Apse mosaic of Virgin and Child.
Posted on 07/14/2014 4:36:47 AM PDT by markomalley
Visiting Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom), Christianity’s first mighty cathedral — now a museum — inaugurated by Byzantine Emperor Justinian in Constantinople in 537, is a mixed blessing.
Nothing can undercut the raw power of this huge structure, constructed in less than six years. Nothing can prevent glimmers of its former splendor from piercing my soul.
Spying the central mosaic of Mother Mary holding Jesus, high up in the semi-dome above the missing altar, I shiver thinking of all she’s survived: earthquakes, invasion, theft, concealment.
But the place is more…dingy than I expected considering its great significance: the building changed the course of sacred construction; it was the world’s largest cathedral for almost 1,000 years; it is the finest example of Byzantine architecture on the planet.
Historically, it embodies the displacement of Christianity by Islam in 1453.
When 21-year-old Sultan Mehmet II strode into the cathedral, he suspended slaughter long enough to pray at the altar and order its immediate conversion into a mosque. Minarets were added; mosaics were covered, although not all destroyed.
The Turkish government created the museum in 1934 as part of its intensive secularization campaign.
Today, water stains, dirty windows, peeling paint, haphazard scaffolding and amateur lighting are evident. More ominous, it’s increasingly a contested political symbol, possibly, the latest evidence that Turkey is secular no more.
Demands for Change
On May 31, thousands of Muslims gathered outside the museum for morning prayer led by a renowned, radical Saudi imam (banned from France), Sheikh Abdullah Basfar—roughly on the 561st anniversary of the Ottoman conquest.
The crowd demanded Ayasofya (its Turkish name) back for Islam. A petition with 15 million signatures backs the demand.
Turkish press reported the lead organizer said, “It is our duty to convert it back to its original state [sic] to show Islam’s prevalence in this region and…
(Excerpt) Read more at ncregister.com ...
Seen pictures of the inside of this very historic church, saw some icons that it was a miracle they survived.
Been in it, as well as the Blue Mosque. Both stunning buildings.
6 marble pillars are main supporting elements of Hagia Sophia. The emperor had them brought from Ephesus where they were pillars in the temple of Diana/Artemis.
How appropriate. Key supporting elements of a major “church” building came from a pagan temple. Just as Constantine converted all the temples of his day to “churches” - probably the first church buildings ever.....
There is a church in Rome I believe that was a converted Roman temple.
I want Constantinople back.
The persecution of pagans and heretics by Christians beginning with Constantine was the greatest error ever to enter Christianity and it continues today. There was never any authority for it. God’s kingdom is not of this earth.
Will this Islamophilic Pope say a damn thing if they move on the Hagia Sofia? Or will he go and wash their feet like he did to Muslim illegal invaders in Lampedusa?
I guess they don't have a strong PC movement in Turkey to guilt-trip the Muslims to "give the church back" to its original owners -- the Christians.
Not really.
Rather it helped to get the Christian faith spread even faster.
What you call “persecution” was the needed correcting of heresy and the promotion of “orthodox” or right Christian faith. There were a LOT of heresy at the time.
No, it bastardized Christianity and turned the church into sanctioners of mass murder the same as their former persecutors had been.
Three centuries of slaughter of Donatists, Montanists, Arians and others, along with east-west controversies where those groups mixed, mainly in north Africa caused Christians there to welcome the Muslim invaders who were neutral on these schisms but stopped the “Christian” on “Christian” bloodshed. And it was mainly the orthodox of the east and west doing the killing with support of the Roman/Byzantine state.
No true Christianity is spread by the sword.
This could be of interest to you:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/june/22.51.html?paging=off
Philip Jenkins, called the “Jesus Wars”.
It was a time when doctrine was being put together, and heresy was being fought against. The period of the great councils.
While the violence was very wrong and horrible, got to remember that heresy has no place in the Christian faith ether. That has to be understood.
That’s no excuse.
There is heresy all over the place right now. According to Rome, the Protestants and Orthodox are heretics. Luther called the pope anti-Christ. Various denominations are doing things that do not seem to have a biblical basis. And those who don’t like it move to be with those with who they agree.
Heresy is not a threat to true belief because the words and arguments are there for all to see and decide for themselves, except the Catholic Church did not allow it for 1500 years because they were playing fast and loose with the facts too.
If you excuse murder in the name of Christ then, would you excuse it now?
To correct you, I am not excusing violence of any type at the time, but remember that this is the part of Christian history that has to be brought up.
And I stand by my position.
Like it or not, this our history as Christians.
Heresy early in the history of the Christian was very bad and a threat to the Christian at the time. That is why we had the great major councils during the early centuries of the Christian faith.
God’s kingdom is in BOTH in Heaven and because of the Christian faith, in THIS world as well.
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