Turkish president #Erdogan’s decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque has sparked controversy around the world. Dr. Safiyyah Ally explores at the history of this famous monument (first as a #Christian Eastern Orthodox cathedral, then a Roman Catholic cathedral, then a mosque, then a museum, and now a mosque again), explaining that it was common for ancient places of worship to change hands and functions depending on who was in power. She considers whether using Hagia Sophia as a place of #Muslim worship will erase its Christian heritage and diminish its religious diversity. She explains that this controversy raises additional questions about the best way to preserve and value our cultural heritage. Do we best honour the value of a historical monument by continuing to use it as originally intended – as the Hagia Sophia will be used as a place of worship? Should we use these sites, and let their purpose and meaning change and evolve with time, or do we try to preserve our history by keeping these sites safe and unchanged? Should we prioritize one aspect of a site’s history, or to try to remember all the elements of a site’s complex past? We leave it up to you to decide!

#HagiaSophia #istanbul #turkey

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