[Petrosius]

The situation in Spain is different than that in Istanbul. The Spanish cathedrals that exist on the sites of former mosques only restored the status quo from before the Moorish invasion. If the Muslims had not previously destroyed the Christian churches it would not have been necessary to build them on the sites of former mosques.

I also want to emphasize the fact that Hagia Sophia is no longer being used as a mosque. If it were then then the Muslims could claim that it would be unjust to deprive them of a place of worship. As it is, no harm would come to any Muslim worshipers.

[muawiyah]

You know, of course, that Spanish religious architecture, over the many hundreds of years of the Reconquista, adapted to the "shifts". A city might be Christian for many years, then become Moslem, and then back to Christian.

The same places of worship continued in use and few sound structures were ever knocked down.

What I wonder is why, if their practice was to knock down Christian churches and put up mosques on the site, the Moslems left Hagia Sofia alone (for the most part), and even preserved the statuary?

Do you suspect that both the Moslems and the Christians in Spain were a better cut of human being than those in the East?

[JoeFromSidney]

I also want to emphasize the fact that Hagia Sophia is no longer being used as a mosque.

I was once touring Hagia Sophia in a group that included a couple from Saudi Arabia. The man wanted to pray, and the tour guide told him he couln't pray in the Hagia Sophia, but would have to wait until the group got to the Blue Mosque.

The Orthodox already have a huge church in Istanbul. I don't know whether they'd want to take on another one, since keeping it in shape would be extremely expensive.