After being a museum since 1934, it was announced in 2020 that the Hagia Sophia would be converted back into a mosque! Learn more about this new chapter in the ever-evolving history of this legendary building here: bit.ly/HagiaSophiaDigDeeper
fun fact: in one of the many rooms in the hagia sophia there is a graffiti believed to be done by a norse viking in somewhere around 900ad which basically says ''Halvdan was here''
But not until 21st century that they can translate that into "Halvdan was here" For centuries people thought that that inscription was some holy text of sort from Nordic people
I'm from Istanbul let me explain that fact. Vikings were certainly in Hagia Sofia. They gave gift (Viking Ship⛵) to roman emperor some parts of that ship are exhibited in hagia sofia museum nowadays :) Also you can see ship ⛵ graffities on the walls, we think Viking guys made these graffities cause they were bored :) In addition it's known Viking soldiers came up to Constantinapol time to time as mercenaries (rented soldiers). They have been in Constantinapol for too many times. They were well-known visitors :)
As an Atheist, I love to go to churches or temples and just sit there, taking in the beautiful architecture and calm environment. Religion can make some beautiful things.
whenever im in there i always feel like there is something missing and get these weird feelings along with it. the choir do sound good sometime. i guess, what im consider as a weak agnostic.
I believe it should remain a museum, to honour both the cultures and religions that used it. Whether you prefer to see it as a church or a mosque, I think we can all agree that is a beautiful building with a rich and unique history.
its all correct. Istanbul comes from the Greek "Stanboul" which many oridinary citizens of the empire used to refer to Constantinople. Stanboul simply meant "the city" and over time it became Istanbul. Konstantiniyye similarly was the turkish word for Constantinople (which itself is the English version of Constantinopolis as it was originally known in Latin - eventually it became Konstantinoupolis as Greek dominated the Byzantine Empire). Similarly the arabs called it Al-Qustantiniyya. They are all one and the same. The name of the city only officially changed after the fall of the ottoman empire.
+shriramvenu hi yes that's what I heard the name was not changed to Istanbul until the 20th century around the time Ataturk became president in 1923? the time you turned Aya Sofia into a museum. Ataturk took over he realized his people had a 10% or less literacy rate. So he aggressively openned up many schools to practically eliminate the illiteracy rate which is a great accomplishment. I only wish America could do that.
+George Plagianos one thing I have to say after speaking to someone's home and took his friends they have their own version history of the byzantines modern-day Greece and Turkey some are pretty preposterous I gotta try to remember some of them I think I read the most Preposterous ones on RUclips
What is impressive about Hagia Sophia, and what I wished they had highlighted, is the fact that it's a stone building that is over 1,400 years old in a very active earthquake zone. The ingenuity of this building is such that it has survived millennia of really powerful earthquakes, despite being made of brick and stone, and having an immense brick dome. Quite an engineering marvel!
@@ercanmeti Rebuilding was not done by Turks though it is correct that the building wouldn't survive without sophisticated maintenance by the Turks for centuries.
Veil Exodus Although it is harmless in this instance(FOR THE THOUSANDTH TIME, *IT IS NOT THE SAME THING* ), the mentality of “their country, their choice” could end up in horrible consequences. Imagine that Egypt has decided to raze down the pyramids and built some highrises instead, what will we say “well, its their country afterall”.
It can be pronouced both as A-gia (with a "g" pronounced as "y" in the word Year) and A-ya (it comes from the greek Αγία (=Saint) and Σοφία {Sophia} (=Wisdom).
Having spent time in Istanbul last summer (which beat Barcelona to become my favourite city I've ever been to), I gotta say that Sultanahmet (the district in the city where one can find the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque) is an incredible spot in the universe. Regardless of who built it and why, these two buildings (like many others in this part of the world) are amazing pieces of architecture and history.
Love the animation, but there are some notable mistakes. The city's name remained Constantinople(though the Turks pronounced it as Kostantiniyye, Istanbul was used aswell but it was not that popular) It wasnt until Ataturk officially renamed the city Istanbul that it became officially known as such. He did this to give the image of progressiveness and as such he made Ankara the capital of Turkey aswell.
That city's name was kept 'Konstaniyye' out of respect for the Prophet because Muhammad s.a.w. named it that way in the hadith, but on several coins and documents was also called Islambol/Islambul (abundant in Islam/the city of Islam).
I dreamt of going to this building since I was a kid, and I finally got the chance last year. It's one of the most amazing buildings I've ever seen, and it really felt like the walls and every small decorations are telling you their story and what they've seen through the ages.
Well what do you expect from football thug's....and an arena from Roam ...these Greeks would have done better to have a theater for plays acted out ofcourse....
welcome to RUclips. I have popcorn with butter (ethnicity style) chocolate (racism style) green and red food coloring (religious styles) with a cheery on top (atheism styles) all these are RUclips videos. the higher the cancer the more you get the higher the price. ;) damn I can be a business man.
Just stay calm guys, living in the past doesn't make the future a better place. Let it stay as a museum and two sides would be happy and get the chance to be with the other cultures.
As long as nobody is destroying it and we can still visit such a great place, I don’t really care about the purpose of the building. So much history in those stones.
Christians really care though... Turkey's political actions, just want to provoke. Even the date they have chosen to make the conversion of Ayia Sophia, from a museum to a mosque was premeditated, as on July 24, exactly 97 years ago (July 24, 1923) the Treaty of Lausanne, which defined the borders of Greece and Turkey, as we know them today, was signed.
@@arianaaapoel3967 Why would you care about a building so profoundly? Whether that church collapses or is renamed, God will still be God. God does not dwell in the heavens nor a church; If you want to find God, you’ll discover thy presence among the people.
@@Jose04537 I am afraid you are ill-informed, the Hagia Sophia and many other mosques remain open to non-muslims. The only place prohibited to non-muslims is the great mosque in Mecca.
A muslim majority country decided to make it a musea instead of a mosque but the keyboard crusadors are still complaining. You know they could also have destroyed it completely?
Hagia Sophia or "Ayasofya" as we call it, has always had a symbolic significance. It used to do and still demonstrates the sovereignty and power over the city. Turning it into a museum is the vision of Kemal Atatürk and of the new Turkish state. Not a mosque, not a church but a museum. It was simply the way of declaring that Republic of Turkey was established on modernist, secularist, positivist principles.
@@bulletbill1104 oh yeah, what about Spanish inquisitors in reconquesta who destroyed Muslim mosques and palaces and convert them into churches. You ever seen Al hambra in Andalusia, Spain? They have built statues of Christians victory and biblical figures inside the palace. It happens everywhere but I only see the crying when Muslims are doing it. Stop obsessing over past events and just appreciate the beauty and history.
In that case there are plenty of magnificent churches in Spain that were once mosques built by the Moors. Trade 1 for many? Or live and let live? It's generous enough on the part of the turks that it is no longer a mosque.
Cynical asfuck What makes it look like a mosque, to some, is simply eastern orthodox church or byzantine architecture, which influenced islamic architecture, along with roman, chinese and indian architecture. Fact is that the ottomans did none of the pillaging and destroying usually expected of invaders of other cultures, and at least externally, the Hagia Sophia retains most of its cathedral form. And so one of the christian faith might draw happiness, instead of sadness, in knowing this.
@@benhur007 It was a symbol for the Muslims for conquering Istanbul/Konstantinople. Just to let you know Sultan Fatih Mehmet Khan Bought Ayasofya with an agreement with the Byzantines.
It's a church........it's a mosque....... IT'S A..... 2020: "mosque. It's a mosque now guys." Edit: You might want to grab popcorn and crack open a cold one before diving into the response thread on this comment 😂😂
@@jonnathan1869 why are you guys sad about someone else property. Mehmet the Conqueror. Purchased it with his own personal wealth after he conquered Constantinople...
@@Nolimitscomedy plus yesterday it was reconverted from a Museum to Mosque..not from Church to Mosque.. And everyone can still visit it like they visit other Big Mosques So there is no logical reason to be sad except that you hate Islam and Mosques In that case cry me a river
@@user-op8fg3ny3j No I don't agree with that either. People who practice Islam should have every right to be pissed when a mosque becomes a church as well. *Cough cough Spain*
@@ntpgmr Unfortunately due to the lazy use of clip art, the narrative describing the "edifice you see before you" being completed in Justinian's reign (1:36) is accompanied by an anachronistic depiction of the Byzantine church in its much later Ottoman form with the minarets.
Nah the republic turks make the ottoman empire fall down,the hagia sophia turns into church,today erdogan rise hagia sophia to become a mosque again after the adzan not heard for years,even hundreds this is a revolution toward the elimination of republic there,and the rise of Erdogan for turkey,May Allah bless all there who is Islam,which the Hagia Sophia is property from Sultan Muhammad Al-Fateh,who conquered Istanbul from the Byzantine , which stated in hadith if prophet Muhammad PBUH ,for 800 years,finally Sultan Muhammad Al-Fateh conquered it,the best soldier and the best leader is whom who will conquer the Constantinople(now Istanbul) = (this is hadith from prophet himself).Its in turkey’s power to do that,Islam will rise brother. Even im not from Turks itself,im from Malaysia and i really believe that Islam is the peaceful way of life, as it is guides for human to live with kind towards human,and their God ( Allah ).Nothing else,we are all really have a God name Allah,and He has 99 beautiful names which is Asmaul Husna.
Constantinople was not renamed Istanbul in 1453. It was not officially changed till 1923 by Attaturk. Istanbul is most like the Turkish pronunciation of Constantinople. Some say it comes from the Greek phrase "i Stan Poli" or "To the city". The Greeks simply called Constantinople"The City". But another idea is that The Turks took names and shortened them. Example: Thessaloniki became, Salonik. Smyrna, in Greek "ὴ Σμύρνην, or i-Smyrni", became Izmir. Trabzounta became Trabzon, Rizounta just became Rize.
Fun fact: other nations at first refused to start calling Istanbol Istanbol. The Turks would have to refuse to deliver any mail addressed to Constantinople. So if the Brits wanted to send a letter to their embassy, they had to address it Istanbul.
Jumanah Sa no man is the orthodox greatest church and its greatest than the catholic one and the church and the city is Greek and no man we will never forget or forgive the Turks for what they did to as . THEY ARE LIVING ON FOREIGN LAND That BELONGS TO GREEK PEOPLE. WE BUILT The City WE BUILT THE CHURCH WE LIVE There FOR THOUSANDS Of YEARS
What Makes hagia sophia so remarkable for me is that, it doesnt show the human perfection, but the imperfection in a perfect way and it doesnt show you the collaborotive ways of work with an agreement but collaboration through the conflicts.
Alexandra Crane well, i actually visited the damn place so yes it was pretty amazing when i was there the "was" also applies since they are turning all monuments ever into some soulless tourist traps these days go be a smartass somewhere else please
Yeah I mean it’s fairly sad as an Orthodox myself, and we can’t really have this mentality of “it’s their country they can do what they want” like some other guy said in the comments, imagine if the Egyptians destroyed the Pyramids, there would be outrage, but then again I’m slightly on the fence here, since it is Turkish land, but then again we can’t have that type of mentality.
It should remain a museum, there's too much cultural and religious heritage their to dedicate it to a single particular religion, whether Christianity or Islam
In fact Ottomans did not change the city's name to İstanbul after their conquest, they called it ''Konstantiniyye'' for centuries, later in the modern Turkey era, in 1930 it's name changed to Istanbul.
@@canwegetashoutouttoworking2002 Türk diye bir şey yok, hiç olmadı ama Yuan kökenli Xiongnu'ları ve Orta Asyalı'ları Türk olarak sayarsak Üniversitelerin DNA Testleri İntenette Mevcut, Türkiye Halkı DNA Grubunda Yeşil Sınıfta Gözükür, Yeşil Sınıfta Olan Diğer Milletler Grek, Levant Milletleri, Fars, Kafkas Ve Benzer Milletlerdir, Türkiye Halkı Genel Olarak %70 - 80 Civarı Anadolu'lu Ve Fars Grubundadır, Geri Kalanı Çoğunluk İle Grek Ve Kafkas, Nadiren İse Civar Milletler Çıkar Ama %1 Bile Türk'lük İçermez, TTK'nın Az Olsa Da Bazı Belgeleri İnternette Mevcut, Türkçe Hurafeler İle Değiştirilmiş Bir Dilden Türk'lük İse 1932'de Çıkmış Bir Yalandan İbarettir.
I'm a Muslim and I hope president Erdogan keeps it as a museum. We have no shortage of mosques in Istanbul and we need no more place to pray to our one God where others used pray and warship to their Gods. Caliph Omar when entered Jerusalem refused to pray in the nativity church where was invited, to avoid any future clash between religions.
@Adnan Rahman I know it is a political pressure against Greek and Russia. Israel doesn't care. I know how the genius Turkish president think. What I hope is that Russia backdown from Libya and Syria and Greeks ease its position in Middtreanian
@Adnan Rahman of course I'm not. Why you too judgemental to believe that I'm siding with anybody against Turkey?? What i wish is that things go well and WE DONT NEED HAGIA SOFIA TO BE A MOSQUE. I'll never pray in this place. I did explain why.
Yesterday the Turkish Foreign minister showed proof to justify the change to a mosque... L.Abu Bakr Turkey, wrote : What attracted my attention most during my research in the case of Aya Sofia is the name of the endowment created by Sultan Muhammad II and recorded and corrected Aya Sofia on his name. For those who don't know.. Sultan Muhammad II, known as (Muhammad Al-Fateh), was insightful and intelligent to witness history and enemy before the beloved, he made a move that has never been repeated in history. So that after opening Constantinople, he offered pastors to buy Aya Sofia's building from his own money, not from the state's money or from the house of Muslim money, and a personal deal that has nothing to do with his job in the state. The deal was documented through a purchase and waiver contract, and payment was proven with payment bonds. Directly, may Allah be pleased with him, established a stand (association) and waived to the association his property and the name of the endowment was tipped. This is what shook Turkey a few weeks ago to manually review 27 thousand documents, coincidentally found an original title (Tabou) that clearly shows private property ownership. Thus, landlords applied for absolute free use of the property as their own, and their request was to return the building to a mosque As they used it since the day they bought it. But what caught my attention is the name of the endowment created by the Fateh, may Allah be pleased with him and the name (Abu Al-Fath Al-Sultan Muhammad) In the photo, the purchase contract and the cue that was found recently. Mosques in Spain have been turned into churches, bars and nightclubs ! (Against the peace treaty). The Babri Mosque in India turned into a temple of idols ! They want to transform Masjid Al Aqsa in Jerusalem with all its sanctuaries as the capital of the Zionists ! We have not heard a Western or Eastern voice condemning these crimes ! But reverting the Aya Sophia to a mosque exposed the hatred of the mentally eclipsed from the East and the West !! The Alhambra Palace Mosque in Granada was converted to the Santa Maria cathedral. Masjid Qasim Pasha has been changed to Saint Michael cathedral. The Jami Masjid of Qurtuba has been converted to a cathedral. Masjid Ibn Adees has been changed to the Salvador Cathedral. Masjidul Murabiteen has been converted to the Khan Khausiyyah church. Jami Masjid of Seville has been changed to the Church of Marry. No one is mourning the diversity and rich Islamic history of mosques-turned-churches in Spain that surveil and monitor Muslim tourists & stop them from praying inside. Please share the post to silence the mouths claiming to persecute the issue of Christians and their sacred claims that Turkey does not respect the feelings of Christians in the world.
What about the thousand of cathedrals and churches destroyed by Muslim empires. Churches in Anatolia, the levant, Egypt, the Maghreb, and the Balkans. Millions of Christians were displaced and churches have been converted and destroyed.
The Mezquita in Cordoba, Spain is an even better example of it's a church, church/mosque, mosque, church and the architecture starkly exemplifies this.
I agree that the Mezquita is also a wonderful building (particularly to be in at night !) but I think it unfair to compare it to Hagia Sofia - they are both magnificent in their own right and have completely different histories.
@@rogerthompson1622 I mentioned the Mezquita because of the stark differences in architectural styles within a single building. You enter the Mezquita and you're in a medieval era north African style mosque, then you go into the center of the building and you're in a renaissance style very European cathedral. Whereas the Aya Sofia is a Greek Orthodox church that was converted to a mosque. The addition of the minarets being the main modification the Ottomans did when converting it to a mosque. But then they used that as a template for future Ottoman mosques. I've been to both buildings and was equally in awe of both.
@@bobfrog4836 I share the feeling of awe that you have from both these magnificent buildings - I have spent a lot of time on many occasions in the Hagia Sofia including before the interior scaffolding went up (which of course is necessary) when the true scale could be appreciated. I have a great appreciation for Turkish mosques and am always so grateful that we are allowed entrance into them. I have also been in the Mezquita on more than one occasion including a night visit when it took on a totally different perspective. Both are beautiful sacred spaces.
Ottomans called the city Konstantiniyye! The name Istanbul, although was common within people,was not officially recognised until 20th century
3 года назад+31
for my foreigner friends: This great structure was turned back into a mousqe to excite turkish fundamentalists to get back their votes which they have been losing lately, and I think, it didn't work except for a short period.
I love all the people trying to justify Turkey making Hagia Sophia a mosque in this era by equating it to the Spanish converting the mosque of Córdoba into a cathedral all the way back in the 1200s
Actually this justification is wrong. The true one is Mehmet al Fatih Purchased Hagia Sophia when it was a church and then turned it into a mosque. He could have taken it forcefully but no he purchased it so yeah. The ataturk converted it into a museum and now Turks want it back to be a mosque. That;s why its justified for it to be a mosque today :) Thank you and looking forward to your response.
@@solomonwaldmarck9851 Maybe because the israelis - you know - didn't rightfully own the place. where as in the hagia sophia it was purchased and was registered as waqf.
@@ankanmaiti9864 If there is a contract or law that states that the Taj Mahal cannot be changed into a Hindu temple then you legally can't but if there isn't then you technically and legally can. that doesn't mean people would like it though. but we are not talking about people liking it or not.
"It is a beautiful and important monument and an international, intercultural treasure...Unless and until it can be shared by both religions in harmony--which would be a grand idea--it should remain a secular building honoring both religions who have made it beautiful." -Ljubo Vujovic
Was there a few days ago. Visited Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque then the Cistern. Amazing. The Tour Guide explained that the reason why the Cistern had nice columns is because they were rejects from the Hagia Sophia. Makes sense.
Speaking as an Istanbulite Greek, I believe this structure cannot be claimed by any nation of any spiritual belief. Go build your new-age temple. Your current ones are empty, but go ahead. Just let history be historical, as a museum. ❤️🤞🏻
As an Athenian Greek I honestly don’t get why do people get so triggered about names. What’s wrong with calling it a church? The Parthenon of Athens functioned as a very important church during the Byzantine empire and yet we call by what it was originally built for, a Greek temple, not a church
Zeynep Ezgi Su Simsar yes the other day I read about some Turkish politician who said they would convert it to a mosque. I don’t get why they’re promoting this hatred
TED-Ed, I really like your videos, but you need to work on consistency. There are two very distinct graphical mistakes in this video: 1:36 - minarets (towers) weren't built by Justinian, they appeared after the Muslim conquest of Byzantium several centuries later. 2:53 - these soldiers are ancient Romans, not Latin crusaders. Noun "Latin" not only describes the official language of Ancient Rome and Catholic Church, but also Western European Catholic cultural alleigance during the Middle Ages period in history. So these soldiers should've been depicted as knights rather than legionaries. Hope you'll see that comment and make your content more consistent, those were major mistakes. Still loving your work
Thanks for pointing this out. These are examples of the lazy use of clip art, which definitely doesn't enhance audience perception of the quality of a video.
As a Greek, "Hagia Sofia" most likely brings Saint Sofia of Rome to your mind (since that's what Hagia Sofia means in Greek), but the realization that Hagia Sofia stands not for Saint Sofia, but for Holy Wisdom (hagia= holy, wisdom= sofia in greek), as in Holy Wisdom of God, is so moving and heart-warming. Especially considering how that God can be Zeus, the christian God, Allah or any other deity that has been revered inside its walls throughout the centuries.
To clarify one mistake in the video, city was called Constantinople(Konstantiniyye by Ottoman) by everyone including Turks/Ottomans up until the end of the Ottoman Empire and even some time after Turkish Republic was found. It was after some years of the founding of the Republic of Turkey that the name changed to Istanbul as we know today.
When I think of the Hagia Sophia I think of the ghosts of Justinian and Suleiman walking in halls men different yet similar who brought greatness to there empires only for it to crumble under a week heir and successors
@@ijent3819 not really Suleiman would be mad that they took all the plaster off and Justinian would be disappointed that almost none of the original mosaics (which were probably better if we reference them to the intact Byzantine Ravenna Cathedral) survived the iconoclasm. Neither would be happy if they were alive today, especially Justinian.
They should renovate the Hagia Sophia - make it so that Muslims and Christians can both pray there? Share the place? And allow visitors/tourists access.
I really want to visit it now. While it’s sad that they can’t uncover some of the mosaics without destroying others, it’s cool that they were able to uncover some, and it sounds like such an interesting place if it has all this history and contrasting art and architecture.
its the great church for all Orthodox Christians,why it make sense to be a museum or a Mosque?why not Turkey to honor the responsibility of having in its land such a sacred monument?
@@vassoanzaoui8530 when the mosque in cardoba is also honoured and give to muslims to pray in spain,and not a christian cathdral then and only then would there be a fair arguement for this one to be returned to the othordox christians. Until then, a museum is a generous offer in comparison
it's a touchy subject for you no turk? having to dance around the obvious and play pretend while taking credit for something others made. A typical Turkish custom.
You forgot that it's changed more. Especially in the time of the Suleyman the Magnificent. His architect Sinan (Mimar Sinan) made changes, big renovations. He gave the final shape it has now. His works made it possible to remain solid.
@David Charles Francis Topham de Vere Beauclerk I listened it from the achitecture experts who talked to the media in Turkey. There are books telling the history of Hagia Sophia and Mimar Sinan but in Turkish and I can't give you a certain name. Sorry , I can't give a scientific source but I have some internet pages. Some English some Turkish. www.turkishculture.org/architecture-403.htm
The name of the city was only formally changed to Istanbul after the formation of the Turkish nation. During the time of the Ottomans, the city had many names, among which both Constantinople and Istanbul were included.
As a Catholic Turk, I think it should stay as a Orthodox church. It still has iconas in it which is very ancient and they are really important for we Christians. We would like to use the church as obey God.
As if getting one more church would change much. And I suppose all “un-christian” artifacts should be removed or even destroyed then? We should exclude the party who lives in the city and include a minority? Not a good idea. A museum is a high respect as it allows many cultures to enjoy and marvel at the pasts arcitectural marbles. Converting it back to a church or a mosque is a downright insult to Hagia Sophias Rich history
@@hitrapperandartistdababyHaiga Sophia is built for Saint Sophia. Saying that it is an insult for the Church's history to honor it to the person it was built for makes no sense.
@@daddysasageyo9263 They can also bring good. Religious people tend to give more charity than non-religious people. Religious people have good moral values. But sadly there are those who inflict harm in the name of religion. Abolish them, Not the religion.
I was in Istanbul last year and went to see the hagia Sofia. You see pictures and people talk about it but you‘ll think nah its a normal Museum just like any other. BUT let Me tell you. As soon as you enter it you will get overwhelmed by the beauty of it. Its really magnificent. I was in there for like 2 Hours. It has so much detail and character you will love it. I took 1 Mio pictures of it. Loved it. But Istanbul itself is absolutaly beautiful. You can regocnize the greeks, romans and Ottomans by the different architectures. The People are super nice and dont get me started with the Food. (Sorry for my english it‘s not my mother tongue)
There are so many false and/or historically altered statements in this clip that it makes we wonder how such a summary has been allowed to be published under Tedx
Especially the part when she said that memed fatih let his troops pillage for 3 days . Completely false , many sources state that mehemd the fatih purchased the land and the church before re decorating it as a mosque
When I went there in 2018, there were repairing work in progress. I heard it will be finished in 2021, so it should be in progress right now. At that time, many restorations of the wall we done, and the worker said the damage is caused by the salt vapour from the sea and the birds' poop. Hence, the plaster is very good in protecting the murals beneath the plaster. The structure of original Hagia Sofia would be destroyed by earthquake, if no outer supporting structures were added by Ottoman. Your drawing of Hagia Sofia is the structure with these supports (in grey). The original one is the red one, with the shape of a boxy shape. The Ottoman was so nice to preserve this structure, and they did not destroy it like the 4th crusaders. They even used different coloring to make sure people understand the original structure. I will thank them for that.
Yes, if the time comes to reconvert it into a museum or church it will be done accurately. It's a mosque in name and with a few decorations only, not like they reformed the whole historical building which some people are suggesting that happened.
@@abcdefg2591 Give an account of the destroyed mosques in Europe. Then the mosques we bombed in the Middle East. Maybe the Turks will build churches again. Anyway, it is the Turks' money to keep them standing.
HAGIA SOPHIA is so beautiful Am Indian Muslim & here in India there are lots of beautiful mosques I love holy places cuz there are no negativity & my dream is to go Istanbul at once in my life Istanbul is a beautiful city
Hagia Sophia is not a mosque. It was brutally turned to mosque. Hagia Sophia was built and operated as the religious and cultural center of (Orthodox) Christianity. Its importance for the Orthodox is similar to that of the Vatican for the Catholics and Mecca for the Muslims. Imagine how Muslims would react if Mecca was turned to Christian church or Vatican into a mosque. It is a shame that not only the Turkish government does not give Hagia Sophia back to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople for religious use by the Orthodox Christians from all over the world, but instead turns it back to a mosque from a previous museum use. The only thing the Turkish will achieve is to alienate all the Christian world. I think the Western countries should re-think about continuing the operation of mosques in their countries if that is how Muslims will treat Christians in their countries.
@@ThisApp There must be some consensus on a state level on how things should be in order to have a mutual respect and understanding of all people including religious minorities. I repeat... imagine if Mecca was converted to a Cathedral.. what would the reactions be from the Muslim world? Why is the western world not reacting? Is it because it doesn't concern the Catholics and the Protestants? So, what is the right thing to do? To shut up on all provocations?
@@promy563 That's not an appropriate comparison though. Mecca is the holiest site in Islam and has been used as a religious place of worship for its entirety (unlike Hagia Sophia which has been a church, a mosque and a museum throughout its existence). The appropriate comparison would be like converting St. Peter's Basilica into a mosque which wouldn't ever happen. Also, not to downplay Hagia Sophia's importance, but many mosques have been converted into churches throughout the world when the crusades were happening. Truth is that there is just as much talk when churches get converted to mosques and vice versa. India is often converting mosques into sites for Hindu temples. Does it make it right that any of these situations happen? No, but that means the people need to address and change their government, not the religion.
@@ThisApp Any kind of conversion is a desecration. Hagia Sofia is the holiest site in Orthodox Christianity so it is exactly as important as Mecca. The fact that it has been conquered and desecrated does not make it right. By the way the crusaders were not Orthodox Christians and they also pillaged and desecrated Hagia Sofia during the 4th crusade. In conclusion, the Turkish government should give Hagia Sofia back to the Orthodox Christians for worship and stop occupying it and use it for political reasons in order to appease the extreme Islamists and the Turk nationalists who dream of a new Ottoman Empire. Be civil.
I don't understand why muslims don't feel any shame,it belonged to different religion and wasn't praying in that mosque an act of blasphemy because the king of ottoman Empire just plastered the potrait of Jesus, angel,marry and other important figure. Indirectly praying to christian figures
The pillars at 2:24 are actually Ionic (or Ionique as my art history teacher preferred French). Corinthian is more flowery and stuff XD, but it has the most influence on Europe architecture.
Research the Varangian guards. Basically the Viking’s came down and were so epic that they got hired as elite guards for the Roman Emperor. Viking’s and Romans it’s my favourite period of history the Byzantines.
4TheWinQuinn i know right? Even though the vikings where no match for the Byzantine Navy they still thought “Damn those guys are tough lets offer them elite posts for money”
Good video but sme errors - Istanbul only became the city's name under Ataturk in the 1920s. It was Constantinople until then. There were no minarets when it was constructed as a Church back in the 500s.
I was talking official names - while the Turkish people have always called it Istanbul- which comes from the Greek, meaning The City, it was never the official name for the city, the Ottoman rulers referring to it as Kostantiniyye...by the 19th c though, Istanbul was becoming more popular and some officials were already being given titles with Istanbul rather than Kostantiniyye
Yes that is because originally the Khalifa of the Ottoman empire bought the place from the Christians before converting it into a mosque. So this is a personal property of the Khalifa.
@@Islam-gy9lj Brother, please learn more about the Ottoman Empire. Sultan Mehmet al Fatih was not a Khalifa, he was just a sultan. The first Ottoman Sultan to use the title Khalifa was Yavuz Sultan Selim II in the early 16th Century. Sultan Mehmet al Fatih conquered Constantinople in 1453, over 100 years before the first Ottoman Caliph.
@@alienguy-kazmikompany1286 Yes brother that's what I mean. I am aware that the Ottomans had Sultanates and not Khalifas. But I used the word, Khalifa, to mean the head of state.
There is no destruction, only conversion. While I do not approve the real reasons of the conversion, I do believe that the Turks have a full right to their own country. If the parliment gives a majority vote and then the president approves, it gets converted. As simple as that.
After being a museum since 1934, it was announced in 2020 that the Hagia Sophia would be converted back into a mosque! Learn more about this new chapter in the ever-evolving history of this legendary building here: bit.ly/HagiaSophiaDigDeeper
fun fact: in one of the many rooms in the hagia sophia there is a graffiti believed to be done by a norse viking in somewhere around 900ad which basically says ''Halvdan was here''
Very interesting
Hmmmmm Yes VERY INTRESTING
But not until 21st century that they can translate that into "Halvdan was here"
For centuries people thought that that inscription was some holy text of sort from Nordic people
I'm from Istanbul let me explain that fact. Vikings were certainly in Hagia Sofia.
They gave gift (Viking Ship⛵) to roman emperor some parts of that ship are exhibited in hagia sofia museum nowadays :) Also you can see ship ⛵ graffities on the walls, we think Viking guys made these graffities cause they were bored :) In addition it's known Viking soldiers came up to Constantinapol time to time as mercenaries (rented soldiers). They have been in Constantinapol for too many times. They were well-known visitors :)
Hagia Sophia, istanbul new look after renovation
ruclips.net/video/4TVajayDdGs/видео.html
As an Atheist, I love to go to churches or temples and just sit there, taking in the beautiful architecture and calm environment. Religion can make some beautiful things.
An athiest who can admit that...this is a miracle
and what's wrong with mosques?!?!?!?!!? are you tryna be religiously racist LOL
Bless you, Sunny.
;)
All that i expect from religion is that it keep the peace-and to itself.
whenever im in there i always feel like there is something missing and get these weird feelings along with it. the choir do sound good sometime. i guess, what im consider as a weak agnostic.
Ali Syed There are no mosques near me. There's three churches in my town and a few temples around.
I believe it should remain a museum, to honour both the cultures and religions that used it. Whether you prefer to see it as a church or a mosque, I think we can all agree that is a beautiful building with a rich and unique history.
Jennifer Shay Erdogan: hold my raki.
I wonder why nobody is talking about Cordoba masjid turned into church
Mahjabeen Malik because it was built as a church in the fist place, the Christians just took back what was theirs.
@@mahjabeenmalik5306 I am guessing you heard this from sheikh yasir Qadi.....cordoba mosque used to be a curch before the muslim rule.
@@jjmichael5059
Ok I guess people in power can do anything
The End
It's a Church, it's a Mosque, it's a Museum, and It's a Mosque (again)
Everyone in it during Prayer get Infected by covid-19 lol. They should do this earlier or later
@@derryaryasaputra2629 I went to aya sophia to pray my islamic prayer and I came out good. No covid.
@@alienguy-kazmikompany1286 how did you you're not infected?
and will be like that forever (in shaa Allah)
@@derryaryasaputra2629 because we followed social distancing.
It wasn't named Istanbul right after the Ottomans took it was named Konstantiniyye.
GalacticHero: Like "Assassin's Creed: Revelation"
In Urdu it is still called Qustuntuniya قسطنطنیہ
its all correct. Istanbul comes from the Greek "Stanboul" which many oridinary citizens of the empire used to refer to Constantinople. Stanboul simply meant "the city" and over time it became Istanbul.
Konstantiniyye similarly was the turkish word for Constantinople (which itself is the English version of Constantinopolis as it was originally known in Latin - eventually it became Konstantinoupolis as Greek dominated the Byzantine Empire). Similarly the arabs called it Al-Qustantiniyya. They are all one and the same.
The name of the city only officially changed after the fall of the ottoman empire.
+shriramvenu hi yes that's what I heard the name was not changed to Istanbul until the 20th century around the time Ataturk became president in 1923? the time you turned Aya Sofia into a museum. Ataturk took over he realized his people had a 10% or less literacy rate. So he aggressively openned up many schools to practically eliminate the illiteracy rate which is a great accomplishment. I only wish America could do that.
+George Plagianos one thing I have to say after speaking to someone's home and took his friends they have their own version history of the byzantines modern-day Greece and Turkey some are pretty preposterous I gotta try to remember some of them I think I read the most Preposterous ones on RUclips
What is impressive about Hagia Sophia, and what I wished they had highlighted, is the fact that it's a stone building that is over 1,400 years old in a very active earthquake zone. The ingenuity of this building is such that it has survived millennia of really powerful earthquakes, despite being made of brick and stone, and having an immense brick dome. Quite an engineering marvel!
The first building was demolished. Turks rebuilt it. It is not possible to stay for 1500 years. Turks are still repairing
@@ercanmeti Rebuilding was not done by Turks though it is correct that the building wouldn't survive without sophisticated maintenance by the Turks for centuries.
The Pantheon is several hundred years older and its dome has never collapsed, unlike Hagia Sophia.
Who's coming here after Turkey announced to change it into a mosque?
I'm🇹🇷💪
Yup turks just want everyone to hate them
@@marios1211 why? it's their own country they can do whatever they want.
Veil Exodus Although it is harmless in this instance(FOR THE THOUSANDTH TIME, *IT IS NOT THE SAME THING* ), the mentality of “their country, their choice” could end up in horrible consequences. Imagine that Egypt has decided to raze down the pyramids and built some highrises instead, what will we say “well, its their country afterall”.
@@DistinctWisdom 🙏👍
Narrator: *Hai-ya Sophia*
Me: *thinking it was Hag-ia Sophia all this time 👁👄👁*
Nope,the real name is aya sophia
Αγία (Saint in greek) Σοφία (the wisdom of Christ, the second of the three faces of God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) at orthodox christianity.
It can be pronouced both as A-gia (with a "g" pronounced as "y" in the word Year) and A-ya (it comes from the greek Αγία (=Saint) and Σοφία {Sophia} (=Wisdom).
yperokeanios R Vsauce?
@@Shanaoh Vsauce with Mikeius
Having spent time in Istanbul last summer (which beat Barcelona to become my favourite city I've ever been to), I gotta say that Sultanahmet (the district in the city where one can find the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque) is an incredible spot in the universe. Regardless of who built it and why, these two buildings (like many others in this part of the world) are amazing pieces of architecture and history.
I agree.
I was there a few weeks ago....jaw dropping beauty.
Well thanks chris, much appreciated
Chris Hiltz Did you see the cisterns?
I agree I was in Istanbul.Realy beatiful city it was a honor to visit it,its one of the oldest cities
Chris Hiltz gouh constantinople gouh gouh
Love the animation, but there are some notable mistakes. The city's name remained Constantinople(though the Turks pronounced it as Kostantiniyye, Istanbul was used aswell but it was not that popular) It wasnt until Ataturk officially renamed the city Istanbul that it became officially known as such. He did this to give the image of progressiveness and as such he made Ankara the capital of Turkey aswell.
That city's name was kept 'Konstaniyye' out of respect for the Prophet because Muhammad s.a.w. named it that way in the hadith, but on several coins and documents was also called Islambol/Islambul (abundant in Islam/the city of Islam).
He didnt make Ankara the capital, Istanbul got occupied by greece after WW1 and ataturk reconquered it
Not by the greeks. By the British
By greeks, with british support.
He says Istanbul not İzmir... Istanbul got occupied by UK, not greeks.
I dreamt of going to this building since I was a kid, and I finally got the chance last year. It's one of the most amazing buildings I've ever seen, and it really felt like the walls and every small decorations are telling you their story and what they've seen through the ages.
It's not a "building"it is a place of worship... originally Cristian place of worship.
"When angry citizens rioted and nearly overthrew the Emperor Justinian."
*laughs in Extra History*
Justinian had several thousands of them killed
@@DSAK55 Sure. But the riots remain true nonetheless.
Well what do you expect from football thug's....and an arena from Roam ...these Greeks would have done better to have a theater for plays acted out ofcourse....
so i see why comments section are consider the cancer of the internet
welcome to RUclips. I have popcorn with butter (ethnicity style) chocolate (racism style) green and red food coloring (religious styles) with a cheery on top (atheism styles) all these are RUclips videos.
the higher the cancer the more you get the higher the price.
;)
damn I can be a business man.
?
***** really what flavor!
***** you mean the bleach and chuck Norris ones?
***** 666$ plus tax for a grave ;)
Just stay calm guys, living in the past doesn't make the future a better place. Let it stay as a museum and two sides would be happy and get the chance to be with the other cultures.
It is sad that I see so few people like you.
Thank you. :)
No Problem.
best comment
Sueda Erzin built by romans let it remain so ....
As long as nobody is destroying it and we can still visit such a great place, I don’t really care about the purpose of the building. So much history in those stones.
Other do because if it is a mosque or a church it represents the glory of God
Christians really care though... Turkey's political actions, just want to provoke. Even the date they have chosen to make the conversion of Ayia Sophia, from a museum to a mosque was premeditated, as on July 24, exactly 97 years ago (July 24, 1923) the Treaty of Lausanne, which defined the borders of Greece and Turkey, as we know them today, was signed.
@@arianaaapoel3967 Why would you care about a building so profoundly? Whether that church collapses or is renamed, God will still be God. God does not dwell in the heavens nor a church; If you want to find God, you’ll discover thy presence among the people.
@@Jose04537 I am afraid you are ill-informed, the Hagia Sophia and many other mosques remain open to non-muslims. The only place prohibited to non-muslims is the great mosque in Mecca.
@@historicalarchives9111 I fact check that, you're right.
it's a bird
it's a plane
*_it's the seljuk turks_*
u absolute madlad
Lol Billwurzt
hah
aah!
Ahhh said Byzantium
A muslim majority country decided to make it a musea instead of a mosque but the keyboard crusadors are still complaining. You know they could also have destroyed it completely?
Hagia Sophia or "Ayasofya" as we call it, has always had a symbolic significance.
It used to do and still demonstrates the sovereignty and power over the city.
Turning it into a museum is the vision of Kemal Atatürk and of the new Turkish state. Not a mosque, not a church but a museum.
It was simply the way of declaring that Republic of Turkey was established on modernist, secularist, positivist principles.
Pepe “I could have killed your daughter, you’re lucky I only made her work for me”
Pepe Like they did with the holy apostles church, in order to build Fatih cami
@@bulletbill1104 oh yeah, what about Spanish inquisitors in reconquesta who destroyed Muslim mosques and palaces and convert them into churches. You ever seen Al hambra in Andalusia, Spain? They have built statues of Christians victory and biblical figures inside the palace. It happens everywhere but I only see the crying when Muslims are doing it. Stop obsessing over past events and just appreciate the beauty and history.
Hagia Sophia is orthodox while spain is not. Its abig diference even if you May not see it
Why do people complain? It's neither a mosque nor a church, it's a homage to both. Best compromise ever.
+degman1989 That's very mature of you.
+Colton Reeves haha you funny guy
In that case there are plenty of magnificent churches in Spain that were once mosques built by the Moors. Trade 1 for many? Or live and let live? It's generous enough on the part of the turks that it is no longer a mosque.
ya its neither but guess what it still looks like a mosque and its honestly sad to see
Cynical asfuck What makes it look like a mosque, to some, is simply eastern orthodox church or byzantine architecture, which influenced islamic architecture, along with roman, chinese and indian architecture. Fact is that the ottomans did none of the pillaging and destroying usually expected of invaders of other cultures, and at least externally, the Hagia Sophia retains most of its cathedral form. And so one of the christian faith might draw happiness, instead of sadness, in knowing this.
Hagia sophia built before the birth of prophet Muhammad
We know
Then?
@@cardon5496 then why they want to convert it into mosque!?!..is there any shortage for mosque in a country with 99%Muslims..!
@@benhur007 It was a symbol for the Muslims for conquering Istanbul/Konstantinople. Just to let you know Sultan Fatih Mehmet Khan Bought Ayasofya with an agreement with the Byzantines.
Relax💆🏻♂️
It's a church........it's a mosque....... IT'S A.....
2020: "mosque. It's a mosque now guys."
Edit: You might want to grab popcorn and crack open a cold one before diving into the response thread on this comment 😂😂
imo it's kinda sad, really. the building has a historical importance in it and it should've stayed as a museum 😕
@@jonnathan1869 Trust me it's very sad. I'm an Orthodox Christian and we are upset about it
@@jonnathan1869 why are you guys sad about someone else property. Mehmet the Conqueror. Purchased it with his own personal wealth after he conquered Constantinople...
@@Nolimitscomedy plus yesterday it was reconverted from a Museum to Mosque..not from Church to Mosque..
And everyone can still visit it like they visit other Big Mosques
So there is no logical reason to be sad except that you hate Islam and Mosques
In that case cry me a river
@@user-op8fg3ny3j No I don't agree with that either. People who practice Islam should have every right to be pissed when a mosque becomes a church as well. *Cough cough Spain*
When Justinian rebuilt it, it didn’t have the minarets. These were added by the Ottomans almost 1000 years later.
I think they mentioned that.
@@ntpgmr Unfortunately due to the lazy use of clip art, the narrative describing the "edifice you see before you" being completed in Justinian's reign (1:36) is accompanied by an anachronistic depiction of the Byzantine church in its much later Ottoman form with the minarets.
@@photios4779 Right on point. Just lazy animators I suppose.
Jeremy Kirkpatrick responsible is a poor choice of words
Minareler ve ezan çok yakıştı ama
Ottoman emperor-We will conquer Constantinople,but first, a word from our sponsor Raid:Shadow Legends
You are a hidden gem in this commwnt section.
@@nightshade2826 I'm here for the memes... brother
ahhahahahahaha yess underrated comment
Nah the republic turks make the ottoman empire fall down,the hagia sophia turns into church,today erdogan rise hagia sophia to become a mosque again after the adzan not heard for years,even hundreds this is a revolution toward the elimination of republic there,and the rise of Erdogan for turkey,May Allah bless all there who is Islam,which the Hagia Sophia is property from Sultan Muhammad Al-Fateh,who conquered Istanbul from the Byzantine , which stated in hadith if prophet Muhammad PBUH ,for 800 years,finally Sultan Muhammad Al-Fateh conquered it,the best soldier and the best leader is whom who will conquer the Constantinople(now Istanbul) = (this is hadith from prophet himself).Its in turkey’s power to do that,Islam will rise brother.
Even im not from Turks itself,im from Malaysia and i really believe that Islam is the peaceful way of life, as it is guides for human to live with kind towards human,and their God ( Allah ).Nothing else,we are all really have a God name Allah,and He has 99 beautiful names which is Asmaul Husna.
nightshade what are you saying?
Constantinople was not renamed Istanbul in 1453. It was not officially changed till 1923 by Attaturk. Istanbul is most like the Turkish pronunciation of Constantinople. Some say it comes from the Greek phrase "i Stan Poli" or "To the city". The Greeks simply called Constantinople"The City". But another idea is that The Turks took names and shortened them. Example: Thessaloniki became, Salonik. Smyrna, in Greek "ὴ Σμύρνην, or i-Smyrni", became Izmir. Trabzounta became Trabzon, Rizounta just became Rize.
Fun fact: other nations at first refused to start calling Istanbol Istanbol. The Turks would have to refuse to deliver any mail addressed to Constantinople. So if the Brits wanted to send a letter to their embassy, they had to address it Istanbul.
This is chosque....
Vir das fan spotted
*chosqueum
@@minzblatt This is best 😂
Lamo!
@@minzblatt Perfect :)
Me: *Wears Anti Radiation Suit*
Ok lets dive deep in to the comments!
Me : Together, my friend
*HAHA THAT'S FUNNI*
Comments: no radiation here
You: (wears cold humor suit)
Let's write a comment
if you are so scared then do some planning and read
Damn RUclips algorithm with it's crooked sense of humour strikes again after the latest devolepments...
*its
should stay a museum, stay netural in multicultural countries
Jumanah Sa
Still agree... even though you made the comment a year ago
Jumanah Sa i agree
Jumanah Sa I think it should be a church, as it was built.
Jumanah Sa no man is the orthodox greatest church and its greatest than the catholic one and the church and the city is Greek and no man we will never forget or forgive the Turks for what they did to as . THEY ARE LIVING ON FOREIGN LAND That BELONGS TO GREEK PEOPLE. WE BUILT The City WE BUILT THE CHURCH WE LIVE There FOR THOUSANDS Of YEARS
It will return as a mosque after we get rid of secular ideas ان شاء الله
What Makes hagia sophia so remarkable for me is that, it doesnt show the human perfection, but the imperfection in a perfect way and it doesnt show you the collaborotive ways of work with an agreement but collaboration through the conflicts.
it was an amazing piece of architecture, i'm an atheist but that was just one of those places where even i can understand why some believe
I agree
was? since when it`s no longer is?
Alexandra Crane well, i actually visited the damn place so yes
it was pretty amazing when i was there
the "was" also applies since they are turning all monuments ever into some soulless tourist traps these days
go be a smartass somewhere else please
sotijas Why the aggressive response?
Kamizushi Akinari
taking the high road makes the world boring
you never know a person if they are always nice
It's a church. It's a mosque ...
2020 - It's a mosque
Al Hamdoullilah 🇹🇷🇩🇿
Takbir
😔
Yeah I mean it’s fairly sad as an Orthodox myself, and we can’t really have this mentality of “it’s their country they can do what they want” like some other guy said in the comments, imagine if the Egyptians destroyed the Pyramids, there would be outrage, but then again I’m slightly on the fence here, since it is Turkish land, but then again we can’t have that type of mentality.
It should have remained museum but looks like turkey is no more democratic
It should remain a museum, there's too much cultural and religious heritage their to dedicate it to a single particular religion, whether Christianity or Islam
Constantinapol's original name on Ottoman Empire was Konstantiniyye.Until Turkey it wasn't İstanbul but people were calling it with many names...
Bilimin Sırları that’s correct
Istanbul also a greek name
@@EmircanH yep, true
@@EmircanH Konstantiniyye Türkçe mi ?
@@istanbuldepremineonlemal hayır
RIP Gli, the beautiful cat of Hagia Sophia
Who is Gli?
@@thepowerpointhistorian4287 a cat :(
Peduli banget sih sama kucing
Hagia Sophia, istanbul new look after renovation
ruclips.net/video/4TVajayDdGs/видео.html
Aww 😭🤧💐💐💐💐
Assassins Creed Revelations anyone? ;)
YES!
+PlayerAuditore It's too bad Revelations was set at a time when it was in such a state of disrepair, though.
+Dagda Mor yeah that was istanbul after 7(ish) earth queke
Lol
Yes!
In fact Ottomans did not change the city's name to İstanbul after their conquest, they called it ''Konstantiniyye'' for centuries, later in the modern Turkey era, in 1930 it's name changed to Istanbul.
1930'da daha neler neler değişti, koca bir millet kültürünü unuttu, vatandaşlarımız atalarını Çinli sanıyor.
@@quierohablar9076 Senin atan arap bedevileri olabilir. Benim atam at üstünde ok atan, çinlileri ağlatan Mete Han'dır.
@@canwegetashoutouttoworking2002 Türk diye bir şey yok, hiç olmadı ama Yuan kökenli Xiongnu'ları ve Orta Asyalı'ları Türk olarak sayarsak Üniversitelerin DNA Testleri İntenette Mevcut, Türkiye Halkı DNA Grubunda Yeşil Sınıfta Gözükür, Yeşil Sınıfta Olan Diğer Milletler Grek, Levant Milletleri, Fars, Kafkas Ve Benzer Milletlerdir, Türkiye Halkı Genel Olarak %70 - 80 Civarı Anadolu'lu Ve Fars Grubundadır, Geri Kalanı Çoğunluk İle Grek Ve Kafkas, Nadiren İse Civar Milletler Çıkar Ama %1 Bile Türk'lük İçermez, TTK'nın Az Olsa Da Bazı Belgeleri İnternette Mevcut, Türkçe Hurafeler İle Değiştirilmiş Bir Dilden Türk'lük İse 1932'de Çıkmış Bir Yalandan İbarettir.
The most emotional and best thing I have seen in my whole life is a church next to a mosque IT just made my day so much
I'm a Muslim and I hope president Erdogan keeps it as a museum. We have no shortage of mosques in Istanbul and we need no more place to pray to our one God where others used pray and warship to their Gods. Caliph Omar when entered Jerusalem refused to pray in the nativity church where was invited, to avoid any future clash between religions.
@Adnan Rahman I know it is a political pressure against Greek and Russia. Israel doesn't care. I know how the genius Turkish president think. What I hope is that Russia backdown from Libya and Syria and Greeks ease its position in Middtreanian
@Adnan Rahman of course I'm not. Why you too judgemental to believe that I'm siding with anybody against Turkey?? What i wish is that things go well and WE DONT NEED HAGIA SOFIA TO BE A MOSQUE. I'll never pray in this place. I did explain why.
Glad a wiseman make it a museum oopen for everyone to admire it. Never understand those two religions keep fighting over a flesh and power
This comment section has become alive suddenly with lots of history scholars.
History ... of their purpose
@@mysightofficial yup, everyone wants to prove they are right
*fabricated history.
I know right
@@shahbajkhan9508exactly
Yesterday the Turkish Foreign minister showed proof to justify the change to a mosque...
L.Abu Bakr Turkey, wrote :
What attracted my attention most during my research in the case of Aya Sofia is the name of the endowment created by Sultan Muhammad II and recorded and corrected Aya Sofia on his name.
For those who don't know.. Sultan Muhammad II, known as (Muhammad Al-Fateh), was insightful and intelligent to witness history and enemy before the beloved, he made a move that has never been repeated in history.
So that after opening Constantinople, he offered pastors to buy Aya Sofia's building from his own money, not from the state's money or from the house of Muslim money, and a personal deal that has nothing to do with his job in the state.
The deal was documented through a purchase and waiver contract, and payment was proven with payment bonds.
Directly, may Allah be pleased with him, established a stand (association) and waived to the association his property and the name of the endowment was tipped.
This is what shook Turkey a few weeks ago to manually review 27 thousand documents, coincidentally found an original title (Tabou) that clearly shows private property ownership.
Thus, landlords applied for absolute free use of the property as their own, and their request was to return the building to a mosque
As they used it since the day they bought it.
But what caught my attention is the name of the endowment created by the Fateh, may Allah be pleased with him and the name (Abu Al-Fath Al-Sultan Muhammad)
In the photo, the purchase contract and the cue that was found recently.
Mosques in Spain have been turned into churches, bars and nightclubs ! (Against the peace treaty).
The Babri Mosque in India turned into a temple of idols !
They want to transform Masjid Al Aqsa in Jerusalem with all its sanctuaries as the capital of the Zionists !
We have not heard a Western or Eastern voice condemning these crimes !
But reverting the Aya Sophia to a mosque exposed the hatred of the mentally eclipsed from the East and the West !!
The Alhambra Palace Mosque in Granada was converted to the Santa Maria cathedral.
Masjid Qasim Pasha has been changed to Saint Michael cathedral.
The Jami Masjid of Qurtuba has been converted to a cathedral.
Masjid Ibn Adees has been changed to the Salvador Cathedral.
Masjidul Murabiteen has been converted to the Khan Khausiyyah church.
Jami Masjid of Seville has been changed to the Church of Marry.
No one is mourning the diversity and rich Islamic history of mosques-turned-churches in Spain that surveil and monitor Muslim tourists & stop them from praying inside.
Please share the post to silence the mouths claiming to persecute the issue of Christians and their sacred claims that Turkey does not respect the feelings of Christians in the world.
Where can I read more on this?
Sictir
Well said
What about the thousand of cathedrals and churches destroyed by Muslim empires. Churches in Anatolia, the levant, Egypt, the Maghreb, and the Balkans. Millions of Christians were displaced and churches have been converted and destroyed.
What about all the mosques that where destroyed in the balkans no one complains about them
Hello from Italy 🇮🇹
It was built up as a Church ⛪ but unfortunately the Barbarian turco converted to a mosque 😢😢
I think the Crusaders were more barbaric by sacking it lol
@@Deibi078 lol. Nope
Cant believe i visited this place when i was younger without understanding the beautiful history it holds.
The Mezquita in Cordoba, Spain is an even better example of it's a church, church/mosque, mosque, church and the architecture starkly exemplifies this.
I agree that the Mezquita is also a wonderful building (particularly to be in at night !) but I think it unfair to compare it to Hagia Sofia - they are both magnificent in their own right and have completely different histories.
@@rogerthompson1622 I mentioned the Mezquita because of the stark differences in architectural styles within a single building. You enter the Mezquita and you're in a medieval era north African style mosque, then you go into the center of the building and you're in a renaissance style very European cathedral. Whereas the Aya Sofia is a Greek Orthodox church that was converted to a mosque. The addition of the minarets being the main modification the Ottomans did when converting it to a mosque. But then they used that as a template for future Ottoman mosques. I've been to both buildings and was equally in awe of both.
@@bobfrog4836 I share the feeling of awe that you have from both these magnificent buildings - I have spent a lot of time on many occasions in the Hagia Sofia including before the interior scaffolding went up (which of course is necessary) when the true scale could be appreciated. I have a great appreciation for Turkish mosques and am always so grateful that we are allowed entrance into them. I have also been in the Mezquita on more than one occasion including a night visit when it took on a totally different perspective. Both are beautiful sacred spaces.
Fascinating. Gripping subject, beautiful animations, masterful script and powerfully gentle narration. Thank you for your hard work!
Ottomans called the city Konstantiniyye! The name Istanbul, although was common within people,was not officially recognised until 20th century
for my foreigner friends: This great structure was turned back into a mousqe to excite turkish fundamentalists to get back their votes which they have been losing lately, and I think, it didn't work except for a short period.
Not true at all
@@easy5989 as a Turk yes it is true.
I wish to keep it as a musuem so everyone can learn and enjoy from it. The beauty of cultures together
Still you can go and enjoy.
A beautiful voice narrating a fascinating lesson!
Could've maybe gave Theodora a mention along side the Nika Riots.
I love all the people trying to justify Turkey making Hagia Sophia a mosque in this era by equating it to the Spanish converting the mosque of Córdoba into a cathedral all the way back in the 1200s
And the same people would get mad if Israel turned Al Aqsa into a synagogue like it used to be a long time ago
Actually this justification is wrong.
The true one is Mehmet al Fatih Purchased Hagia Sophia when it was a church and then turned it into a mosque.
He could have taken it forcefully but no he purchased it so yeah.
The ataturk converted it into a museum and now Turks want it back to be a mosque.
That;s why its justified for it to be a mosque today :)
Thank you and looking forward to your response.
@@solomonwaldmarck9851 Maybe because the israelis - you know - didn't rightfully own the place. where as in the hagia sophia it was purchased and was registered as waqf.
My question is, by this logic can we change Taj Mahal to a Shivling(Hindu god temple).
@@ankanmaiti9864 If there is a contract or law that states that the Taj Mahal cannot be changed into a Hindu temple then you legally can't but if there isn't then you technically and legally can. that doesn't mean people would like it though. but we are not talking about people liking it or not.
"It is a beautiful and important monument and an international, intercultural treasure...Unless and until it can be shared by both religions in harmony--which would be a grand idea--it should remain a secular building honoring both religions who have made it beautiful." -Ljubo Vujovic
That will never Happen, Two Religions 😤.Many So called 'Christian' and 'Islamic' Artifacts worth Kilos in Gold were destroyed by the Militants
☹️
Church? Mosque? One thing's for certain, they both see it as holy ground, on the very least.
@Marco S A church isn't a house though, or a building.
A Ghost Without a Past it’s a house of god
People nowadays are so naive and cowardly against bullies, in this case is islam
@@lets_wrapitup It's far more than that.
Yeah man I agree with u
Now it's a holy ground
Was there a few days ago. Visited Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque then the Cistern. Amazing. The Tour Guide explained that the reason why the Cistern had nice columns is because they were rejects from the Hagia Sophia. Makes sense.
Speaking as an Istanbulite Greek,
I believe this structure cannot be claimed
by any nation of any spiritual belief.
Go build your new-age temple.
Your current ones are empty, but go ahead.
Just let history be historical,
as a museum.
❤️🤞🏻
Are you living in Istanbul right now? I'm curious ^^
As an Athenian Greek I honestly don’t get why do people get so triggered about names. What’s wrong with calling it a church? The Parthenon of Athens functioned as a very important church during the Byzantine empire and yet we call by what it was originally built for, a Greek temple, not a church
Zeynep Ezgi Su Simsar yes the other day I read about some Turkish politician who said they would convert it to a mosque. I don’t get why they’re promoting this hatred
STEPHY I thought Greeks were all evicted from Istanbul. You mean you’re a Christian Turk?
TED-Ed, I really like your videos, but you need to work on consistency. There are two very distinct graphical mistakes in this video:
1:36 - minarets (towers) weren't built by Justinian, they appeared after the Muslim conquest of Byzantium several centuries later.
2:53 - these soldiers are ancient Romans, not Latin crusaders. Noun "Latin" not only describes the official language of Ancient Rome and Catholic Church, but also Western European Catholic cultural alleigance during the Middle Ages period in history. So these soldiers should've been depicted as knights rather than legionaries.
Hope you'll see that comment and make your content more consistent, those were major mistakes. Still loving your work
Thanks for pointing this out. These are examples of the lazy use of clip art, which definitely doesn't enhance audience perception of the quality of a video.
It is Konstantinoupoli and it is GREEK just like my grandpa who was born there!
As a Greek, "Hagia Sofia" most likely brings Saint Sofia of Rome to your mind (since that's what Hagia Sofia means in Greek), but the realization that Hagia Sofia stands not for Saint Sofia, but for Holy Wisdom (hagia= holy, wisdom= sofia in greek), as in Holy Wisdom of God, is so moving and heart-warming. Especially considering how that God can be Zeus, the christian God, Allah or any other deity that has been revered inside its walls throughout the centuries.
looks like I am the first one here after Turkey's decision
As a turk that was stupidity
It looks to me like Turks want trouble, don't they?
Zınar baran İşçi do you live in Izmir?
@@znarbaranisci213 Well, stay safe from Jihadis. Love from India🇮🇳
Alv V and what are you going to do? Lol.
To clarify one mistake in the video, city was called Constantinople(Konstantiniyye by Ottoman) by everyone including Turks/Ottomans up until the end of the Ottoman Empire and even some time after Turkish Republic was found. It was after some years of the founding of the Republic of Turkey that the name changed to Istanbul as we know today.
When I think of the Hagia Sophia I think of the ghosts of Justinian and Suleiman walking in halls men different yet similar who brought greatness to there empires only for it to crumble under a week heir and successors
Wow! That is a great way to see it.
I like to imagine that they stroll along the corridors, talking to each other like old friends while looking at the art
@@ijent3819 not really Suleiman would be mad that they took all the plaster off and Justinian would be disappointed that almost none of the original mosaics (which were probably better if we reference them to the intact Byzantine Ravenna Cathedral) survived the iconoclasm.
Neither would be happy if they were alive today, especially Justinian.
They should renovate the Hagia Sophia - make it so that Muslims and Christians can both pray there? Share the place? And allow visitors/tourists access.
Yes I believe that as well. Also in Spain they should make the famous mosque cathedral like what you just said as well.
-A Muslim
That’s a pretty sweet deal
My boyfriend is greek orthodox and watching this is super helpful to me. Wish it would have stayed as a world heritage site
Here after It has become a Mosque again. Alhamdulillah
When Justinian entered the church, he said "Νενίνηκα σε, Σολωμών", meaning "I have bested you, Solomonta"
I really want to visit it now. While it’s sad that they can’t uncover some of the mosaics without destroying others, it’s cool that they were able to uncover some, and it sounds like such an interesting place if it has all this history and contrasting art and architecture.
Having it as a museum makes the most sense
its the great church for all Orthodox Christians,why it make sense to be a museum or a Mosque?why not Turkey to honor the responsibility of having in its land such a sacred monument?
@@vassoanzaoui8530 when the mosque in cardoba is also honoured and give to muslims to pray in spain,and not a christian cathdral then and only then would there be a fair arguement for this one to be returned to the othordox christians. Until then, a museum is a generous offer in comparison
@@ziyadali1169 'eye for a eye' then for you...so religious😏
@@vassoanzaoui8530 im not religious but i do believe in fairness
@@ziyadali1169 it was originally Christian but Muslims wanted to take over
It truly says a lot! I love the fact that a stone over stone can tell so much about human cultures and civilisations. Worth Sharing indeed!
it's a touchy subject for you no turk? having to dance around the obvious and play pretend while taking credit for something others made. A typical Turkish custom.
ahahahahah like Spanish did to Cordoba@@rfkwouldvebeenaok1008
You forgot that it's changed more. Especially in the time of the Suleyman the Magnificent. His architect Sinan (Mimar Sinan) made changes, big renovations. He gave the final shape it has now. His works made it possible to remain solid.
@David Charles Francis Topham de Vere Beauclerk I listened it from the achitecture experts who talked to the media in Turkey. There are books telling the history of Hagia Sophia and Mimar Sinan but in Turkish and I can't give you a certain name. Sorry , I can't give a scientific source but I have some internet pages. Some English some Turkish. www.turkishculture.org/architecture-403.htm
@David Charles Francis Topham de Vere Beauclerk Here is an official source for the History of Hagia Sophia ayasofyamuzesi.gov.tr/en/history
The name of the city was only formally changed to Istanbul after the formation of the Turkish nation. During the time of the Ottomans, the city had many names, among which both Constantinople and Istanbul were included.
Patch 2020: It’s a Mosque.
কেন
As a Catholic Turk, I think it should stay as a Orthodox church. It still has iconas in it which is very ancient and they are really important for we Christians. We would like to use the church as obey God.
As if getting one more church would change much. And I suppose all “un-christian” artifacts should be removed or even destroyed then? We should exclude the party who lives in the city and include a minority? Not a good idea. A museum is a high respect as it allows many cultures to enjoy and marvel at the pasts arcitectural marbles. Converting it back to a church or a mosque is a downright insult to Hagia Sophias Rich history
@@hitrapperandartistdababy And look we where we are now...
Shriyan Govender aye its a sad world.
@@hitrapperandartistdababyHaiga Sophia is built for Saint Sophia.
Saying that it is an insult for the Church's history to honor it to the person it was built for makes no sense.
It is a church it will always remain a Church
Gotta love that some bored viking dudes graffiti-ed their names on one of the Hagia Sofia balustrades.
They were drunk all the time. Without a constant supply of wine, I don't think you could rely on the Varangians.
Lol yeah I wanna see that 😁
@Chipmunk Dude who carved’s name was Halfdan, it’s about as norse a name as it gets.
"If walls could talk"
"Kelly *Wall*"
I can't say anything except:
Respect every religion.
You're the man
religion is a plague. abolish all of them.
@@daddysasageyo9263 They can also bring good. Religious people tend to give more charity than non-religious people. Religious people have good moral values. But sadly there are those who inflict harm in the name of religion. Abolish them, Not the religion.
@@rizwanshamil *Almost everything* you wrote is wrong/misleading/missing crucial bits. Had a potent laugh tough, so thanks i guess.
@@bronzejourney5784 I can't argue with you. Hatred makes you blind that you can't see good out of anything. So good luck.
It was more like a cathedral than a church. It should remain as a museum for anyone to visit
No tourists can visit mosques as well. Look at sultan Ahmed mosque it has many visitors
no because many mosques have been turned into bars,brothels,clubs stables temples by Greece,India and Israel
Nah man. You had to pay 100 lira to enter the Aya Sophia when it was a museum, now it is free.
I was in Istanbul last year and went to see the hagia Sofia. You see pictures and people talk about it but you‘ll think nah its a normal Museum just like any other. BUT let Me tell you. As soon as you enter it you will get overwhelmed by the beauty of it. Its really magnificent. I was in there for like 2 Hours. It has so much detail and character you will love it. I took 1 Mio pictures of it. Loved it. But Istanbul itself is absolutaly beautiful. You can regocnize the greeks, romans and Ottomans by the different architectures. The People are super nice and dont get me started with the Food. (Sorry for my english it‘s not my mother tongue)
I want to visit that place once. I saw it in movie Inferno.
There are so many false and/or historically altered statements in this clip that it makes we wonder how such a summary has been allowed to be published under Tedx
Facts
Especially the part when she said that memed fatih let his troops pillage for 3 days . Completely false , many sources state that mehemd the fatih purchased the land and the church before re decorating it as a mosque
When I went there in 2018, there were repairing work in progress. I heard it will be finished in 2021, so it should be in progress right now. At that time, many restorations of the wall we done, and the worker said the damage is caused by the salt vapour from the sea and the birds' poop. Hence, the plaster is very good in protecting the murals beneath the plaster. The structure of original Hagia Sofia would be destroyed by earthquake, if no outer supporting structures were added by Ottoman. Your drawing of Hagia Sofia is the structure with these supports (in grey). The original one is the red one, with the shape of a boxy shape. The Ottoman was so nice to preserve this structure, and they did not destroy it like the 4th crusaders. They even used different coloring to make sure people understand the original structure. I will thank them for that.
Yes, if the time comes to reconvert it into a museum or church it will be done accurately. It's a mosque in name and with a few decorations only, not like they reformed the whole historical building which some people are suggesting that happened.
@@abcdefg2591 Give an account of the destroyed mosques in Europe. Then the mosques we bombed in the Middle East. Maybe the Turks will build churches again. Anyway, it is the Turks' money to keep them standing.
HAGIA SOPHIA is so beautiful
Am Indian Muslim & here in India there are lots of beautiful mosques
I love holy places cuz there are no negativity
& my dream is to go Istanbul at once in my life
Istanbul is a beautiful city
@Kim jong un yup!!
As an Bangladeshi muslim, I totally agree with you. One day I will visit India ❤️
Blessed as a Church and will remain a Church forever
Sorry man. I prayed Zuhr Prayer in the Aya Sophia Grand Mosque last week!
@@alienguy-kazmikompany1286 Mashallah
it should have stayed as museum
Its a church - nothing else
An orthodox mass in Hagia Sophia would be priceless and beautiful to watch!
Divine Liturgy* But I agree.
💀💀dreams
It's mosque now baby
Hagia Sophia is not a mosque. It was brutally turned to mosque. Hagia Sophia was built and operated as the religious and cultural center of (Orthodox) Christianity. Its importance for the Orthodox is similar to that of the Vatican for the Catholics and Mecca for the Muslims. Imagine how Muslims would react if Mecca was turned to Christian church or Vatican into a mosque. It is a shame that not only the Turkish government does not give Hagia Sophia back to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople for religious use by the Orthodox Christians from all over the world, but instead turns it back to a mosque from a previous museum use. The only thing the Turkish will achieve is to alienate all the Christian world. I think the Western countries should re-think about continuing the operation of mosques in their countries if that is how Muslims will treat Christians in their countries.
Your solution to Turkey's government's acts of religious politicization is to encourage other countries to do the same? Two wrongs don't make a right.
@@ThisApp There must be some consensus on a state level on how things should be in order to have a mutual respect and understanding of all people including religious minorities. I repeat... imagine if Mecca was converted to a Cathedral.. what would the reactions be from the Muslim world? Why is the western world not reacting? Is it because it doesn't concern the Catholics and the Protestants? So, what is the right thing to do? To shut up on all provocations?
@@promy563 That's not an appropriate comparison though. Mecca is the holiest site in Islam and has been used as a religious place of worship for its entirety (unlike Hagia Sophia which has been a church, a mosque and a museum throughout its existence).
The appropriate comparison would be like converting St. Peter's Basilica into a mosque which wouldn't ever happen.
Also, not to downplay Hagia Sophia's importance, but many mosques have been converted into churches throughout the world when the crusades were happening. Truth is that there is just as much talk when churches get converted to mosques and vice versa. India is often converting mosques into sites for Hindu temples. Does it make it right that any of these situations happen? No, but that means the people need to address and change their government, not the religion.
@@ThisApp Any kind of conversion is a desecration. Hagia Sofia is the holiest site in Orthodox Christianity so it is exactly as important as Mecca. The fact that it has been conquered and desecrated does not make it right. By the way the crusaders were not Orthodox Christians and they also pillaged and desecrated Hagia Sofia during the 4th crusade. In conclusion, the Turkish government should give Hagia Sofia back to the Orthodox Christians for worship and stop occupying it and use it for political reasons in order to appease the extreme Islamists and the Turk nationalists who dream of a new Ottoman Empire. Be civil.
I don't understand why muslims don't feel any shame,it belonged to different religion and wasn't praying in that mosque an act of blasphemy because the king of ottoman Empire just plastered the potrait of Jesus, angel,marry and other important figure. Indirectly praying to christian figures
Interesting video, time flies...2014! Crazy stuff.
The pillars at 2:24 are actually Ionic (or Ionique as my art history teacher preferred French).
Corinthian is more flowery and stuff XD, but it has the most influence on Europe architecture.
I see that the comments section is absolutely lit up.
God has totally blessed the comments
@Joseph Stalin not Stalin being here 😭😭
This decision that Atatürk made at that time is yet another small example of why we secular Turks love and respect him so much.
🤭🤭🤭
This did not age well
So how do you feel about it now?
And now it's a mosque without even saying it to the Pope in Rome...
Now it is a mosque again. Adding another tale to the grandiose architecture.✨
Wow, such rich history for 1 building
An amazing history.
"Runic inscriptions carved by the Vikings of the Emperors elite guard-"
Excuse me THE WHAT? That is the single most badass thing I have ever heard!
Research the Varangian guards. Basically the Viking’s came down and were so epic that they got hired as elite guards for the Roman Emperor. Viking’s and Romans it’s my favourite period of history the Byzantines.
4TheWinQuinn i know right? Even though the vikings where no match for the Byzantine Navy they still thought “Damn those guys are tough lets offer them elite posts for money”
Good video but sme errors - Istanbul only became the city's name under Ataturk in the 1920s. It was Constantinople until then.
There were no minarets when it was constructed as a Church back in the 500s.
Wrong. It was Namen Istanbul in The 1450s wehen it was Taken bG The Muslims.
I was talking official names - while the Turkish people have always called it Istanbul- which comes from the Greek, meaning The City, it was never the official name for the city, the Ottoman rulers referring to it as Kostantiniyye...by the 19th c though, Istanbul was becoming more popular and some officials were already being given titles with Istanbul rather than Kostantiniyye
Why fight about it? Just let it be a museum and proudly show off the story behind it. This building should be a national landmark.
Agreed!
Let it remain as a museum! The building represents the cultures and histories of the two religions.
@Abhijeeth Babu yeah! BTW are you Once?
It could be used by both religions like many churches. Different days
its a church its a mosque, its hagia sophia....no its a mosque again.
Yes that is because originally the Khalifa of the Ottoman empire bought the place from the Christians before converting it into a mosque. So this is a personal property of the Khalifa.
@@Islam-gy9lj Brother, please learn more about the Ottoman Empire. Sultan Mehmet al Fatih was not a Khalifa, he was just a sultan. The first Ottoman Sultan to use the title Khalifa was Yavuz Sultan Selim II in the early 16th Century. Sultan Mehmet al Fatih conquered Constantinople in 1453, over 100 years before the first Ottoman Caliph.
@@alienguy-kazmikompany1286
Yes brother that's what I mean. I am aware that the Ottomans had Sultanates and not Khalifas. But I used the word, Khalifa, to mean the head of state.
i went there on my trip to turkey and it’s gorgeous
It is a Cathedral. It is the See of St. John Chrysostom.
For every artist in the world there’s a thousand simpletons waiting for any excuse to destroy their work.
There is no destruction, only conversion. While I do not approve the real reasons of the conversion, I do believe that the Turks have a full right to their own country. If the parliment gives a majority vote and then the president approves, it gets converted. As simple as that.
Aorda I’m referring to the multiple times the art in the temple was lost because of it being attacked and or rebuilt. Sorry if that was not obvious.
The latest riots and statue destruction in the US is no exception.
The Hagia Sophia was converted from a museum into a mosque, not a church into a mosque.