The Cathedral of Cordoba is known variously as “the Great Mosque of Cordoba” or “the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba.” It is properly known to Christians as the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption. The site, prior to Islamic conquest, was the Christian basilica of Saint Vincent Lérins.
Will Hagia Sophia be called “The Cathedral Mosque of Constantinople” or “the Great Cathedral of Constantinople”?
Didn’t think so.
A “sacred” site for Muslims that is comparable to the Hagia Sophia for Christianity is The Great Mosque of Kairouan in Tunisia. It was build by Muslims in the 600s and has never been anything but a mosque, and is considered one of the most impressive and largest Islamic monuments in the world. It is now World Heritage Site, but has declined in importance over the many centuries of wear and tear.
I say we swoop in with a MASSIVE “Shock and Awe” campaign with SWAT teams of heavily armed Christian militia groups that quickly surround and overwhelm the mosque.
After occupying the Great Mosque of Kairouan, kick out all the Muslims, install big crucifixes, baptismal fonts, etc., etc. all over the grounds, and rename it Our Lady of the Mediterranean.
To the victor goes the spoils. I’m sure they’ll understand.
;-)