Recently, Turkish President Erdogan changed the status of a contentious religious structure from a museum to a mosque. Hagia Sophia is a significant historical structure built as a cathedral in Istanbul (then Constantinople) in the 6th century CE (532-537) under the auspices of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. Throughout history, several of its structures have been destroyed by natural as well as man-made events. However, what made this structure a contentious one? After all, its identity as a cathedral was quite clear. Here’s what happened!
In 1453, Ottoman emperor Mehmed II redesigned the structure as a mosque and built certain additional structures to ensure sites were in accordance with Islamic traditions. But, it sparked a controversy as first, it had been a cathedral for the longest time, and second, since two places of worship of different religions were in close proximity. For the longest time, there was a contention as to whether Hagia Sophia as an entirety is a mosque or a cathedral. To ensure peace and settle the debate, founder of the Turkish Republic and President Mustafa Kamal Ataturk declared the structure to be a museum, thereby secularising it. It was later declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, attracting immense tourists and art folks alike.
UNESCO issued a statement saying that it condemns such a change in status of Hagia Sophia since it affects the monument’s outstanding universal value. There are huge remnants of Byzantine artwork and mosaics inside the monument, on which there is no clarity now. Let’s run the numbers for the artwork attractions, there were 3.7 million tourists who visited Hagia Sophia Museum in 2019. There existed some artwork not in-line with Islamic tenets which was covered in plaster when the structure was being used as a mosque. However, its conversion into a mosque ensured that all its art was open to visits, and secular prayers. This may change from now on!
Turkish commentators have stated that this change is part of overall tactics of Erdogan to reduce the secular ethos of the country. This may lead to religious tensions as well since Turkish government has now declared exclusive usage of Hagia Sophia as a mosque, thereby demeaning secular credentials of Turkey.
Does this sound similar to any structure in India? Well, we leave that thinking to you!
Image credits: The Greek Reporter
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