Hagia Sophia: The museum of conflicts
Context
* An Eastern Orthodox patriarchal cathedral for about 900 years, an imperial mosque for 482 years and then a museum and a famed tourist spot starting 1935.
* This is the short history of Hagia Sophia, the sixth century Byzantine structure that has survived natural calamities, imperial invasions, crusades and a World War.
* The architectural marvel in Istanbul, which is revered by both eastern Orthodox Christians and Muslims, is now bein
The meaning of the azan at Hagia Sophia
By Vivek Katju is a former diplomat
Context
- The decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque has borne out by the welcome in Turkey and dismay in the Christian world, especially in Europe.
The question of secularism
- Ankara’s attempts to project this decision as having no impact on the country’s secular principles put in place by Mustafa Kamal Ataturk, the father of modern Turkey, are futile.
-&nb