S
Sinan
Guest
I don't know about Hagia Sophia, it's kind of a sensitive topic.On the topic of Orthodoxy in Istanbul, I unironically think that letting the Hagia Sophia get turned back into a church would actually be useful in giving Turkish Orthodoxy a good boost and strengthening Turkey's soft power worldwide among Christians. Turkey wins literally nothing from making it a mosque, a museum is essentially a "let's not piss off anyone and try to play nice with everyone" option but play your cards right with making it a church and you could win big.
I think Nein talked about the Cordoba church/mosque thing but here's the thing - nobody gives a f**k about Cordoba among Muslims. Most don't even know it exists and that's because it's not important. Hagia Sophia, to Orthodox Christians, is probably the closest thing they have to Mecca and that's why they get so up upset about it. Which is why it's the ideal tool of cultural leverage. It means nothing to most Muslims, except as a trophy for the ego for some. There are more than enough mosques in Turkey and most of them go unused and will go unused as the atheism percentage rises among Turks and some of the more...pious migrants are likely going to be thrown out in the future. Who needs Hagia Sophia when you have the Blue Mosque next door?
I'm just saying, think about it from a political angle.
But, i think exactly same with you on the The Ecumenical Patriarchate.