Hagia Sophia - Time to restore to a Christian Cathedral

http://www.hagiasophiablog.com ^ | March 7, 2006 | Angeliki Papagika

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

You're welcome! (My Greek's pretty weak, but I understood that one!)

[Dumb_Ox]

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate needs a lot more help before this can even be considered a possibility. Turkish regulations are so restrictive that it is possible there might not be a patriarch in a few decades. The Hagia Sophia cause is in danger of turning into a purely symbolic "feel good" gesture overshadowing other very real problems.

[eleni121]

Empress Theodora and her retinue (this is in Ravenna)

[kimosabe31]

So I have no problem with it remaining a museum...

I doubt many on this thread much give a damn what you do or don't have a problem with.

[plck]

Let us rock. Sign for UNITY.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

I believe the colors that you mentioned were attributed to the teams, and the blue and green teams were the most popular and powerful. There was a riot in Constantinople over a chariot race (the highlighted feature since gladiatorial games were outlawed with the advent of Christianity). I think the riot may have been during Justinian's rule.

I lived in Germany and traveled much in Europe, including Italy and Greece, but I have never been to Istanbul. I hope to go there after I retire in a couple of years.


I have often wondered how history would have turned out if the Byzantine Empire had survived the Turkish invasion and the Christian/Greek culture maintained control over the Balkans and Anatolia. I think the world would have been spared much misery.

[Young Werther]

It's sad that the Turkish occupation, which ended with WWI, would wreak havoc on many of the monuments of the Classical Era. The Parthenon was still pristine and preserved until in the 17th or 18th Century it was turned into an ammunition dump for the Turkish Army. The fire and explosion would destroy the jewel of the Pericles era! How sad.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

The Parthenon is still a stunning work event in its damaged state. The Roman Forum is another site that was damaged by an earthquake in the middle ages, and the "mining" of stone to build St. Peter's Basilica.

I visited Egypt (a cruise down the Nile is fantastic) and it is amazing how many ancient temples, tombs and palaces are so well preserved there. Some of these places still have the original paint from 3500 years ago. Some were covered by the desert and preserved for centuries.

[eleni121]

An interesting origins story pased down to me:

In past times, travelers would ask passers by where they were going.

Their response usually was

"Is tin Poli" -- to the City

"Is tin poli" became Istanbul.

[eleni121]

Greek support ping (sorry for any duplicaiton)

[eleni121]

Greek support ping (sorry for any duplication)

[Kolokotronis]

Agia Sophia petition ping in case you haven't seen this yet.

[MarMema]

Which Georgia are you from, George?

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

In the USA, the Peach State; Keystone state of the South.

[katnip]

Signed and bumped.

[Agrarian]

Can the Orthodox Church afford to restore and maintain the building? Just asking, since I seem to remember reading somewhere that it was a drain even on the Byzantine Empire.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to see Orthodox worship going on there again. You and I and your priests can go there and chant some services! We can take turns on the "eeson."

[The Sons of Liberty]

>I>any chance of making them return the city to its rightful name (constantinople) and its rightful owners (greece)?

Yes, the same as a snowball in hell.

[Kolokotronis]

"Can the Orthodox Church afford to restore and maintain the building? Just asking, since I seem to remember reading somewhere that it was a drain even on the Byzantine Empire."

I suspect we could find the money somewhere; maybe the Vatican or the OCA. :) Or we could sell tickets to our chanting with hson (sp?).

[MarMema]

Oh sure, just look in those private accounts the OCA had...

[sitetest]

Dear Kolokotronis,

"I suspect we could find the money somewhere; maybe the Vatican..."

In the context of reunion, maybe. But otherwise, why?

However, even in the context of reunion, it's doubtful. The Vatican, although it possesses many priceless treasures, isn't exactly rolling in cash. The Holy See finds it difficult to balance its books as it is.


sitetest