagia restored to its former beauty and be restored to a church once again....but i highly doubt that the Turks would consider this...oh well

[Chyhoedd da]

I side with the Turks.

 

a) They won it. Constantano;le wasnt a push-over either.

The Building shouldnt be handed over to a religous group.

c) The Church would probally remove many Islamic themes under the guise of "Restoring it to its original state"

d) This shouldnt be a cause for the EU to deny Turkey into thier organization

e) It would be like the Allied powers after WWII .... "Oh hi Pakistan, we just took over half your land, most of it fertile, also you get new neigbors ... jews ... you know your old buds?"

 

This looosely links to the Divinci code in which the Church wants to be restored to its earlier power (Contental Dictatorship) by controlling all religous sites and removing non-christains people and things from them.

 

Though when it comes to supper, I'd choose beef any day over turkey.

[Honorius]

I side with the Turks.

 

a) They won it. Constantano;le wasnt a push-over either.

The Building shouldnt be handed over to a religous group.

c) The Church would probally remove many Islamic themes under the guise of "Restoring it to its original state"

d) This shouldnt be a cause for the EU to deny Turkey into thier organization

e) It would be like the Allied powers after WWII .... "Oh hi Pakistan, we just took over half your land, most of it fertile, also you get new neigbors ... jews ... you know your old buds?"

 

This looosely links to the Divinci code in which the Church wants to be restored to its earlier power (Contental Dictatorship) by controlling all religous sites and removing non-christains people and things from them.

 

Though when it comes to supper, I'd choose beef any day over turkey.

 

 

Pakistan!?! dont you mean Palestine? Palestine is an entire country, Hagia Sophia is a monument.

Edited February 11, 2006 by Honorius

[FLavius Valerius Constantinus]

I side with the Turks.

 

a) They won it. Constantano;le wasnt a push-over either.

The Building shouldnt be handed over to a religous group.

c) The Church would probally remove many Islamic themes under the guise of "Restoring it to its original state"

d) This shouldnt be a cause for the EU to deny Turkey into thier organization

e) It would be like the Allied powers after WWII .... "Oh hi Pakistan, we just took over half your land, most of it fertile, also you get new neigbors ... jews ... you know your old buds?"

 

This looosely links to the Divinci code in which the Church wants to be restored to its earlier power (Contental Dictatorship) by controlling all religous sites and removing non-christains people and things from them.

 

Though when it comes to supper, I'd choose beef any day over turkey.

 

How politically incorrect that statement was...

[Virgil61]

In a rare unexpected opinion from Favonius, he sides with the church, because this building is far too important to take lightly or poorly. I am sick of Turk racisim over it's rich archaeological content.

 

Hagia Sophia becoming Orthodox again would be incredibly symbolic but I don't think it would ever happen. After WWI I think the Greeks came close to gaining control over Istanbul/Constatinople because of the Treaty of Sevres which was revised after they were defeated in a war with Turkey.