Why did Hagia Sophia ‘Ayasofya’ become a mosque again?

Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) has stood for over 1,500 years as one of the most extraordinary buildings in the world.
A cathedral, a mosque, a museum — and once again a mosque.

This single monument has changed faces with the tides of empires, revolutions, and politics.
Inside its walls, Christian mosaics shimmer beside Islamic calligraphy, telling a story of faith, power, and survival.

But why did President Erdoğan decide to turn Hagia Sophia back into a mosque, even at the risk of worldwide criticism?
That is the mystery I want to share with you.

So I’ll explain Hagia Sophia(Ayasofya) as clearly and concisely as possible.

Hagia Sophia was originally a cathedral of the Eastern Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire.

However, Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) fell to the Ottoman Empire, and Hagia Sophia(Ayasofya) became a mosque. 

However, the Ottoman Empire was defeated in World War I, leading to the establishment of the Republic of Turkey.

Afterward, Hagia Sophia(Ayasofya) was turned into a museum under the first president, Mustafa Kemal, to avoid conflict between Christianity and Islam.

He avoided conflict between each religion by turning the Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) into a museum with no religious significance.

That’s why the interior of Hagia Sophia is a fascinating place where Christian mosaics and Islamic inscriptions coexist.

However, later on, President Erdoğan turned it back into a mosque.

Hagia Sophia(Ayasofya) contains Christian mosaics, which are valuable historical assets for the Christian Church.

However, Islam prohibits idol worship.

Therefore, turning Hagia Sophia into a mosque raises the fear that these precious mosaics for the Christian Church might be erased.

This is why, naturally, the Christian Church was outraged.

What becomes a point of interest here is why President Erdoğan went ahead and turned Hagia Sophia back into a mosque despite the criticism from Christian churches worldwide.

So, I looked into the reasons behind this decision.

According to my research,

it seems that it was to gain support from the public.

 For a president, public support is vital.

If a president loses public support, they lose their power and fall from grace.

Those in power do not want to lose that power or step down from their position.

In other words, public support is a lifeline for the president.

So, how can they secure that support?

He should align himself with the majority of the population.

The Republic of Turkey has a large number of devout Muslim citizens.

So, how can you win their support?

To turn Hagia Sophia(Ayasofya) back into a mosque.

By turning Hagia Sophia(Ayasofya) into a mosque for Islam,

He can solidify the backing of the majority of the population.

This seems to be the reason why President Erdoğan pushed ahead with making Hagia Sophia(Ayasofya) a mosque again, despite the criticism from Christian churches around the world.

In fact, it seems that President Erdoğan gained a lot of approval and support from the majority of the population as a result.

By the way, the mosaics, which are a Christian heritage, remain intact and have not been erased.

Therefore, when you visit Hagia Sophia, you can see them without any issues.

I actually went to Hagia Sophia.

There are some important things to note when entering.

Women, regardless of religion or nationality, need to cover their faces with a scarf.

There is no loan service for scarves, so you must bring your own.

They can be purchased at nearby stalls.

However, something to be careful about is for men with long hair like mine. Men don’t need to cover their faces with a scarf.

That’s why I entered Hagia Sophia(Ayasofya) without a scarf.

After walking around for a while, a large security guard came to confront me with a fierce attitude. It seemed they had mistaken me for a woman.

He is a large man who must be 190 centimeters tall.

As expected of security residing in a world heritage site, he seems to have high combat power.

Probably status 999.

He approaches me with a devilish look on his face.

As if he was going to crush me!!

“Wrap a hijab!!”

In that case, you should immediately say:

“I’m a man!!, I’m not a woman!!”

Then he said,

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

and let me go with a smile.

For men with long hair, make sure you’re prepared to say this magical phrase in English:

“I’m a man!!, I’m not a woman!!”