Hagia Sophia -- Then and Now
April 2, 2022: Hagia Sophia, now a mosque, is packed with Muslims praying on the first day of Ramadan.
The Hagia Sophia was originally built as a Christian cathedral in the year 532 A.D. in honor of Christ the Savior. The Hagia Sophia was the largest Christian cathedral constructed in the ancient world and was one of the greatest masterpieces of Christian culture.
It was a museum from 1935 until 2020 and was a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then, in 2020, Turkey converted the museum into a mosque. Because of Covid, it was not used as a mosque until this year, 2022, on the first day of Ramadan.
In July 2020, the Russian Orthodox Church issued a strong statement against Turkey’s proposal to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque. In an official statement by Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Church, Kirill said “a threat to Hagia Sophia is a threat to the entire Christian civilization.”
The proposal was criticized by many religious and political leaders. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Greek government both sent strong messages to Turkey to keep the Cathedral as a museum.
Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations said, “We can’t go back to the Middle Ages.” Such a move by Turkey was “unacceptable.”
But Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan went ahead and transformed the centerpiece of global Christianity — and a UNESCO World Heritage Site — into a mosque
Just prior to turning the cathedral into a mosque, archeologists at the Hagia Sophia made a number of discoveries. They discovered a circle made of a type of igneous rock called porphyry where Justinian I, the emperor of the Byzantine Empire, stood during a religious ceremony.
It was a museum from 1935 until 2020 and was a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then, in 2020, Turkey converted the museum into a mosque. Because of Covid, it was not used as a mosque until this year, 2022, on the first day of Ramadan.
In July 2020, the Russian Orthodox Church issued a strong statement against Turkey’s proposal to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque. In an official statement by Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Church, Kirill said “a threat to Hagia Sophia is a threat to the entire Christian civilization.”
The proposal was criticized by many religious and political leaders. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Greek government both sent strong messages to Turkey to keep the Cathedral as a museum.
Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations said, “We can’t go back to the Middle Ages.” Such a move by Turkey was “unacceptable.”
But Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan went ahead and transformed the centerpiece of global Christianity — and a UNESCO World Heritage Site — into a mosque
Just prior to turning the cathedral into a mosque, archeologists at the Hagia Sophia made a number of discoveries. They discovered a circle made of a type of igneous rock called porphyry where Justinian I, the emperor of the Byzantine Empire, stood during a religious ceremony.
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Researchers also found a vaulted space that was possibly the remains of an ancient library that held thousands of scrolls.
Researchers also found a fresco bearing a large cross. The fresco was found on a structure known as the northeast ramp, constructed during the reign of Justinian I.
A greenstone wall was part of a structure researchers believe was the remains of the Great Baptistery, where baptism was performed on Epiphany and Easter and where the emperors' children were baptized.
From its opening, the Hagia Sophia combined traditional design elements of an Orthodox basilica with a large, domed roof and a semi-domed altar with two porches. The dome’s supporting arches were covered with mosaics of angels.
The marble used for the floor and ceiling was produced in eastern Turkey and Syria and other bricks came from North Africa.
The Hagia Sophia’s 104 columns were imported from the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus and also from Egypt.
The building measured 269 feet in length and 240 feet in width and at its highest point, the domed roof stretches some 180 feet into the air
Researchers also found a fresco bearing a large cross. The fresco was found on a structure known as the northeast ramp, constructed during the reign of Justinian I.
A greenstone wall was part of a structure researchers believe was the remains of the Great Baptistery, where baptism was performed on Epiphany and Easter and where the emperors' children were baptized.
From its opening, the Hagia Sophia combined traditional design elements of an Orthodox basilica with a large, domed roof and a semi-domed altar with two porches. The dome’s supporting arches were covered with mosaics of angels.
The marble used for the floor and ceiling was produced in eastern Turkey and Syria and other bricks came from North Africa.
The Hagia Sophia’s 104 columns were imported from the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus and also from Egypt.
The building measured 269 feet in length and 240 feet in width and at its highest point, the domed roof stretches some 180 feet into the air
Sources
https://pappaspost.com/russian-orthodox-church-adds-its-voice-unacceptable-to-turn-hagia-sophia-into-a-mosque/
https://www.livescience.com/65349-photos-hagia-sophia-discoveries.html
https://www.livescience.com/65350-emperor-baptistery-at-hagia-sophia.html
https://pappaspost.com/russian-orthodox-church-adds-its-voice-unacceptable-to-turn-hagia-sophia-into-a-mosque/
https://www.livescience.com/65349-photos-hagia-sophia-discoveries.html
https://www.livescience.com/65350-emperor-baptistery-at-hagia-sophia.html