Convert Hagia Sophia back to a church

Ill use an example that my professor/retired architect once revealed to me.

Imagine architecture as an automobile coasting down the road at approx. 25mph when he comes across the Egyptians he drops the clutch and accelerates past the speed limit. The vehicle also does this when passing the Greeks, Romans, Gothic period etc...

I dont believe the Ottoman age to be an acceleration point when it comes to architecture, not to say that they didnt advance or to belittle their structures.

No, this isn't what I have written. You misunderstood. To the contrary, I wrote that the Byzantines had used Flying Buttresses to carry the weight of the dome, whereas the Ottomans have developed a way to carry theirs without buttresses, which improves the looks of the building from the outside. If the Byzantines knew how to do that, they would have built Ayasofya in the same way. They simply lacked the necessary technical knowledge.

I agree to this. They predate other buildings, it is natural that they are both technically inferior and more influential.

Well, some people were claiming that the Ottoman architecture is an ugly and inferior copy of the Byzantine one, and I moved in to teach them a thing or two about architecture. Then you came along claiming that they are right. Now, I guess, you conceit the point.

Nobody claimed that Ottomans or the Byzantines have 'invented more advances' than the Romans. On the contrary, I said all Ottoman grand mosques are based on the Byzantine design. Stop putting words in my mouth, go back to my message and your reply and read again. My claim is pure and simple, 'Ottoman grand mosques are technically and aesthetically superior to Ayasofya', it's not 'they are more influential and original'.

Now you claim this, but your actions talk differently. If you really liked and respected Ottoman architecture, you would not have rushed in to write 'nothing they built comes close to Byzantines' (something which you later admitted was untrue), as an answer to my defence of the Ottoman architecture against aggressors who claimed that it is 'just an ugly and inferior copy of the Byzantine'. If you are sincere, let's see you edit your original 'provocative' remarks in a more respective way.

Aesthetics aside (we all have an opinion beauty), this topic raises a concern where many individuals support their rhetoric with animosity and bias. Whats mine is mine, but whats yours is also mine.

Though I've been abscent for a while, I could always get a recap on such old fashioned debates by reading threads like this.

Have any groups considered making Hagia Sophia a church/mosque?  This is not an idea I would support, as I believe it needs to be a church, and for other reasons that we have already discussed in this thread and others.  However, I am wondering if this idea has ever been considered.  Maybe they would put the cross on the dome, but leave the minarets (topped with crescents) on, the mosaics would all be uncovered and restored, but those big islamic disks inside would remain.  Of course, an orthodox altar would have to be restored.  Perhaps this would be a temporary compromise until a permanent solution (preferrably the one I believe should be done) is found, though the building might look somewhat odd.

oh ok

i think all said what they wanted to say, if not plz continue via PMs plz.

this thread is closed.