Christian minorities living in the Middle East, the birthplace of the religion, aim to maintain their culture on the axis of the Muslim majority. With the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, they attempted to obtain their social rights while being divided into scattered communities. Christians, who reside in various places from Turkey to Egypt, are …
Christianity in Turkey and the Middle East | Opinion – Daily Sabah Read More »
On 19th July, President Recep Tayyib Erdoğan took himself to Hagia Sophia to check on preparations for the first Friday prayer, which was to coincide—what a historical clash!—with the anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne (24 July 1923), the foundation of Turkish territorial sovereignty regained after the 1919–1923 war of independence. The “reconquest” of Hagia Sophia was …
Turkey: The “Reconquest” of Hagia Sophia, a Bad Movie – OrientXXI Read More »
The president’s decision to turn Istanbul’s Byzantine cathedral back into a mosque seeks to erase the past “Solomon, I have outdone thee.” So remarked Justinian, the Roman emperor who commissioned Hagia Sophia, the great cathedral at the heart of Constantinople, now Istanbul. Throughout its history it has been a source of wonder and debate. Now, …
Hagia Sophia is too complex for Erdoğan’s cleansing – The Guardian – Opinion Read More »