The Storied Past of Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia
On July 12, 2020, Pope Francis stood silently in a pulpit placed in the large window overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican in Rome. He had just delivered the weekly Angelus prayer given each Sunday, which had lifted up those who work at sea, far from their homes. After a moment of reflection, he said: “The sea takes my thoughts a bit far, to Istanbul.” He was contemplating the recent decision, announced by President Erdoğan of Turkey, that a Turkish court had, on June 25, 2020, annulled a cabinet decree that been in place since 1934, that Hagia Sophia, a cultural destination for thousands of tourists each year, would no longer be a museum. Its status would henceforth revert back to that of a Muslim mosque. It would now be under the control of the Presidency of Religious Affairs rather than the Ministry of Culture. After a moment of silence, the Pope said: “I think of Hagia Sophia, and I am very saddened."
View is from the Imperial Gate of Topkapı Palace, with the Fountain of Ahmed III on the left. (1852 lithograph) (Public Domain)
UNESCO Museum
Hagia Sophia is a UNESCO World Heritage site, an organization that was quick to express great regret over the recent decision, as did representatives from many foreign countries. Director-General Audrey Azoulay, speaking for UNESCO, issued a succinct statement: "Hagia Sophia is an architectural masterpiece and a unique testimony to interactions between Europe and Asia over the centuries. Its status as a museum reflects the universal nature of its heritage and makes it a powerful symbol for dialogue."
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