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Religion in Turkey
Erasing the Christian past
A fine Byzantine church in Turkey has been converted into a mosque
Jul 27th 2013 | TRABZON |From the print edition
Sinful paintings on the ceiling?
ON JULY 5th the mufti of Trabzon gathered with other citizens for the
first Friday prayers of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, not at a
mosque but at an ancient Byzantine church. The gathering was a
symbolic re-enactment of the conquest in 1462 of this ancient Greek
Black Sea port by Mehmet II, the Ottoman sultan who had wrested
Constantinople from the Byzantines in 1453. He marked his victory by
converting the Haghia Sophia cathedral of today's Istanbul into a
mosque.
Haghia Sophia's sister of the same name in Trabzon is less grand. Yet
with its dazzling frescoes and magnificent setting overlooking the
sea, the 13th-century building is regarded as one of the finest
examples of Byzantine architecture. As with other Christian monuments,
the Haghia Sophia in Trabzon has become a symbol in the battle between
secularists and Islamists. It was converted into a mosque around the
16th century and, after other incarnations, became a museum in 1964.
But the Islamists won the last round in 2012 when a local court
accepted the claim by the General Directorate of the Pious
Foundations, the government body responsible for Turkey's historic
mosques, that the Haghia Sophia belonged to the foundation of Mehmet
II and was being `illegally occupied' by the culture ministry.
The decision provoked surprising anger in a city notorious for its
ultra-nationalist views. `It's about erasing the Christian past,
reviving Ottomanism,' says a local historian. `There are enough
mosques in Trabzon, half of them empty, what was the need?' chimes in
Zeki Bakar, a neighbourhood councillor. A lawsuit has been brought to
undo the conversion.
Even so, the mildly Islamist Justice and Development (AK) government
carried out the conversion in time for Ramadan. A red carpet now
obscures exquisite floor mosaics. Shutters and tents beneath the
central dome shield Muslim worshippers from `sinful' paintings of the
Holy Trinity. Shiny steel taps with plastic stools for ablutions
clutter a once-verdant garden filled with ancient sculptures.
Mazhar Yildirimhan of the Pious Foundations Directorate's office in
Trabzon shrugs off complaints as propaganda. But for experts the
conversion is tragic, and will inevitably lead to damaging the
building. `It seems to follow closely that of Haghia Sophia in Iznik,'
warns Antony Eastmond of the Courtauld Institute of Art, referring to
another conversion.
All this is prompting anxiety that the Haghia Sophia in Istanbul `will
be next'. These fears are overdone. Restoration work on the famous
basilica has continued under a decade of AK rule and Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, the prime minister, has dismissed worries about its fate. Yet
Mr Yildirimhan makes no secret of his desire for a conversion, which
he says is shared by fellow Muslims. `It was ordained by the sultan,'
he says. `We have all the records.'
>From the print edition: Europe
http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21582317-fine-byzantine-church-turkey-has-been-converted-mosque-erasing-christian-past
From: A. Papazian
Erasing the Christian past
A fine Byzantine church in Turkey has been converted into a mosque
Jul 27th 2013 | TRABZON |From the print edition
Sinful paintings on the ceiling?
ON JULY 5th the mufti of Trabzon gathered with other citizens for the
first Friday prayers of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, not at a
mosque but at an ancient Byzantine church. The gathering was a
symbolic re-enactment of the conquest in 1462 of this ancient Greek
Black Sea port by Mehmet II, the Ottoman sultan who had wrested
Constantinople from the Byzantines in 1453. He marked his victory by
converting the Haghia Sophia cathedral of today's Istanbul into a
mosque.
Haghia Sophia's sister of the same name in Trabzon is less grand. Yet
with its dazzling frescoes and magnificent setting overlooking the
sea, the 13th-century building is regarded as one of the finest
examples of Byzantine architecture. As with other Christian monuments,
the Haghia Sophia in Trabzon has become a symbol in the battle between
secularists and Islamists. It was converted into a mosque around the
16th century and, after other incarnations, became a museum in 1964.
But the Islamists won the last round in 2012 when a local court
accepted the claim by the General Directorate of the Pious
Foundations, the government body responsible for Turkey's historic
mosques, that the Haghia Sophia belonged to the foundation of Mehmet
II and was being `illegally occupied' by the culture ministry.
The decision provoked surprising anger in a city notorious for its
ultra-nationalist views. `It's about erasing the Christian past,
reviving Ottomanism,' says a local historian. `There are enough
mosques in Trabzon, half of them empty, what was the need?' chimes in
Zeki Bakar, a neighbourhood councillor. A lawsuit has been brought to
undo the conversion.
Even so, the mildly Islamist Justice and Development (AK) government
carried out the conversion in time for Ramadan. A red carpet now
obscures exquisite floor mosaics. Shutters and tents beneath the
central dome shield Muslim worshippers from `sinful' paintings of the
Holy Trinity. Shiny steel taps with plastic stools for ablutions
clutter a once-verdant garden filled with ancient sculptures.
Mazhar Yildirimhan of the Pious Foundations Directorate's office in
Trabzon shrugs off complaints as propaganda. But for experts the
conversion is tragic, and will inevitably lead to damaging the
building. `It seems to follow closely that of Haghia Sophia in Iznik,'
warns Antony Eastmond of the Courtauld Institute of Art, referring to
another conversion.
All this is prompting anxiety that the Haghia Sophia in Istanbul `will
be next'. These fears are overdone. Restoration work on the famous
basilica has continued under a decade of AK rule and Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, the prime minister, has dismissed worries about its fate. Yet
Mr Yildirimhan makes no secret of his desire for a conversion, which
he says is shared by fellow Muslims. `It was ordained by the sultan,'
he says. `We have all the records.'
>From the print edition: Europe
http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21582317-fine-byzantine-church-turkey-has-been-converted-mosque-erasing-christian-past
From: A. Papazian