Exploring Hagia Sophia in a weird hat from the Grand Bazaar (Photo: Emily O'Dell)
We are looking at a sad Hagia Sophia, but hopefully we will see it smiling again soon.
— Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc
Earlier today, Greece and Turkey feuded over the the possible conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque. This World Heritage Site, which is often the first stop for travelers when they visit Istanbul, is currently designated as a “museum,” though its first incarnation was as a church (before it was converted to a mosque by the Ottomans in 1453). Though Hagia Sophia has been a museum since 1935, this year Turkish government officials have been pushing to have it transformed back into a working mosque…
Recurrent statements made by high ranking Turkish officials about converting Byzantine Christian churches into mosques are offending the religious feeling of millions of Christians.
— Greece’s Foreign Ministry
