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The Fight Over Hagia Sophia is About More Than a Building
When Hagia Sophia is formally reverted to a mosque later this month, it will be yet another manifestation of Erdogan’s vision for a conquering Islamist Turkey.
One of the architectural wonders of the world, the Hagia Sophia cathedral was conquered once before.
- Arielle Del Turco
- The National Interest
It was converted into a mosque by its Ottoman conquerors; minarets were added, and its ancient Byzantine mosaics were whitewashed.
More recently, it has functioned as a museum for decades.
Now, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has decreed that the…