Turkey Turns Hagia Sophia Into a Mosque

In a provocative and dangerous historic event, Turkey's Islamist government and president turn the Hagia Sophia Museum into a Mosque.

Correction: The Hagia Sophia was built in the 6th century. In the 3rd century, it wasn't the Hagia Sophia.

[TheodoreLudong]

Fun fact: Muslims liked the design of Hagia Sophia so much, they started designing all their mosques post Constantinople siege to look like it. Even the dome, especially the dome was actually a Christian symbol.
Highest form of flattery, I guess...

[copticstate]

Hagia Sophia was, as of 2014, the second-most visited museum in Turkey, attracting almost 3.3 million visitors annually. According to data released by the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry,  Hagia Sophia was Turkey's most visited tourist attraction in 2015 and 2019.
Christian Tourists should BOYCOTT Turkey and chose other destinations
Let them lose money

[bulu]

Destroying and capturing other religion's places of worship is part of islamic tradition and ideology

[phillipgraham]

Imagine if Christians turned a historic mosque in conquered land into a cathedral. The uproar would be unimaginable, but obviously those standards do not work both ways.

[raymondsaint]

As a Christian, I am very heartbroken over this.

[rickintexas]

The more I learn about Islam, the less I like Islam. I have learned a lot about Islam since 2001.

[therealfaceofislam]

As a Christian I want to ask why western Christian countries, like Europe or Russia, do not take a strong stand against this act! These countries are satisfied with only words of consolation and comfort

[yialoussa]

As a person of Greek Cypriot heritage who watches and likes your programs very much. I am heartbroken at this. Let me say I grew up in England and have lived in Canada for most of my life. This is gratuitous humiliation of Christians and Greeks beyond anything. I know a few weeks ago, that Turks were rejoicing at the defeat and conquest of (Greek) Byzantine Constantinople in Ayia Sofia. Now, this is like dancing over the graves of a long-defeated people and rejoicing over their humiliation. I can’t express my distaste for this too strongly.
Let me say in Canada, the native population was largely exterminated and other atrocities committed, (and maybe I shouldn’t liken it to the Greek native population in Asia Minor too much) but the sacred sites of the natives have now been restored and are greatly respected by Canadians and held in sacred trust. It would be unthinkable that we would desecrate these sites, let alone dance over them and show our disdain for the defeated native Canadians.
I have visited 63 countries and have made good friends all over the world. People have been overwhelmingly decent, wherever I went with my wife. I cannot understand the Turkish psyche.

[ayushvatsya]

Meanwhile 44000 Hindu temples turned mosque in India: Welcome to the group.

[KundanKsingh]

IN INDIA: almost 40000 temple were destroyed and mosque built over it during Islamic invasion.

[matugenustheconqueror]

As a Turkish, I am very upset to hear this news. We have:
High rates of unemployment:
Very high Taxes (ÖTV)
Low wages
5 million refugees
Corruptions
Bad education system
Economic regression...

And these issues are none of our Politician's priority. Now our millions of people are celebrating the conversion of Hagia Sophia. There isn't any advantage to convert it into mosque because thousands of mosques are empty even in Fridays. No any idea why do they do these kind of useless things while there are lots of big proglems to be solved.

[michaelpatras]

Turkey is giving a reason to Jews to build their Temple upon the mosque in Jerusalem

[NadaVerse]

Unfortunately the vast majority of the Western World is ignorant of the imminent danger that this action by *”Sultan Erdogan”* has unleashed. *THANK YOU Ridvan for bringing this greatly important issue to the forefront🙏🏽*

[StreetArtistsOfTheWorld]

One sick man asks someone to scribble some stuff down because he is ignorant, in no particular order, 1400 years later untold destruction while millions continue to die and hate others because of those (nonsensical, as proven by AP) scribblings.
So sad.

[ChrisAnatolitis]

As a Greek Orthodox Christian we are used to Turks taking everything from us to form their own culture.

[balabani]

This looks like an “Ottoman slap” against Christians celebrated by Islamists. What is next is he going to destroy the paintings depicting Jesus in Hagia Sophia? Erdogan that complains of Islamophobia in the West and builds Mosques right and left now has no problem to turn the Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

[joshd]

Sad that those masterful mosaics will be covered again.

[elinosra]

Like they don’t have another mosque two blocks from there. This is horrendous.

[maduvirginia]

This is heartbreaking, and this proves what the Islamic conquer did centuries ago,
It's disgusting how desperate they are to rule the world 😳💩
That shows what they'd do if they descend any country 😮

[johnpeters]

Well that visit is off my bucket list.