News

Museum Or Mosque? Battle Over Whether Turkey’s Hagia Sophia

According to nbc news, on Thursday, Turkey’s Council of State heard arguments by lawyers for the Association for the Protection of Historic Monuments and the Environment, a group asking for the Hagia Sophia to be reverted from a museum to a mosque.

Built between 532 and 537 AD at the direction of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian by two architects, Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles, Sophia became the largest church in Constantinople for nearly 1,000 years.

In 1453, Constantinople was overthrown by the Ottoman empire. Aya Sophia was transformed into a mosque by Sultan Muhammad al-Fateh and all items of Christian religion such as bells and altars were removed and replaced with Islamic elements such as the mihrab, pulpit, and four towers outside the building.

Declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017, the status change was a request from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at last year’s election rally.

To your knowledge, Muslims in Turkey have long been demanding that this building be a mosque, but it has been opposed not only by secular opposition.

In fact, Turkey’s highest court in 2018 has rejected an appeal to allow Muslims to pray in the building on the grounds that the application was unqualified and any changes were not made.

Source: Nbcnews

Adib Mohd

Recent Posts

From Cookies to Classrooms: Starbucks Raises Over RM100K to Revive Centre for the Deaf

What if your sweet tooth could change lives? Since 2018, Starbucks Malaysia has raised over… Read More

21 hours ago

Tous les Jours Expands in Malaysia with New Outlets at Sunway Pyramid and Sunway Velocity

Malaysian fans of delectable K-inspired baked goods will be delighted to hear that Tous Les… Read More

1 day ago

Stitch Lands in KL, Disney’s Blue Menace Takes Over Pavilion This School Holiday

Get ready for a school holiday filled with tropical vibes as Pavilion Kuala Lumpur transforms… Read More

1 day ago

Malaysia Gears Up for Southeast Asia’s First Smart City Expo, Here’s Why You Should Care

Kuala Lumpur just flipped the switch on something big. The 100-day countdown to Smart City… Read More

1 day ago

Ejen Ali: The Movie Review, A Next-Level Win for Malaysian Animation

Ejen Ali: The Movie 2 isn’t just a sequel, it’s a bold upgrade that proves… Read More

1 day ago

When Creativity Meets Comfort: LEGO® and IKEA Malaysia Reimagine Home Decor

When Creativity Meets Comfort: LEGO® and IKEA Malaysia Reimagine Home Decor With its latest collection… Read More

3 days ago

This website uses cookies.