The Agia Sophia

Many do want it to become a church  or mosque again.  If Turkey wants a publicity stunt to overcome some resistance  in EU nations against  possible EU membership, making it a church again will score a lot of points ( esp.  in Greece, Cyprus etc. ). But that's politics . 

Edited by Sander - 20-Aug-2009 at 07:40

Originally posted by eaglecap Originally posted by Sander Many do want it to become a church  or mosque again.  If Turkey wants a publicity stunt to overcome some resistance  in EU nations against  possible EU membership, making it a church again will score a lot of points ( esp.  in Greece, Cyprus etc. ). But that's politics .    The structure is marvelous. More pics :   Hagia/Aya Sophia By Night         The exit It is an amazing building and even when I was outside I would sit in the beautiful park with the water fountain and just stare at it for hours, and enjoy the pretty Turkish gals walking by. This is something I usually do when I am out in the wilderness to enjoy its beauty. If it become a Mosque again then all the painting that they have uncovered would once again be plastered over. I am glad the Turks had some respect for them and simply covered them up vs. destroying them like the Statues of buda. Thanks for adding those pice- it brought back memories.

My Turkish friend who took the photo, upon my request, tried to reduce the amount of minarets in the photo. Later, some friend at home took it to photo shop and erased the one minaret and then add a cross on top but it turned out to be the wrong type of cross, not an Orthodox one.

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I hope, it stays a museum forever and Spain, Vatican and EU can also remind to turn Cathedral-Mosque of Cordoba as a musuem

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In todays Hagia Sophia photoes, removing its minarets and put a cross on its top or trying especially to take a photo of Hagia Sophia without minarets are selfish, thoughtless and fascist ideas.  Like putting minarets near the historical Hagia Sofia church figures or today's Parthenon photoes. They are barbaric, vandal acts.

fascist photo sample


Of cource you can use the historical figures/photoes of converted building about its pre-convertion period and you have to do it to explain building history

Parthenon example for historical figure(its mosque period)


Or in created images which try to explain history(examples; a image which shows historical Ottoman Athens and a image which shows Byzantine period of Istanbul)

You can't remove minarets in up image or you can't add minarets below Hagia Sofia because it shows the Hagia Sophia figure and city's map which is before Ottoman Conquest.


if you change today's photoesa according to your political, ethic or religion perspective, I can't find more thing to tell you with my narrow english vacobulary.

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Golden Horn and Hagia Sofia

inside


maybe you don't know
this angel figure(back wall) is one of the new things. after 160 years, people can see it again


tunnels under the Hagia Sofia


Computer İmages

The image from Turkish guy, shows Hagia Sofia as a church because it is showing year 1453


Civilization (computer game)


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When you visit Hagia Sophia, don't forget respect its all history; İslamic, Christian and of course Pagan. It was built on Apollon temple so remember god Apollon too.

Purty. The blue mosque is also gorgeous but the hagia sophia is so much more impressive when you're standing under its dome. It is just an amazing architectural feat; one the Ottomans apparently could not replicate since the dome of the blue mosque is held up by two massive pillars.