Terrific post. Are you implying that Hagia Sofia murals might have been destroyed after the last conversion to a Mosque? Sad to learn about Chora, and grateful to learn more about those mosaics.
I don't think even Erdogan would go that far, but I've seen reports that Chora has been radically transformed. They've installed a drop ceiling and put up screens so the art has been hidden, as well as carpets. I'll probably do a follow-up post when we've got more information, but it's pretty bad. Even the conqueror of Constantinople didn't have them destroyed, and though he didn't know it, adding the lime wash - and later layers of plaster - did a lot to preserve the works ultimately. I think a post on iconoclasm, ancient and modern, is next for the paying crowd. We need to really understand this urge. It's pretty damned evil.
I was in Constantinople this past September and made a pilgrimage to the Hagia Sophia. It’s an incredible structure, despite how it’s been treated by the Mohammedans. Very sad to see its continued profanation, but it was also encouraging to see how the cross, despite their attempts, remains in various places. We couldn’t fully grasp the Theotokos icon in the sanctuary as they’ve covered it with some cloth strips.
Our party did pray some imprecatory psalms while there, with the hope of its restoration to its rightful owners. 🙏
Relatives of mine took a guided tour of the cathedral in Cordova. Their guide mentioned that it was when visiting the same place earlier that Erdogan vowed to make the Hagia Sophia a mosque, in retaliation for Spain having turned the mosque into a cathedral. It seems his march to Islamify churches will continue unabated…
Terrific post. Are you implying that Hagia Sofia murals might have been destroyed after the last conversion to a Mosque? Sad to learn about Chora, and grateful to learn more about those mosaics.
I don't think even Erdogan would go that far, but I've seen reports that Chora has been radically transformed. They've installed a drop ceiling and put up screens so the art has been hidden, as well as carpets. I'll probably do a follow-up post when we've got more information, but it's pretty bad. Even the conqueror of Constantinople didn't have them destroyed, and though he didn't know it, adding the lime wash - and later layers of plaster - did a lot to preserve the works ultimately. I think a post on iconoclasm, ancient and modern, is next for the paying crowd. We need to really understand this urge. It's pretty damned evil.
My heart hurts...
Yeah, it's pretty awful.
I was in Constantinople this past September and made a pilgrimage to the Hagia Sophia. It’s an incredible structure, despite how it’s been treated by the Mohammedans. Very sad to see its continued profanation, but it was also encouraging to see how the cross, despite their attempts, remains in various places. We couldn’t fully grasp the Theotokos icon in the sanctuary as they’ve covered it with some cloth strips.
Our party did pray some imprecatory psalms while there, with the hope of its restoration to its rightful owners. 🙏
Relatives of mine took a guided tour of the cathedral in Cordova. Their guide mentioned that it was when visiting the same place earlier that Erdogan vowed to make the Hagia Sophia a mosque, in retaliation for Spain having turned the mosque into a cathedral. It seems his march to Islamify churches will continue unabated…