Hagia Sophia, once the largest church in the world, is to become a mosque. The move by the Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan reverses a decision made in 1931 by the country’s founding father, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, to turn the sacred space into a secular museum. It has prompted grief among Christians and protests among those who cherish Turkey’s tattered tradition of tolerance. Istanbul is not short of mosques. The building’s haunting beauty could unite Catholic, Orthodox, Muslim, and secularists in shared appreciation of a common heritage, and perhaps also serve as a rebuke to those wishing to fan old flames of hatred. Now it has become a flashpoint for resentment. Any short-term political dividend for President Erdogan is likely to be outweighed by the long-term damage to Turkey’s reputation.
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Edward Lucas: Towering presence
Turkish police officers (R) visit the Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul, on July 10, 2020.
