Turkey: Parliament considers a proposal to reconvert the Hagia Sophia to a mosque

On January 29, 2013, the Turkish Parliament agreed to consider a proposal for the reconversion of Istanbul’s basilica Hagia Sophia to a mosque.  According to the website www.orthodoxie.com, the proposal was submitted by a Turkish citizen living in the centre of the country. The parliamentary commission that will study the proposal will consult with a variety of organizations and institutions.

Founded by the Byzantines, Hagia Sophia was a Christian church for 1000 years before the Turks turned it into a mosque after they took Constantinople in 1453. It became a museum in 1935 and religious activities were banned from it.

This proposal follows the Turkish government’s decisions during the last two years to reconvert the church of St. Sophia of Iznik (formerly Nicea), where the Second Nicean (and seventh ecumenical) Council was held in 787, and the church of St. Sophia of Trabzon, in northern Turkey.

On May 27, 2012, thousands of Islamic militants had demonstrated in Istanbul, calling for the re-opening of the Hagia Sophia to Moslem worship.

(Sources: kipa-apic.ch – orthodoxie.com – DICI no. 270, 15/02/13)

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