After the reconversion of the Hagia Sophia, Turkey has also converted the ancient Byzantine Chora Church, which had been a museum for 79 years, into a mosque.

Some Orthodox Christians have expressed disappointment but emphasize the importance of finding common ground.

Muslim worshippers at the newly rededicated mosques see these conversions as symbols of Turkey’s national pride and victory.

The reconversion is considered by many as a significant symbol of the Ottoman conquest.

The Hagia Sophia has recently seen maintenance concerns, with reports of fragments falling from its dome.

A new entrance for tourists has been added in front of the Topkapi Palace Museum, allowing visitors access without interrupting prayer times.

A Ministry statement announced that tourists can now visit Hagia Sophia without disturbing the praying environment due to new regulations starting January 15.

Christian leaders in Turkey are looking forward to new legislation on religious foundations, which is significant for local Christian communities who manage important places of worship.

The Turkish Greek community manages 77 religious foundations, the highest among minorities.

Both Hagia Sophia and the Chora Church were converted into museums after the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the creation of modern Turkey.

The Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora was originally built by the Byzantines in the 5th century.

In 1985, Hagia Sophia was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognizing its outstanding historical significance.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has recently opened the Ayasofya Mosque’s Fatih Madrassa, Istanbul’s first Ottoman religious school.

The reconversions of these historic sites have drawn criticism from the international community, particularly due to their religious and cultural significance.

Many view these changes as carrying strong religious undertones and as political moves by President Erdogan to appeal to conservative and nationalist sentiments within Turkey.

Tourism to Turkey, including visits to historic ruins and sites like Hagia Sophia, remains popular, with the government implementing measures to balance religious functions and visitor access.

Turkish authorities are under pressure to preserve the multi-layered history and maintain open access to sites that are important to both Christians and Muslims, as well as to the broader international community.

Many changes are occurring in the Middle East, Europe, and the United States today.

In early April, Turkish newspapers reported that President Erdogan would visit Hagia Sophia with AKP leaders and religious authorities to pray.

On April 18, it was clear that Erdogan had politically succeeded, but some felt a personal or ideological loss from this shift.

The conservative and religious population of inner Anatolia felt their support for Erdogan entitled them to present further demands.

This shift in policy is notably slow and calculated by Erdogan, using a tolerant tone to appeal to various audiences.

Tours often guide visitors through Byzantine sites such as the Hippodrome, Basilica Cistern, and Hagia Sophia, highlighting Istanbul's layered history.

The Hagia Sophia’s massive scale and beauty draw tourists who immerse themselves in its history, architecture, and complex identity.

After the Ottoman conquest, the Christian Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque.

The American Council for the Liberation of Hagia Sophia has demanded it return to Christian worship, with its head Chris Spirou condemned by Turkish authorities as a provocateur.

For three years leading to 2020, there were ongoing efforts to change Hagia Sophia's status.

A weakening Turkish lira is expected to raise tourism prices in Istanbul.

Built in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian, Hagia Sophia was the world's largest Christian church for over a thousand years.

Today, it is known as the Great Mosque of Hagia Sophia.

Foreign tourists must now pay 25 euros to enter, while Turkish citizens have free entry.

In 2020, President Erdogan officially decreed Hagia Sophia’s status as a mosque.

Modest clothing and headscarves are required for mosque entry.

Visitors can book tours that answer questions about logistics, payment, and scheduling.

Guides express readiness to answer any questions before bookings are finalized.

Tourists pay partially in advance, completing payment after the tour if they are satisfied.

Only verified visitors can write reviews, often praising guides' expertise and historical coverage.

Tours are suitable for families and offer a range of experiences, including ferry rides and market visits.

Following the reconversion, some Russian politicians expressed outrage and religious provocation against Turkey.

Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced that entry for foreigners would be paid, partially maintaining the site’s museum functions.

Erdogan invited leaders of Muslim-majority countries to participate in the first prayer at the newly reconverted Hagia Sophia Mosque.

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New rules have come into force for visiting the Hagia Sophia Mosque in Turkey.

Many visitors welcome the new rules as long as the entrance fee remains reasonable.

Hagia Sophia has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of Istanbul's history since 1985.

After the building was converted into a mosque, it faced strong criticism from the Greek Orthodox Church.

The reconversion of Hagia Sophia is seen by some as controversial.

Other historic buildings such as the Karya (Khora) Mosque in Istanbul also went through similar fates: built as a church in the Byzantine era, converted into a mosque after the conquest, and later became a museum before reopening for worship.

Sites like Khora are known for their exquisite mosaics and frescoes, reflecting their historical Christian heritage.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that returning Hagia Sophia from a museum to a mosque represented a major challenge to the idea of global trusteeship.

Greece’s foreign ministry condemned recent events at Christian heritage sites in Turkey as insults and desecration, highlighting the sensitivity around these changes.

The reconversion of heritage sites such as Hagia Sophia and Khora has sparked criticism based on religious and political grounds, especially from the Greek Orthodox Church and the international community.

Critics argue that these moves by President Erdogan have religious undertones and serve as political gestures, emphasizing Turkish sovereignty and local control over global heritage sites.

These actions have drawn concerns regarding the preservation of the multicultural legacy of Istanbul, particularly with respect to the sites' roles as places of shared history for both Christians and Muslims.

UNESCO continues to classify Hagia Sophia and other sites as World Heritage, and expresses willingness to assist with preservation and maintenance whenever such heritage sites are affected or altered.

Since 2019, the coronavirus pandemic has deeply impacted global travel, making visits to places like Istanbul, Ephesus, and Athens rare dreams for many.

Cappadocia's ancient lime cave castles echo with the calls to prayer, reflecting Turkey's blending of Christian and Islamic history.

Hot air balloon flights at sunrise reveal its unique geography, while on tours, guides discuss the life and journeys of Saint Paul, his connection to places like Ephesus, his missionary path, and his frequent imprisonments.

Biblical history, such as Paul's transformation on the road to Damascus and his belief in salvation through Jesus, is a common theme, accompanied by reflections on life, death, faith, and rest.

Travelers are often surprised to learn that Mary, mother of Jesus, is honored in both Christianity and Islam, pointing to shared reverence across religions.

The journey through Turkey includes visiting mountains, the beauty of the Aegean Sea, and sites like the cave where Saint John is said to have written the Book of Revelation.

Istanbul, formerly the capital of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, showcases its multi-layered history through landmarks like the Church of St. Anthony of Padua and remnants of the Byzantine city wall.

The city straddles two continents, with the old city protected by ancient walls and surrounded by the sea.

Hagia Sophia, central to this history, was converted from a Byzantine cathedral into a mosque by Sultan Mehmed II after the Ottoman conquest, and served as a major place of Muslim worship for over 500 years.

Modern political tensions surfaced during the Turkish presidential elections, with President Erdoğan facing challenges after losing major cities, yet maintaining influence through controversies like the reconversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

Critics view this reconversion as a politicized move, asserting that it reflects religious undertones, impacts Turkey’s secular image, and generates international concern due to Hagia Sophia’s UNESCO World Heritage status as both a symbol of Christian and Islamic heritage.

Travelers cross the Bosphorus, visit Topkapi and the palaces of the Ottomans, admire gardens like Gülhane Park, and observe the ongoing legacy of empires through architecture and daily life.

Sites such as the Anatolian Fortress, orchards on routes to ruins like Troy, and UNESCO-listed wonders like Pamukkale (the "Cotton Castle") highlight Turkey’s vast and diverse history.

Throughout, the enduring synthesis of civilizations in Turkey fosters both admiration and debates about the stewardship of its sacred and historic sites.

After the reconversion of the Hagia Sophia, Turkey has also converted the ancient Byzantine Chora Church, which had been a museum for 79 years, into a mosque.

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Content: After Hagia Sophia, Turkey converts a second ancient Byzantine church into a mosque

Hundreds of worshippers filled the narrow streets of Istanbul's Fatih district on Friday to hear the sounds of Friday prayers ringing out from the newly inaugurated Kariye Mosque.

Once known as the Chora Church, the site spent the last 79 years as a museum. But it is now the latest structure to be converted back into a mosque by the government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, following the conversion of Hagia Sophia in 2020. While viewed as a triumph by many Turkish Muslims, the Greek Orthodox Church has decried it as an "ill-advised decision" that "makes a mockery of the Turkish government's commitment to religious tolerance and religious freedom."

Chora's conversion was announced shortly after Hagia Sophia's, but its opening for prayer was delayed by years of restoration work.

The showing for the first Friday prayers at Kariye was relatively quiet compared to Hagia Sophia, which drew hundreds of thousands who filled the streets with prayer rugs for blocks and blocks away from the building. By contrast, the crowd on Friday was relatively average for a mosque in one of Istanbul's more religiously conservative neighborhoods, where Friday worshippers frequently spill out onto the streets.

Both the Chora Church and Hagia Sophia are 4th-century Byzantine constructions. They spent nearly a millennium as Christian holy sites before being converted to mosques by the Ottomans after their conquest of Constantinople in the 15th century. Despite their conversions, they remained revered by Orthodox Christians. After the founding of a secular Turkish Republic in the early 20th century, the decision was made for both to be neither mosque nor church but simply museums.

"Both Hagia Sophia and Chora embodied Byzantine and Ottoman pasts, and they became symbols of co-existence and multi-faith living practices. Their conversion fundamentally implies a hierarchy, prioritizing the Islamic past over all other layers, Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Jewish, Syriac, et al," Dr. Özgür Kaymak, a lecturer and researcher on minority rights at Istanbul's MEF University, told Religion News Service in an email.

Rededicating the sites as mosques is more than just a status change. According to Islamic tradition, artwork of human figures are forbidden in places of prayer, while in Orthodox Churches, icons of Christ, saints and other biblical figures are a defining feature.

In Hagia Sophia, the mosaics of Jesus and Mary have been covered with curtains since the conversion. While Erdoğan promised Hagia Sophia would remain fully accessible and free to all visitors, Turkey reneged on that earlier this year, reimposing an entrance fee on tourists and relegating them to the upper level, while the main floor is exclusive to Muslim worshippers.

Observers have also criticized the Turkish Directorate of Religion's caretaking of the site, noting damage that did not exist when it was under the purview of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Though Chora is significantly smaller than Hagia Sophia, it is home to some of the best-preserved examples of late-Byzantine art, including mosaics, icons and frescoes, and is considered a UNESCO World Heritage site.

"For us it's a very important place because it remembers our culture and our traditions here," Father Evangelos Markantonis, an Orthodox priest who was leading a group of theology students to Chora on Friday, told Religion News Service.

"Though we cannot venerate as Orthodox Christians, we have to try to find things we can be united on. Only with dialogue and good deeds can we continue our lives," Markantonis, who is also a professor at the University of Athens, said when asked about the controversy.

Erdoğan had long refused calls from his right to convert churches like Hagia Sophia and Chora, telling supporters in 2018 to fill the nearby Sultan Ahmet Mosque (also known in English as the Blue Mosque) before they talked about needing to pray in Hagia Sophia.

Nonetheless, he made an about-turn in 2020.

"My dear nation, the conquest of Istanbul and the conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a Mosque are among the most glorious chapters in Turkish history," Erdoğan said at the time in a speech inaugurating the Hagia Sophia as a mosque.

"This is the most honorable day that Islam has been looking forward to, Greek Constantinople has become Turkish Istanbul," he added, quoting the Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet.

"The resurrection of Hagia Sophia heralds the liberation of the al-Aqsa Mosque. The resurrection of Hagia Sophia is the footsteps of the will of Muslims across the world to come out of the interregnum," Erdoğan said in his concluding remarks.

Chora's opening as the Kariye Mosque comes just weeks after Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) suffered its largest electoral defeat in two decades during Turkey's nationwide municipal elections.

"The recent conversion of Chora into a mosque may be due to Erdoğan's many problems, including his geopolitical power politics, his appeal to religio-nationalism to revive his electoral popularity after the March elections or his tactic to divert attention from Turkey's economic downturn," Kaymak said.

Many analysts have attributed the loss to AKP bleeding votes to the more Islamist-leaning New Welfare Party, which has pressured Erdogan over his response to the Israel-Hamas war and humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

Muslim worshippers at the mosque on Friday said they viewed its rededication as an Islamic site to be a national win for Turkey.

"This mosque is one of the symbols of the Conquest. We are proud and happy. There are very beautiful frescoes inside. They were also nicely renovated before they were closed. May it be good for our country and our nation," a bystander, Ahmet Öteyüzoğlu, told Turkish media.

"Thank God for these days. Not everyone has the opportunity in their lifetime," another bystander named Mehmet Çelik told the Turkish news service Anadolu Agency, in reference to having been able to pray at both the rededicated Hagia Sophia and Kariye Mosques.

However, Greece, the U.S. State Department and Orthodox Christian institutions worldwide have all criticized the decision to revert the structure into a mosque.

"I want to publicly express my intense dissatisfaction, interpreting the feelings of all Greek women and men, for the completely unnecessary conversion of a historic Byzantine temple, the Monastery of Chora, into a mosque. It is, I believe, an action that offends the rich history of Istanbul itself as a crossroads of cultures," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said shortly before leaving for Turkey for a planned meeting with Erdogan.

"We encourage the Turkish government to preserve and ensure access to sites and buildings that have hosted different religious communities in a way that respects their diverse histories," a State Department spokesperson said in response to questions from Greek media.

"The Turkish government's appropriation of both as the property of one faith group not only constitutes yet another sign of that government's contempt for Turkey's rich Orthodox Christian heritage but further imperils the religious freedom of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the remaining Christians of that land," the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate said in a statement.

© Religion News Service

Some Orthodox Christians have expressed disappointment but emphasize the importance of finding common ground.

What did the CALHSC president urge regarding decisions on Hagia Sophia?

Consider both Muslim and Christian voices

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

Muslim worshippers at the newly rededicated mosques see these conversions as symbols of Turkey’s national pride and victory.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

What kind of domestic reaction did Erdogan's reconversion of Hagia Sophia receive?

The reconversion is considered by many as a significant symbol of the Ottoman conquest.

How did the role of Hagia Sophia change following the Ottoman conquest?

Hagia Sophia became a central Islamic religious site for centuries

The Hagia Sophia has recently seen maintenance concerns, with reports of fragments falling from its dome.

Title:

Content: [ditty_news_ticker id="27897"] Video Shows Fragments Falling from the Dome of Hagia Sophia - Orthodox Christian Laity

Video Shows Fragments Falling from the Dome of Hagia Sophia

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Source: Greek Reporter

A still from a recently released video shows visitors rushing to take cover as fragments fall from the dome of Hagia Sophia. Credit: Daily Motion/BirGün

A video from 2022 that came to light recently shows fragments falling on visitors from the dome of Hagia Sophia, the former epicenter of Christian worship at Constantinople, today’s Istanbul.

The footage released by the Turkish newspaper, BirGün, raises serious questions over the safety of the former Orthodox Christian cathedral, now a mosque.

BirGün notably quoted officials as saying that “pieces are falling from the roof, due to the humidity created by the crowd, but no precautions are being taken”.

The president of the Turkish Art History Association, Serif Yasar, argued for restoration of the monument as soon as possible, suggesting that “If Hagia Sophia is not restored, it will collapse with the first earthquake.”

The monument was restored as a mosque three years ago after serving as a museum from 1935-2020 and has since received 21 million visitors, according to Turkey’s tourism and culture minister.

Yasar added that when the church was a museum, the scientific council overseeing it urged that groups of no more than 25 people should be allowed to enter the building at any one time.

This enormous lift in visitation has likely brought to the forefront the need for repairs and it was indeed reported in September that the Turkish government had decided to start long-term maintenance of Hagia Sophia.

Turkey to implement visitor management policy at Hagia Sophia

In early October Turkish historian Ilber Ortayli expressed fears that the large number of visitors to Hagia Sophia could lead to a catastrophic structural failure if not addressed immediately.

Writing in the Hürriyet daily, Ortayli said that the monument, which attracts three million pilgrims annually apart from tourists, has undergone significant damage since its conversion into a mosque.

He asserted that even a modest number of 20-30 thousand people annually, including scientists, historians, archaeologists, representatives of the Muslim religion, politicians, and public officials, could be considered excessive for the endurance of the monument.

In June 2022 a number of tiles of the ancient marble floors in Hagia Sophia were damaged by heavy machines used to clean the site.

In April 2022, The Turkish Association of Art Historians stated that the historic Imperial Gate in Hagia Sophia had been badly damaged.

The group posted a picture clearly depicting the damage to the oak wood of the 15-century-old gate.

Turkey unveiled plans in late October for a visitor management policy at Hagia Sophia, including charging foreign tourists with an entrance fee to be implemented starting Jan. 15.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said that extensive restoration work is underway in various sections of Hagia Sophia, now a mosque, with plans to progress to other parts upon their completion.

He emphasized that, based on UNESCO’s recommendations, a visitor management plan would be enforced to enhance the quality and safety of visits while preserving the historical significance of the site.

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Officials argue for repairs to Hagia Sophia after footage shows fragments falling from the dome – Neos Kosmos

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A new entrance for tourists has been added in front of the Topkapi Palace Museum, allowing visitors access without interrupting prayer times.

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Content: Turkey’s iconic Hagia Sophia mosque to charge $28 entry fee for tourists

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Turkey’s Hagia Sophia mosque began charging tourists nearly $28 on Monday for entrance to the landmark site.

The UNESCO World Heritage site, renowned for its blue-tiled interior, will no longer allow free admission to foreigners, the Turkish tourism ministry announced.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

The former museum-turned mosque has a new entrance in front of the Topkapi Palace Museum open for tourists.

Tunnel entrance at Turkey's Hagia Sophia. (File photo)

The Hagia Sophia was a museum space from 1934 until 2020 when Turkey decided to change it to a mosque. Various historical reports say the mosque with byzantine architecture was an Orthodox cathedral decades ago.

“With the new application that will start on January 15 at the Hagia Sophia Mosque, tourists will be able to visit the mosque without disturbing the prayer environment,” the ministry said in a statement.

The entrance to the mosque will be “provided in a controlled manner through the tunnel and entrance ramp where visitors will be transported to the gallery floor and exited via the ramp in the northeast direction,” the statement said.

“Tourists who come to the gallery section will be able to see the sanctuary floor of the mosque and the Ottoman Period annexes, pass through the heaven-hell gate, and examine the Byzantine Period mosaics in this section,” it added.

Security cameras, fire detection and emergency announcement systems were reportedly installed in the mosque along the tour route. Cleaning and conservation work on the marble coverings and wooden railings on the gallery floor of the mosque was also carried out by restorers and conservators.

Visitors will also have access to a headset guide with QR codes where information on the sight is available in 23 languages.

People visit the Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Istanbul, Turkey, July 10, 2020. (Reuters)

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A Ministry statement announced that tourists can now visit Hagia Sophia without disturbing the praying environment due to new regulations starting January 15.

Christian leaders in Turkey are looking forward to new legislation on religious foundations, which is significant for local Christian communities who manage important places of worship.

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Content: >
December 9, 2021

Christian leaders look forward to Turkey's new law on religious foundations

This is an issue of vital importance for local Christian communities whose places of worship are entrusted to and managed by their governing bodies

Religious minorities in Turkey are looking forward to the increasingly Islamo-nationalist government making good its promise of outreach to non-Muslims by giving them freedom to establish and run their religious and social institutions.

The Turkish government is preparing to issue a new regulation on the administrative management of foundations linked to non-Muslim faith communities, which have been paralyzed for years by a legislative impasse that blocks the renewal of their governing bodies.

This is an issue of vital importance for local Christian communities such as Armenians and Assyrians, whose places of worship – many of them historic --, other real estate and public institutions are entrusted to and managed by foundations.

Burhan Ersoy, head of the state-run Directorate of the Foundations, has confirmed that the plan for the drafting of a new regulation concerning the elections for the assignment of offices within the foundations has come into being, Fides reported.

The draft of the text has been drawn up, taking into account requests and proposals from the various minority communities, and it is expected that the new rules, after obtaining government approval, would be implemented by April 2022.

The previous electoral regulation for the top management of foundations had been suspended in 2013, after the government chose to establish new procedures to make the management of real estate more functional and transparent.

This led to some confusion with representatives of the various minority communities unable to come to a consensus to either accept or reject the new electoral rules, Ersoy said.

The Syrian Orthodox Christian Süleyman Can Ustabaşı, current representative of the non-Muslim Foundations within the Assembly of Foundations, has said that the structure of foundations and their membership profiles had changed over time.

The Turkish government already had consultations with the representatives of religious minorities to resolve the dispute over board elections for their foundations.

But Ustabaşı now urges Turkish authorities to carry out another consultation with representatives of minority communities before the new text is to be implemented in 2022.

The legal status of the Foundations is still based on the Peace Treaty of Lausanne, signed in 1923 by Turkey and the Entente powers (British Empire, France and Russian Empire) victorious from the First World War.

The treaty guaranteed equality before the laws and the freedom to promote and manage "religious and social institutions" for non-Muslim communities in Turkey.

However, the state had seized properties run by these foundations and had to contend with litigation as these foundations claimed the rights guaranteed by the Treaty of Lausanne.

Also, starting from 1936, legislative provisions had allowed foundations of non-Muslim communities to acquire new properties. But in 1974, this guarantee was canceled and the state begun seizing assets acquired by these foundations.

Between 2013 and 2018 about 1,084 properties were returned to the foundations linked to non-Muslim communities, and 20 places of worship restored and given back to the foundations, according to official data.

Greek Orthodox Laki Vingas, in a speech published by the Armenian-Turkish newspaper Agos, said that the legislative deadlock on the question of the regulation of the foundations has had a negative effect on the life of the different ecclesial communities.

The block in the processes of renewal of the governing bodies of foundations had led to the expulsion of young people from the institutions linked to their communities, and also that many voluntary activities were "unfortunately interrupted".

Non-Muslim places of worship

Within the general Assembly of the Turkish Foundations are some 167 minority foundations. The Turkish Greek community has 77, the highest number of foundations. The Armenian community has 54 and the Jewish community has 19 foundations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after a cabinet meeting held on October 25 announced that authorities had put on the agenda the question of the elections of the directorates of the foundations linked to religious minorities.

He also spoke of fundamental tools for the management of assets and resources destined for non-Muslim places of worship.

The issue of the foundations come at a time when Turkish authorities have expelled more and more Protestant Christians -- foreigners and Turkish converts-- on grounds they constitute a "threat to national security".

Turkey had also recently transformed museums into mosques, such as the Hagia Sophia and the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora.

Both churches had been turned into museums after the end of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of modern Turkey.

The Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora was built by the Byzantines in the 5th century. The Ottomans then turned it into a mosque after they captured Constantinople in 1453. And it remained a Muslim worship space until the end of the Second World War when it was transformed into a museum.

The same happened to the Hagia Sophia Museum in Iznik, and the high-profile reconversion of the Hagia Sophia Museum, Istanbul's most identifiable monument.

Many observers believe that President Erdogan, weakened internally by a bad economy and a lack of political perspective, is compensating with erasing part of the country's multiculturalism, aimed at shoring up the ranks of his Islamo-nationalist base.

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The Turkish Greek community manages 77 religious foundations, the highest among minorities.

Both Hagia Sophia and the Chora Church were converted into museums after the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the creation of modern Turkey.

The Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora was originally built by the Byzantines in the 5th century.

In 1985, Hagia Sophia was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognizing its outstanding historical significance.

Title:

Content: Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has launched the reopening and operation of Ayasofya Mosque's Fatih Madrassa — Istanbul’s first religious school under the Ottoman Empire.

The Turkish president has inaugurated the Ayasofya Fatih Madrassa, the first Ottoman school in Istanbul.

“We have taken a very important step to carry our magnificent past to the present and the future, and to bring it together with our people,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the inauguration ceremony on Friday.

“After the conquest of Istanbul, this place was put into service as the first madrassa of the city, next to Ayasofya," Erdogan added.

The religious school takes its name from Fatih (Conqueror), the title given to Sultan Mehmet II, who conquered the city in 1453. It was the first of its kind in the capital of the former Ottoman Empire.

Erdogan said the school continued to operate until 1924 with maintenance, repairs and construction during different periods, but was later demolished by "those who wanted to erase the country’s rich history."

Erdogan said the madrassa will again be an education centre, operated by the Fatih Sultan Mehmet University.

“Ayasofya Fatih Madrasa, which has been instrumental in the training of countless scholars for nearly four and a half centuries, will serve as an education centre from now on. I hope that tomorrow's scholars, intellectuals, scientists and researchers will be trained here,” the president said.

READ MORE: Türkiye to 'tirelessly' continue mediating Ukraine-Russia conflict: Altun

Ayasofya’s historical significance

Ayasofya was built in the year 532 CE, and turned into a mosque after the conquest of Istanbul by Fatih Sultan Mehmet, who later established a mosque foundation.

The historic place of worship was converted into a museum in 1934, and it regained mosque status in 2020.

Besides being a mosque, Ayasofya is also among Türkiye's top tourism destinations and remains open for domestic and foreign visitors.

In 1985, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

READ MORE: Istanbul Airport ranked second busiest in the world last year

Source: AA

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has recently opened the Ayasofya Mosque’s Fatih Madrassa, Istanbul’s first Ottoman religious school.

The reconversions of these historic sites have drawn criticism from the international community, particularly due to their religious and cultural significance.

Many view these changes as carrying strong religious undertones and as political moves by President Erdogan to appeal to conservative and nationalist sentiments within Turkey.

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

The decision aimed to rally anti-Kemalist voters.

Tourism to Turkey, including visits to historic ruins and sites like Hagia Sophia, remains popular, with the government implementing measures to balance religious functions and visitor access.

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Turkey's ancient ruins: Explore rich past of Temple of Artemis, Troy and more

Updated on Jan 08, 2023 06:36 PM IST

In recent years, more and more people have been drawn to the ruins of Turkey, eager to explore the country’s rich past. The ruins of Turkey are some of the most impressive in the world. Visit these best-preserved archaeological sites on your next travel

By | Edited by Zarafshan Shiraz, Delhi

The Ancient Ruins of Turkey have been a source of fascination for travellers for centuries. From the majestic city of Istanbul to the ancient ruins of Ephesus, Turkey is a country that is full of history and culture. In recent years, more and more people have been drawn to the ruins of Turkey, eager to explore the country’s rich past.

The ruins of Turkey are some of the most impressive in the world. The ancient city of Ephesus is one of the best-preserved archaeological sites in the world, and it has been a popular destination for tourists for many years. The ruins of the city are a testament to the power and wealth of the ancient city. The city was once home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The ruins of the temple are still visible today and are a popular attraction for tourists.

Other ancient ruins in Turkey include the ruins of Troy, the ancient city of Hattusa, and the ruins of Aphrodisias. Troy was the site of the legendary Trojan War, and the ruins of the city are still visible today. The ruins of Hattusa are the remains of the capital of the Hittite Empire, and they are an impressive sight. The ruins of Aphrodisias are the remains of an ancient Greek city, and they are also a popular tourist attraction.

Exploring the ancient ruins of Turkey can be a very rewarding experience. Many of the ruins are open to the public, and visitors can explore them at their own pace. Visitors can also take guided tours of the sites, which can provide valuable insight into the history and culture of the country.

The ruins of Turkey are also a great place to learn about the country’s ancient history. Many of the ruins are home to artifacts and relics from the past, and visitors can learn about the culture and history of the country by examining these artifacts. The ruins of Troy, for example, are home to many artifacts that were used in the Trojan War.

Exploring the ancient ruins of Turkey is also a great way to experience the country’s culture and traditions. Many of the ruins are home to traditional Turkish architecture, and visitors can learn about the country’s traditional customs by visiting these sites. Visitors can also experience traditional Turkish cuisine by visiting the many restaurants and cafes that are located near the ruins.

Exploring the ancient ruins of Turkey is a great way to learn about the country’s past and experience its culture. The ruins are a great way to experience the country’s history and culture, and they are a great way to get an insight into the country’s past. Visiting the ruins of Turkey is an experience that will stay with you for a lifetime.

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What was the significance of Hagia Sophia's conversion into a museum in 1934?

made Hagia Sophia a major tourist attraction.

Turkish authorities are under pressure to preserve the multi-layered history and maintain open access to sites that are important to both Christians and Muslims, as well as to the broader international community.

What did the CALHSC president urge regarding decisions on Hagia Sophia?

Consider both Muslim and Christian voices

What was the significance of Hagia Sophia's conversion into a museum in 1934?

repositioned Hagia Sophia as a global cultural landmark.

Many changes are occurring in the Middle East, Europe, and the United States today.

Title:

Content: On the 564 anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans, the American Council for the Liberation of Hagia Sophia (CALHSC) called for the Hagia Sophia Museum to return to its original significance, that is, it should once again hear Christian prayers and Christian services.
Such a statement, reports the Austrian Catholic news agency KATHPRESS, was made by the president of CALHSC, an American politician of Greek origin Chris Spirou.
According to the agency, he has already appealed to the Turkish government with a proposal to start negotiations on this issue.
As a first step, it is proposed to allow regular liturgical services while maintaining the status of Hagia Sophia as a museum.
All Christians still perceive the cathedral as a shrine, Spira argues, so if the Turkish authorities raise the issue of returning it to the status of a cult place of worship, Ankara should hear the voices of Christians, not just Muslims.
In the event that the Turkish leadership does not go to negotiations, the “American Council for the Liberation of Hagia Sophia ” is going to file a lawsuit in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
Erhan Elaldı – Anadolu Agency
The 564th anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople was celebrated by the Hagia Sophia as a museum.
What is the 565th anniversary?
This is not the first time Spirou has taken such an initiative.
His organization, registered in 2005, but not particularly famous, has already announced its intention to celebrate the liturgy in the cathedral museum.
The Turkish government then called the words of the American politician a provocation, and he himself was denied entry to the country.
But a lot of things are changing in the Middle East, Europe and the United States today.
Ankara is no longer the “best ally ” it used to be, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is moving further and further away from the familiar image of the head of state for Western colleagues, with whom you can deal.
Washington even under the previous administration with a squeak, but went on to recognize the importance of protecting Christian minorities in the Middle East, and the current Trump administration puts this at the forefront.
Cracks went on the sarcophagus, which until now protected the secular museum of Hagia Sophia from degeneration into a religious object.
And not at all in the church, in the mosque, which Hagia Sophia became after the conquest by the Ottomans of the capital of the Orthodox Byzantine Empire in May 1453.
The intensification of this process is associated today with the rebirth of Erdogan himself, although it is difficult to be completely sure that there is no political conjuncture here, which, as you know, is changeable.
Alexxx1979
View of St. Sophia Cathedral
Recall that in early April this year, a number of Turkish newspapers reported that the President was going on Friday, April 14, together with the leadership of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and religious leaders of Istanbul to visit the Hagia Sophia Museum to pray in it as Muslims.
The timing of Muslim prayer in the former church was not accidental.
On April 14 this year was Holy Friday, which is dedicated to the memory of the condemnation to death, the suffering of the cross and the death of Jesus Christ, as well as the removal of His body from the cross and burial.
Considering also that Easter is now the Orthodox and Catholics coincided, the message was sent powerful and significant.
All this seemed to be a continuation of playing the religious card on the eve of the referendum on April 16, which decided whether Turkey should be a parliamentary or presidential republic.
On April 18, it became clear that Erdogan had won.
But I lost at the same time.
In September 2015, during the parliamentary elections, the ruling party received 51% of the vote, and the nationalist Nationalist Action Party received about 20%.
When the AKP merged with the nationalists in the course of lobbying for constitutional amendments, it expected that the addition of 50% and 20% would give 70% or more in the referendum.
Only 51% of Turks supported the union of the two parties.
In this regard, many Turkish experts, analyzing the current situation, pointed out that the Justice and Development Party, having entered into an alliance with the Nationalist Action Party, made a strategic mistake, creating not only the impression of a synthesis of “soft Islamism ” with nationalists, but also began to cultivate a hybrid ideology of neo-Ottomanism, which was not supported by almost half of the citizens of Turkey..
However, there is another thing – the conservative and religious inner Anatolia, whose votes went to Erdogan, began to realize that from now on she has the right to present her demands to him.
This directly affects Saint Sophia.
An observer for the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet Daily News points out in this regard that on the eve of the 564 anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople, the space around the Hagia Sophia Museum is again filled, but not by tourists, but by members of the Anatolian Youth Association (AGD), whose motto is the words of the late Islamist politician, former Prime Minister of Turkey Necmettin Erbakan: “Life is faith and jihad ”.
These passionately believing people are actively opposed to everything that testifies to the presence of the non-Muslim faith in Turkish society.
And not just Santa Claus for the New Year.
For the past three years, they have focused on making Hagia Sophia “free from shackles ” and converted into a mosque.
Erdogan is slow.
However, the impatient members of the AGD are even more demanding for action this year.
After the referendum, Turkish politics entered a difficult phase of implementing the new constitution, and after May 29, the question arises whether these loud signals from Anatolia will now be ignored.
The Turkish president himself, during a speech in the ancient capital during the celebration of the conquest of Constantinople, according to the government news agency Anadolu, emphasized that “Istanbul, which since its foundation has been the capital of different states and cultures, has become a center of peaceful coexistence and tolerance during the just rule of Sultan Mehmed Fatih [also known as Mehmed the Conqueror]. ”
This part of Erdogan ’ s rhetoric looks tolerant.
But what will follow?
If suddenly the Turkish president decided to allow the Hagia Sophia Museum to serve the liturgy, then this, at least, made us think about the prospects of a possible return of Turkey to the path of improving relations with the Christian world, in particular with the European Union, which Erdogan has repeatedly sarcastic called “the Christian club ”.
However, this will require from the president not only personal courage, but also reliance on new political and social forces, the search for new allies in the country and abroad.
The problem is that even in Turkey itself, an opinion is beginning to take shape that Erdogan is becoming a hostage of internal Anatolia.
This means that the Hagia Sophia Museum, under pressure from this part of the country and society, would rather become a mosque than a church.

In early April, Turkish newspapers reported that President Erdogan would visit Hagia Sophia with AKP leaders and religious authorities to pray.

On April 18, it was clear that Erdogan had politically succeeded, but some felt a personal or ideological loss from this shift.

The conservative and religious population of inner Anatolia felt their support for Erdogan entitled them to present further demands.

What kind of domestic reaction did Erdogan's reconversion of Hagia Sophia receive?

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

The decision aimed to rally anti-Kemalist voters.

This shift in policy is notably slow and calculated by Erdogan, using a tolerant tone to appeal to various audiences.

Tours often guide visitors through Byzantine sites such as the Hippodrome, Basilica Cistern, and Hagia Sophia, highlighting Istanbul's layered history.

Title:

Content: Echoes of Constantinople: Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome Square, Basilica Cistern
Immerse yourself in the history of the centuries-old city on excursions to its main places
For a couple of hours we will leave Istanbul to be in ancient Constantinople.
This is a journey not in space, but in time: I will take you to those places that remember the glory of the Byzantine Empire.
The first thing to see is, of course, Hagia Sophia – a unique temple with an incredible history.
Then we will visit the Hippodrome Square and finish the walk down to the dungeon.
5
2 reviews
Upcoming dates:
Start time: 09: 00, 09: 30, 10: 00, 10: 30, 11: 00, 11: 30, 12: 00, 12: 30, 13: 00, 13: 30, 14: 00, 14: 30, 15: 30, 16: 00, 16: 30, 17: 00, 17: 30, 18: 00, 18: 30, 19: 00, 19: 30, 20: 00
Description of the excursion
What awaits you
This tour will open the doors to the past of the great Constantinople.
Let ’ s start with Hagia Sophia, where you will learn about its transformation from a Christian cathedral into a mosque, into a museum and again into a mosque.
And enjoy the scale and beauty of the building.
Then we will move to the Hippodrome Square, where the Byzantines once had fun, and explore the Egyptian obelisk, which is already 3,500 years old!
The last stop will be the Basilica Cistern, the largest Roman reservoir in Europe.
I will tell you how the city ’ s water supply system functioned.
And you can make spectacular pictures - even the dungeons in those days were beautifully decorated.
Organizational details
• To enter the mosque, you must cover your head with a handkerchief and be in closed clothes
• Additional entrance fees to the Basilica Cistern – 800 lire / person and to Hagia Sophia – 27 €/ person.
Choose a convenient date from the schedule
Choose date
Answers to questions
Place of start and end?
On Hippodrome Square
When and how long does it last?
When: Choose a convenient date from the schedule
The tour lasts about 2.5 hours
Book in advance, at least 3 hours in advance
Who else will be with me?
This is an individual tour, all the attention will be for you and your company.
Group size no more than 5 people.
Do I have to pay everything at once?
No, you do not need to pay immediately - it is enough to pay 22% of the cost, and the rest is already on the spot.
It is necessary that the date and number of people are reserved for you, and the guides begin to prepare for the tour.
Before payment, you can ask a question to the organizer
Can I ask a question before booking?
Of course, the guide will be happy to answer your questions.
Just go to this form and ask your question.
It is not necessary to pay, you just make a request for a reservation without payment, but with a question, and if then something does not suit you, just do not pay or click the cancel button.
Reviews and rating
5
Based on 2 reviews
Write a review can only tourists who attended the event
5
2
4
3
2
1
May 15, 2024
The most enthusiastic reviews and impressions of excursions conducted by Islam!!!
Great Russian language, the most interesting presentation of the city!
With a lot of historical facts, questions and answers to them!
In a casual way about the most important thing: c
read more
photo fixation, not in a hurry, while doing everything in time.
We are very grateful to this guide and definitely recommend it!
On the street is very noisy and a lot of tourists, to walk in groups of 10 and especially 15 people I find very inconvenient.
Shouting your questions through the crowd will bring little pleasure, dialogue I think will not work out.
Ask for an individual guide is the best gift you can give yourself!!!
Islam, thank you very much!!!
A
May 15, 2024
We were on a tour with a group of 5 people.
We liked Islam as a guide, an interesting interlocutor and a comprehensively developed person.
He answered all the questions, helped to orient himself in the city, gave the necessary recommendations.
The tour made an unforgettable impression, I highly recommend to visit!
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The Hagia Sophia’s massive scale and beauty draw tourists who immerse themselves in its history, architecture, and complex identity.

Title:

Content: Entrance to the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul will be paid for foreign tourists
Entrance to the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul from January 15 will be paid for foreign tourists.
This is reported by RIA Novosti.
According to the agency, such a measure will be taken three and a half years after the transformation of the museum into a religious object.
It is noted that a ticket to Hagia Sophia will cost €25.
For Turkish citizens, the entrance will be free.
In 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree changing the status of Hagia Sophia to a mosque.
He later stated that changing the status of Hagia Sophia (Hagia Sophia) in Istanbul is a step towards greater Turkey.
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What was the significance of Hagia Sophia's conversion into a museum in 1934?

made Hagia Sophia a major tourist attraction.

repositioned Hagia Sophia as a global cultural landmark.

Why is Hagia Sophia considered an architectural milestone in world history?

It became a landmark of architectural innovation

It featured a massive, pillarless dome and unprecedented scale.

After the Ottoman conquest, the Christian Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque.

Title:

Content: Foreign tourists will pay for entrance to Hagia Sophia
Society
Photo: [© RIA Novosti / Pavel Bednyakov]
From January 15, the entrance to the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul will be paid for foreign tourists, Turkish Tourism Minister Mehmet Ersoy said.
For Turkish citizens visiting the mosque for worship, admission will remain free.
The first church on the site of the current temple was built under Emperor Constantine.
In the sixth century, it burned down, and the emperor Justinian ordered the construction of a new temple, which remained the largest Christian cathedral until the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome.
After the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans, the Christian shrine was turned into a mosque.
In 1932, Hagia Sophia became a museum, and the entrance to it was paid, until recently it was 72 liras (about 500 rubles).
In 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan returned the temple to the status of a mosque, and it could be visited for free.

How did the role of Hagia Sophia change following the Ottoman conquest?

Hagia Sophia became a central Islamic religious site for centuries

Sultan Mehmed II converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque,

The American Council for the Liberation of Hagia Sophia has demanded it return to Christian worship, with its head Chris Spirou condemned by Turkish authorities as a provocateur.

Title:

Content: Hagia Sophia must once again become a place of Christian worship, demands the American Council for the Liberation of Hagia Sophia.
For a start, according to the organization, it is possible to allow liturgies in Hagia Sophia, preserving its museum status.
Although Christians still perceive this cathedral captured together with Constantinople in 1453 as one of the most important shrines.
In case of refusal, the “Council ” intends to appeal to the ECHR.
However, the situation around Hagia Sophia is much more complicated; the observer of IA REGNUM Stanislav Stremidlovsky analyzes the recent events around the former main temple of Byzantium.
Erhan Elaldı – Anadolu Agency
The 564th anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople was celebrated by the Hagia Sophia as a museum.
What is the 565th anniversary?
The head of the “Council ”, American politician Chris Spirou, has already been declared a provocateur by the Turkish authorities.
Today, when Erdogan is increasingly moving away from “his overseas partners ” at least in terms of the desired image of the president, and the new owner of the White House pays much more attention to Middle Eastern Christians than Obama, the situation is clearly changing.
There are already hints that Hagia Sophia from the museum will become a mosque.
At the same time, Erdogan ’ s victory in the last referendum made the president a debtor of domestic Anatolia (at least she believes so), who gave him their votes.
The Anatolian Youth Association strongly opposes any manifestations of non-Muslim faith in Turkish society.
For three years now, they have been trying to make Hagia Sophia a mosque.
And although Erdogan is in no hurry to meet, the Association expects decisive measures from him.
Where the Turkish president is inclined and what Hagia Sophia, cathedral or mosque can become, read here: Internal Anatolia, who supported Erdogan, demands to make Hagia Sophia a mosque
Read other articles by Stanislav Stremidlovsky on the relationship of world religions.

For three years leading to 2020, there were ongoing efforts to change Hagia Sophia's status.

What actions demonstrated public support for worship at Hagia Sophia before 2020?

A worship application related to Hagia Sophia was made in 2018.

A weakening Turkish lira is expected to raise tourism prices in Istanbul.

Title:

Content: Gazeta.ru on desktop
for quick access
Install
Not now
In ATOR called an insignificant amount of €25 for the entrance to the mosque of Hagia Sophia
In ATOR warned tourists about the rise in price of tickets to the palace-museums of Istanbul
A rise in prices for tourist services in Istanbul is inevitable due to the weak position of the local currency - the lira.
This was stated in an interview with Gazeta.Ru Vice President of ATOR Arthur Muradyan, commenting on the decision of the authorities to make a visit to the Hagia Sophia mosque for foreigners paid.
From January 15, the entrance will cost €25.
“From the point of view of tourists, the amount of 25 euros, and for a family of two or four people it is 50-100 euros, can not be called some significant expenditure.
On the other hand, of course, some tourists will think about spending money on visiting this attraction.
Of course, it is a landmark for Istanbul, and I think that the Turkish authorities have approached carefully to determine the amount of fees for visiting this architectural monument, ” Muradian said.
In his opinion, following the Hagia Sophia mosque, the authorities can raise prices for entrance tickets to other museums.
“The rise in prices for tourist services is inevitable to some extent due to the not very good fate of the lira, which we have seen in the last few years.
And, of course, tourists should be ready to increase the cost of services related to the use of the tourism infrastructure of Istanbul, ” said ATOR Vice President.
On January 12, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey reported that the entrance to the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul for foreign citizens from January 15, 2024 will cost €25.
The ministry explained that when setting the fee for visiting the mosque, they were guided by the recommendations of UNESCO.
Hagia Sophia, which is now called the Great Mosque of Hagia Sophia, was erected in the 6th century under the emperor Justinian and for more than a thousand years remained the largest Christian temple in the world.
In 1453, after the capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks, Saint Sophia was converted into a mosque.
In 1934, the temple was given the status of a museum, it retained both Christian and Muslim decoration.
In July 2020, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree on the resumption of Muslim worship in Hagia Sophia.
Entrance to the mosque was free for all visitors, including tourists.
Earlier it became known about the destruction of a mosque in Gaza after Israeli shelling.
What do you think?
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Built in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian, Hagia Sophia was the world's largest Christian church for over a thousand years.

What was the original historical and cultural significance of Hagia Sophia in the Byzantine Empire?

Served as the central church of Byzantine Christianity,

When was Hagia Sophia built and under whose rule?

Why is Hagia Sophia considered an architectural milestone in world history?

It was the world's largest church for centuries.

Today, it is known as the Great Mosque of Hagia Sophia.

How did the role of Hagia Sophia change following the Ottoman conquest?

Hagia Sophia became a central Islamic religious site for centuries

Sultan Mehmed II converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque,

Foreign tourists must now pay 25 euros to enter, while Turkish citizens have free entry.

Title:

Content: Entrance to the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul will be paid for foreign tourists
Entrance to the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul from January 15 will be paid for foreign tourists.
This is reported by RIA Novosti.
According to the agency, such a measure will be taken three and a half years after the transformation of the museum into a religious object.
It is noted that a ticket to Hagia Sophia will cost €25.
For Turkish citizens, the entrance will be free.
In 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree changing the status of Hagia Sophia to a mosque.
He later stated that changing the status of Hagia Sophia (Hagia Sophia) in Istanbul is a step towards greater Turkey.
A mistake in the text?
Select it and press “Ctrl + Enter ”
Subscribe to our Zen channel
Today in the media
• News feed
• Picture of the day
This site uses cookies
Confirm

In 2020, President Erdogan officially decreed Hagia Sophia’s status as a mosque.

Title:

Content: Entrance to the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul will be paid for foreign tourists
Entrance to the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul from January 15 will be paid for foreign tourists.
This is reported by RIA Novosti.
According to the agency, such a measure will be taken three and a half years after the transformation of the museum into a religious object.
It is noted that a ticket to Hagia Sophia will cost €25.
For Turkish citizens, the entrance will be free.
In 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree changing the status of Hagia Sophia to a mosque.
He later stated that changing the status of Hagia Sophia (Hagia Sophia) in Istanbul is a step towards greater Turkey.
A mistake in the text?
Select it and press “Ctrl + Enter ”
Subscribe to our Zen channel
Today in the media
• News feed
• Picture of the day
This site uses cookies
Confirm

Modest clothing and headscarves are required for mosque entry.

Title:

Content: Istanbul Tour: Old City + Bosphorus
See the main attractions and take a ferry ride
4.8
8 reviews
Description
A photo
Reviews
About guide
Choose a day
Answers to questions
I invite you to a personal acquaintance with Istanbul!
You will see the symbols of the city: the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern.
You will hear about the history of these places and the intricacies of Byzantine architecture.
Take a walk in a luxurious park, go to a bustling bazaar and finally admire Istanbul from the water, riding along the Bosphorus.
Such a busy day is ideal for the first meeting with the city!
Upcoming dates:
13
oct
14
oct
16
oct
17
oct
18.
oct
19
oct
20
oct
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dates
Book now, cancel if necessary If you decide to cancel a reservation 48 hours before the start of the event - you will be refunded 100% of the amount paid
Description
What awaits you
To better understand and experience Istanbul, we will visit its heart and explore the most iconic sights.
You will see:
• Hippodrome Square, where horse competitions were once held.
• St. Sophia Cathedral - a former Orthodox church and a sample of Byzantine architecture.
The Blue Mosque is the largest mosque in Istanbul.
The Basilica Cistern is an underground reservoir of Constantinople called the "Sunken Palace".
• Gulhane Park - the oldest park in Istanbul, which belonged to the outer gardens of the main Sultan residence - Topkapi Palace.
• Sirkeci Railway Station, built as the terminus of the Orient Express.
• Egyptian bazaar - the famous market of spices, as well as sweets, dried fruits and oriental products.
At the end of the tour, we will go for a walk along the Bosphorus by ferry and admire the beauty of the Istanbul landscapes from the water.
Organizational details
• Closed clothing and a headscarf are required to enter the mosque
• On Fridays, we will be able to see the Haya Sophia and the Blue Mosque only from the outside
Additional costs
Ticket to the Basilica Cistern – 450 lire per person
Ferry ticket – 150 lire per person
daily at 09: 00
🔥 This tour is popular now
It's been booked 10 times in the next few days.
Book this tour
Answers to questions
Place of start and end?
in Sultanahmet district
When and how long does it last?
When: Daily at 09: 00
The tour lasts about 5.5 hours
You need to book in advance, at least 1 hour before the start
Who else will be with me?
This is a group tour, along with you will be the same and other people who have booked for your time.
Group of up to 10 people.
Do I have to pay everything at once?
No, you do not need to pay immediately - it is enough to pay 20% of the cost, and the rest is already on the spot.
It is necessary that the date and number of people are reserved for you, and the guides begin to prepare for the tour.
Before payment, you can
Can I ask a question before booking?
Of course, the guide will be happy to answer your questions.
Just go to this form and.
It is not necessary to pay, you just make a request for a reservation without payment, but with a question, and if then something does not suit you, just do not pay or click the cancel button.
Reviews and rating
4.8
Based on 8 reviews
Write a review can only tourists who attended the event
5
6
4
2
3
2
1
7 Oct 2023
It's a beautiful tour.
Jewher is an excellent narrator!
In addition, he studied in Russia and is well aware of the culture of both countries.
This is an interesting symbiosis!
N
6 Oct 2023
I liked everything, the route is excellent, but I would like more information, historical materials
T
3 Oct 2023
I think this walk should be without children, with children will be difficult.
Ability to change locations by time from the program +.
There may be queues during peak hours.
Cevher has information on the city, on the history of the city, goes to meet tourists on questions and requests.
Attentive.
The walk itself is quite comfortable and interesting.
2 Oct 2023
The tour was very pleasant, the guide Dzhevher has excellent information, gave good advice.
Definitely recommend!
🏻
30 Sep 2023
Awesome walk with Jewher!!!
I really liked it!
I enjoyed listening to the story of Istanbul, because Jevher was also a talented storyteller!
The Russian language is perfect.
Submission of information - at a height.
The route could not be better.
Sensitive and attentive attitude.
And most importantly - an amazing sense of humor!
And this is expensive!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
100% recommend!
D
27 Sep 2023
I was with my wife on a tour of Istanbul + Bosphorus.
Impressions are beautiful.
Jevher is a very good-natured and erudite person, an interesting storyteller.
So we were very pleased with his work.
The wife at first did not really want to go with a stranger, but in the end she admitted that we did not examine all this ourselves in three days, especially with such professional comments.
In general, we recommend it to everyone.
Dimitri and Antonida.
Oh.
26 Sep 2023
Before the start of the tour, it was very exciting how everything will go, I usually do not use the services of a guide.
In this big city, I decided to take a tour to cover all the famous places quickly, without wasting time on my own search for attractions.
The guide made the best impression on me!
I was surprised how well a person learned the Russian language.
Jewher is very attentive, polite, tactful.
As a guide, Jewher is a professional.
The tour was held in one breath, it is easy to listen, despite the large amount of information.
These few days in Istanbul will be remembered for a long time, and one of the memories will remain this excursion.
E
24 Sep 2023
Many thanks for a wonderful tour to our guide Dzhevher!
I liked everything: an interesting story, knowledge of the history of the city, and it was very heartfelt.
We have seen so much for this tour!
On your own, without a guide, you will never have time to see so much!
Jewher also knows cool places for atmospheric photos.
Thank you very much, I loved this city with all my heart in a big way thanks to Jewher.
I recommend!!
My expectations were met by 1000%.
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Tourists pay partially in advance, completing payment after the tour if they are satisfied.

Title:

Content: Entrance to the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul will be paid for foreign tourists
Entrance to the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul from January 15 will be paid for foreign tourists.
This is reported by RIA Novosti.
According to the agency, such a measure will be taken three and a half years after the transformation of the museum into a religious object.
It is noted that a ticket to Hagia Sophia will cost €25.
For Turkish citizens, the entrance will be free.
In 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree changing the status of Hagia Sophia to a mosque.
He later stated that changing the status of Hagia Sophia (Hagia Sophia) in Istanbul is a step towards greater Turkey.
A mistake in the text?
Select it and press “Ctrl + Enter ”
Subscribe to our Zen channel
Today in the media
• News feed
• Picture of the day
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Confirm

Only verified visitors can write reviews, often praising guides' expertise and historical coverage.

Tours are suitable for families and offer a range of experiences, including ferry rides and market visits.

Following the reconversion, some Russian politicians expressed outrage and religious provocation against Turkey.

Title:

Content: The Deputy of the state Duma urged to attack Turkey and “repress Constantinople ”
According to Semyon Baghdasarov, Turkey is now "in a difficult situation", and the aggressor country Russia should "take advantage of the situation".
Russian State Duma Deputy Semyon Baghdasarov threatened Turkey on the air of a Russian propaganda TV channel.
He called for an attack on Turkey and "squeeze" Constantinople (Istanbul) from it.
According to him, Turkey is now “in a difficult situation ”.
"Let's take advantage of the situation - drive it out of Central Asia, split its influence in Ukraine, expel it from the South Caucasus and raise certain forces in Turkey and return to the structure of our state what historically belongs to us - Constantinople," Bagdasarov said.
video of the day
Then he was in hysterics: "Over the temple of St. Sophia we will raise a cross... and music, prayer in Aramaic, can be in Russian."
Thank God it is a crisis.
The crisis must end with the collapse and annexation of our territories, "Baghdasarov added.
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Constantinople was the name of Istanbul until March 28, 1930, the unofficial name of the capital of the Roman Empire, the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, the Latin Empire and the Ottoman Empire.
The city was officially renamed Istanbul in 1930 as part of Ataturk's reforms.
Hagia Sophia of the Wisdom of God is a former patriarchal Orthodox cathedral located in the historical center of modern Istanbul.
A world-famous monument of Byzantine architecture, a symbol of the "golden age" of Byzantium.
The official name for today is the Great Mosque of Hagia Sophia.
As Glavred reported, Russian propagandist Margarita Simonyan said that the Third World War had already begun.
In her opinion, “they ” (probably the United States and Western countries) will not stop until they supposedly destroy Russia.
Earlier, Simonyan said that Russia “defeated ” Ukraine in the first days of a full-scale invasion, and then began a war with NATO.
In her imagination, the invaders "will conquer the entire Western world" in the battles for Bahmut and Ugledar.
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Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced that entry for foreigners would be paid, partially maintaining the site’s museum functions.

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Content: Events
Entrance to Hagia Sophia will again be paid, but not for everyone
Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said that visiting the Ayia Sophia mosque for foreign citizens from January 15 will be paid.
Ersoy, who held a press conference at the Ataturk Cultural Center (AKM), said that according to the first 9 months of tourism, the total number of visitors, which last year amounted to 40.2 million people, increased to 45.2 million at the end of September.
Noting that Ayia Sophia and Sultanahmet Square are included in the UNESCO permanent heritage list, Ersoy said that they listened to the advice and opinions of UNESCO and implemented the decisions on the restoration of the Ayia Sophia Mosque.
Minister Ersoy stressed that from January 15, 2024, they will move to the management plan of the visitors of Agia Sofya on the recommendation of UNESCO, and said:
“In this management plan, the quality of visits and safety will be improved.
Density will be regulated by distributing it along different routes.
Again, our precious mosque will be incorporated into a very ideal ecosystem focused on protecting and promoting the "Common Heritage of Humanity".
According to Ersoy, the entrance for worshippers will remain the same, but the tourist entrance will change, so that these two streams will not change. that information about Hagia Sophia will be provided in 16 languages through an application with a QR code and headphones.
Ersoy added: “From now on, visitors will be able to complete the process by receiving detailed information about the entire history and iconography of Hagia Sophia in a quiet environment without disturbing the faithful. ”
Noting that from January 15, 2024, foreign tourists visiting the mosque will be charged a ticket fee, Ersoy said: “Visits by our Turkish citizens for the purpose of worship will be free as before.
This practice also exists in many countries. "
In general, judging by the words of Ersoy, the Hagia Sophia mosque will partially return to the function of a museum.
The most important question that may concern us now is whether the mosque will become accessible to believers from other countries?
Ersoy said that free entrance will remain only for Turkish citizens, but perhaps here he was simply referring to those who come to the mosque for the purpose of prayer, since it is obvious that the absolute majority of those praying are Turks.
In any case, we hope for this, because if passports are checked at the entrance to the mosque, and the descendants of Bosniaks or Albanians are asked to pay money so that they can pray in the mosque that their ancestors conquered in the army of Sultan Fatih Mehmed, any neo-Ottomanism can be put a bold end to.
Author: Jakub Hadžić
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Erdogan invited leaders of Muslim-majority countries to participate in the first prayer at the newly reconverted Hagia Sophia Mosque.

Title:

Content: Erdogan invited the leaders of Muslim states to the first prayer in Hagia Sophia
13: 26 22 July Kiev, Ukraine
According to the plan, on July 24, the first prayer will be held in Hagia Sophia in Turkey, after it was decided to convert the building of the Orthodox church into a mosque.
The leaders of many Muslim countries are invited to take part in it.
Erdogan ’ s invitation came from Qatar and Azerbaijan.
The remaining heads of state have not yet responded to the Turkish president.
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The Turkish government decided to change the status of the architectural monument and the Orthodox Church of St. Sophia and convert the room into a mosque.
The Pope said that this situation causes him grief.
The Patriarch of Ecumenical and Constantinople, who recently received a great number of churches on the territory of Ukraine, and did not demand the transfer of the museum to the Diocese of Constantinople in a timely manner, said that the creation of a mosque in the museum building can be negatively met in the Orthodox world.
It is expected that the first prayer in the new mosque will be attended by about 1000-1500 people.
All quarantine conditions will be met, participants in prayer will be given masks, and disinfectants will be placed everywhere in the cathedral so that people can treat their hands and their prayer mats.
During the prayer, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also be present in the cathedral, along with Turkish ministers, leaders of the ruling Justice and Development Party.
As previously reported, all the frescoes and mosaics at the time of prayer will be covered with curtains.
On July 10, a Turkish court ruled that the decision to convert the mosque into a museum in 1934 was illegal.
Erdogan immediately signed a decree on assigning Hagia Sophia the status of a mosque.
The move has sparked international criticism and concern, including from Greece, the United States and Russia, as well as UNESCO and Pope Francis.
Turkey insists that the status of the architectural monument is its internal affair.

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New rules have come into force for visiting the Hagia Sophia Mosque in Turkey.

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Content: New rules come into force for the visit of Hagia Sophia Mosque in Turkey - Sunrise Gate
Tuesday 16 January 2024 2: 04 PM Cairo Cairo 24 °
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New rules come into effect for visiting Hagia Sophia mosque in Turkey
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Published on: Tuesday 16 January 2024 - 1: 54 PM | Last updated on Tuesday 16 January 2024 - 1: 54 PM
The project for the Hagia Sophia mosque was closest to the heart of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – but it was also the project that drew international criticism.
In the summer of 2020, Erdogan restored Hagia Sophia to be a mosque after it was originally a church, converted into an Ottoman mosque, converted into a museum.
At the time, Erdogan assured citizens that entry fees would be abolished, adding that the cultural edifice would remain open to everyone – Muslims or non-Muslims alike.
There will be another major change from January 15, with access to the Hagia Sophia restricted and visitors will have to pay fees again.
Turkish Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Arsoy hopes this will improve coexistence between religious and tourist visitors.
Arsoy said recently that tourist visitors are making noise and disrupting calm and prayer.
Until recently, visitors and worshippers were allowed to enter the interior of Hagia Sophia together, with barriers and signs keeping a certain distance between them.
However, from now on, worshippers and tourists will be introduced through different entrances.
Although worshippers can use the same entrances as before, tourists will be guided through an upstairs hallway.
According to Arsoy, tour guides will not be allowed to accompany visitors through the corridors, and earphones will be used instead.
“Our priority there is prayer, ” Arsoy said, noting that the building is a world cultural heritage site and should therefore remain open to all visitors around the world.
Zuleiha Duman, 29, who returned to Istanbul from Germany to see Hagia Sophia after it was converted into a mosque, said she found it taking away.
Welcoming the new rules, she said: “As long as the entrance fee isn ’ t too high, I think it ’ s acceptable. ”
“Why shouldn ’ t Turkey and the government take advantage of this place?
These funds can be channeled to preserve more religious places. ”
Hagia Sophia has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of Istanbul ’ s history since 1985.
Built by Emperor Justinian, Hagia Sophia was the largest place of worship in Christianity for nearly a thousand years, it was the main church during the Byzantine Empire, and from the seventh century, the emperor was crowned inside.
After the Ottomans entered Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1453, the Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque.
On the orders of the founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the building was converted into a museum in 1934 until the summer of 2020.
Hagia Sophia is as symbolically important to Orthodox Christians around the world as St. Peter ’ s Basilica is to Catholics.
After the building was converted into a mosque, criticism poured in from the Greek Orthodox Church.
The UNESCO Foundation also criticized the decision without consultation.
For Erdogan, turning the place into a mosque was his “childhood dream, ” as he himself said, and pleasing to religious voters.
A few external changes were made at the time, for example, a green carpet was placed above the marble floor.
It seems clear that all these things did not detract from the popularity of this teacher.
According to official statistics, some 13.6 million people visited the Hagia Sophia landmark in 2022, not all of them from Europe.
The number of visitors from Indonesia in particular has risen, Hagia Sophia Imam Binyamin Topoglu told Turkey ’ s Anadolu news agency in 2023.
The amount of the fees has not yet been determined.
Tourism Minister Ersoy says the proceeds will be spent on cultural assets, for excavation or preservation of monuments such as the Hagia Sophia.
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Many visitors welcome the new rules as long as the entrance fee remains reasonable.

Hagia Sophia has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of Istanbul's history since 1985.

After the building was converted into a mosque, it faced strong criticism from the Greek Orthodox Church.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

How did the role of Hagia Sophia change following the Ottoman conquest?

Hagia Sophia became a central Islamic religious site for centuries

Sultan Mehmed II converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque,

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

The reconversion of Hagia Sophia is seen by some as controversial.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

Other historic buildings such as the Karya (Khora) Mosque in Istanbul also went through similar fates: built as a church in the Byzantine era, converted into a mosque after the conquest, and later became a museum before reopening for worship.

Title:

Content: “Historical Caria. ”
Farid Mosque with Christian inscriptions (Video)
The historic Karya Mosque in Istanbul officially opened its doors to worshipers, a building that was a church built in the Byzantine era, then became a mosque after the conquest of Constantinople, and then a museum in the middle of the last century.
In August 2020, the Turkish president issued a decree to reopen it for prayer, handing over the building in the Fatih area of Istanbul to the Presidency of Religious Affairs and re-opening it for worship.
Al Jazeera Mubasher entered the unique mosque of its kind, and toured the building that turned into a mosque without obliterating its Christian features, as its walls are still decorated with bright inscriptions dating back to the Byzantine era, and now held Islamic prayers, and visited by tourists of various religions.
As you walk through the historic building, the details, though contradictory, are dazzling. On your way to the mihrab, you will find Christian inscriptions adorning the walls on both sides.
One of the worshipers of Al Jazeera Mubasher expressed his gratitude for the reopening of the Karya Mosque: “These historical monuments and buildings are a trust that was put in the interest of the nation when Istanbul was opened, and they have great historical and cultural significance and we are grateful that in our time they have been restored to their original function of worship.
We thank everyone who tried this. ”
He added: “Our ancestors had special prayers for endowments, they were calling for a curse on everyone who uses these endowments other than the purpose for which they were stopped, and the main prayer was to invoke the mercy of God, angels, prophets and believers on those who served these endowments, and I hope that the restoration of Hagia Sophia and the Mosque of Karia, to their original status, will lift this curse from the shoulders of this nation. ”
A place for everyone.
Another worshipper added: “I felt the same way when I opened the Hagia Sophia Mosque, this mosque has been closed from worship for 79 years.
I've been waiting for this day.
I learned that the restoration work had been going on for four or five years, ” he said, stressing his spiritual importance to him.
He described the mosque saying: "It has small rooms, decorated with art drawings, there are remnants of Christian monuments as well, it is a mixture of religions.
From this perspective, I think it can be a common place for everyone, one that can be visited by people of other religions as well. ”
The historical Karya building was a church known as the Church of the Shura and the Church of the Holy Savior, built in 534 AD in the time of the Byzantines, and about 50 years after the Muslims opened Constantinople, Atik Ali Pasha, the minister of Sultan Bayezid II, ordered the building to be converted into a mosque, and in August 1945, the Turkish government decided to allocate the mosque to the Ministry of Education.
“It is very sad for us that Karia in Istanbul is opening a mosque of worship, ” the Greek Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that it“ poses a challenge to the international community, as it corrupts and insults the UNESCO character of the building ’ s cultural heritage. ”
Source: Al Jazeera Direct

Sites like Khora are known for their exquisite mosaics and frescoes, reflecting their historical Christian heritage.

Title:

Content: Turkey officially opens the Byzantine church and museum "Khora" as a mosque (PHOTOS)
World News
"Kari Mosque" in the Museum and Monastery of "Khora"
Copy Link https: / / www.rt.com / xhpk
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday officially opened the Kari Mosque in Istanbul ’ s Byzantine Museum and Monastery of Khora, four years after the church dedicated a mosque to Muslims.
On Monday, Erdogan oversaw the official remote opening of the Khora mosque and a number of restored sites from the conference hall of his residence in Ankara.
Erdogan said during the opening ceremony, which was broadcast on Turkish television, "May it be a good start."
One of the first worshipers at the mosque told Anadolu Agency: “I have been waiting for its opening for four years, and I have been honored to pray in such a place. ”
Anadolu quoted another serum as saying: “Thank God for showing us these days, I hope we come here from time to time and do our prayers. ”
The site near the walls of the old city of Istanbul is famous for its fine mosaics and frescoes.
The church dates back to the 4th century, although the edifice took its present form during the 11th and 12th centuries.
Greece has criticized the Turkish government ’ s decision to return it to use as a mosque, accusing Ankara of “personal insult ” to another World Heritage site, saying the decisions to turn Hagia Sophia and Khora back into mosques are steps aimed at strengthening the support base of conservatives and the religious trend of Erdogan ’ s ruling party amid an economic downturn.
The museum was built "Khora" monastery, in 534, the building was converted into "Kari Mosque" at the beginning of the 16th century, it was used as a mosque for more than four centuries and was converted into a museum in 1945 by a Turkish ministerial decision.
In August 2020, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree on the conversion of the Hagia Sophia Cathedral and the Kari Museum, known as a “bottomless church ” in Turkish, into mosques.
The conversion of the two churches into mosques was praised by Muslims, but drew criticism from Greece and other countries that urged Turkey to protect important Byzantine monuments, both of which have been listed as World Heritage Sites by the United Nations.
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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that returning Hagia Sophia from a museum to a mosque represented a major challenge to the idea of global trusteeship.

Title:

Content: She returned Hagia Sophia to a mosque.
Turkey has challenged global trusteeship
Daily Morning
Istanbul, Turkey
Posted at 29.10.2022 10: 23
Hagia Sophia Mosque (Getty Images)
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that the fact that Turkey has returned the Hagia Sophia museum from a museum to a mosque represents a major challenge to the global trusteeship.
Speaking at a ceremony announcing the vision of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) “Turkey ’ s Century ” in Ankara, Erdogan said his country was challenging global tutelage and thanked citizens for their support for the decision to return Hagia Sophia.
He noted that his party has always sought to eliminate any vestiges of guardianship and promote democracy in the country over the past 20 years.
Turkey has lived through a remarkable period in its history in general and the history of Istanbul, especially when Hagia Sophia was transformed from its status as a museum and restored to its former glory as the Grand Mosque of Hagia Sophia on July 24, 2020.
The historic building remained a church for 916 years until the conquest of Istanbul.
It was then used as a mosque between 1453 and 1934, nearly 500 years before becoming a museum for 86 years.
It is one of the most visited historical buildings in Turkey by domestic and international tourists, and Hagia Sophia was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.
On July 10, 2020, a Turkish court overturned a 1934 ministerial decision that turned Hagia Sophia into a museum, paving the way for it to be used again as a mosque after an 86-year hiatus.

Greece’s foreign ministry condemned recent events at Christian heritage sites in Turkey as insults and desecration, highlighting the sensitivity around these changes.

Title:

Content: NEWS
Publish Date: 07 February 2022 19: 19 GMT
Updated on: 07 Feb 2022 20: 30 GMT
Disco dance triggers Greek protest in Turkey
Greece ’ s foreign ministry said on Monday that images showing a band dancing to electronic music at Turkey ’ s former Christian Orthodox monastery of Sumela were considered “the most important thing ”.
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Source: The Editorial Team
Greece ’ s foreign ministry said on Monday that images showing a band dancing to electronic music at Turkey ’ s former Christian Orthodox monastery of Sumela were an “insult ” and a“ desecration ” of the archaeological site.
The ministry called on the Turkish authorities to "do their utmost to prevent the recurrence of such acts" and to respect the site nominated for inclusion on the list of World Heritage Sites of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
“Recent images circulating on social media of what appears to be a foreign band dancing a disco in the area of the historic Panagia Sumela Monastery are considered desecration of the landmark, ” she said.
The Sumela Monastery, founded in the 4th century, is a monastic complex built on a towering cliff above a forest area overlooking the Black Sea in eastern Turkey, which has long been stripped of its official religious status, and now functions as a museum run by the Turkish Ministry of Culture.
Thousands of tourists and Orthodox Christians visit the monastery every year.
In 2010, Turkish authorities allowed the first Orthodox mass since the expulsion of Greeks in 1923 as part of a population exchange agreement between Greece and Turkey.
In 2015, the Sumela Monastery was closed for restoration until it reopened to tourists in 2019.
A mass was allowed to celebrate the Feast of the Virgin Mary in 2020 and 2021.
The monastery is located on the outskirts of Montenegro in the Altin Dera valley in a forested area 300 meters above the valley and is known among the people as the "Monastery of the Virgin Mary".
Many parts of the monastery were renovated in the 18th century, some of its walls were decorated with frescoes, and it acquired a magnificent appearance, and lived its finest period with the addition of large buildings in the 19th century.
The monastery, which took its final form during this period, became a place visited by many foreign travelers and took it as the subject of their writings, according to the Turkish Anadolu Agency.
The main parts of Sumela Monastery are the main rock church, several small churches, kitchens, student rooms, guesthouse, library and holy spring.
The complex of buildings was built on a very large architectural area, where the large water channel, which brings water to the monastery, reclines at its entrance on the slope.
There are also guard rooms next to the entrance of the monastery, which is entered through a narrow and long staircase, from which another stairway is descended into the courtyard of the monastery.
On the left are various buildings in front of the cave, which forms the foundation of the monastery, and was formed in the form of a church, along with a library and rooms for monks and guests on the right.
The frescoes of the church date from the early 18th century, and have three layers made in three different periods, with the lower layer being the best quality.
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How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

The reconversion of heritage sites such as Hagia Sophia and Khora has sparked criticism based on religious and political grounds, especially from the Greek Orthodox Church and the international community.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

Critics argue that these moves by President Erdogan have religious undertones and serve as political gestures, emphasizing Turkish sovereignty and local control over global heritage sites.

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

These actions have drawn concerns regarding the preservation of the multicultural legacy of Istanbul, particularly with respect to the sites' roles as places of shared history for both Christians and Muslims.

What did the CALHSC president urge regarding decisions on Hagia Sophia?

Consider both Muslim and Christian voices

UNESCO continues to classify Hagia Sophia and other sites as World Heritage, and expresses willingness to assist with preservation and maintenance whenever such heritage sites are affected or altered.

Title:

Content: Morocco Counts Loss of Historic Monuments and Buildings After Earthquake
German tourist Keren Fischer preferred to stay in Marrakesh despite the earthquake that destroyed several buildings in the ancient city, but the tourist capital of Morocco has lost many visitors amid fears of a crisis hitting the main activity of its economy.
The 35-year-old German said: "We will not let the earthquake ruin everything.
We did not receive warnings of a high risk and therefore preferred to continue with our program. ”
Fisher was going on a guided tour with a group of four passengers.
They were all evacuated from their hotel when the ground under their feet shook on Friday in the deadliest earthquake to hit Morocco in a century.
The medina of Marrakech
The rubble of destroyed buildings is still scattered in the alleys of the medina, which is a major stop on Marrakech's tourist tours, and includes many hostels.
The tall wooden doors of the Bahia Palace stand but are closed to visitors, while pieces of brick are shown lying on the ground after being shattered by the earthquake.
This tourist attraction was built in the 19th century.
Along the many narrow alleys, cracks permeate many of the walls of the houses dyed with the distinctive red color of the city, while some of them were completely demolished.
Marrakech has been home to a rich heritage since its construction in 1070, where it was for centuries the capital of the Moroccan state from the time of the Almoravids, and a cultural and economic center.
It is classified as a human heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The tour guide who accompanies Fisher and her group points out that a full tour around the Old City seems uncertain, “but passing through almost all of its stops is possible. ”
Not far from the scene, three Italian tourists are asking for information from security officers about sites that are still open to visitors.
These visitors preferred not to shorten their trip, as was the case for a couple sipping tea on the balcony of a cafe with marble walls, or for a tourist who negotiated with a seller in one of the few tourist shops about the price of a leather bag, covering her head with a straw hat.
In the famous Jama al-Fna square in the center of the city, the sellers of perfume and refreshments took their usual places after residents of neighboring neighborhoods had to spend the night in the open, because their houses were destroyed or damaged.
The atmosphere is generally more calm in the alleys of the old city, away from the usual hustle and bustle.
Dahman Ziani, 56, the manager of a traditional hammam for tourists, said: “The medina is the soul of Marrakech, it ’ s our pride.
Tourism accounts for 99% of our income.
If it stops, everything will stop completely, ” as happened during the COVID-19 crisis, which imposed a strict closure for months.
“Now we only have hope that such a crisis will not happen again. ”
Damage to historical and archaeological buildings
The earthquake in central Morocco, known for its ancient cities and ancient and diverse culture, damaged a number of historical and archaeological buildings dating back hundreds of years, prompting international organizations to offer assistance in the restoration of these monuments.
Circulated images documented the damage of the "Great Mosque" in the village of Tinmel (located about 100 kilometers south of Marrakech), which has a historical value, as it dates back to the beginning of the state of the Almohads in Morocco, and was built in the middle of the twelfth century AD (year 548 AH) during the reign of the second Almohahid caliph Abdul Momen Ben Ali, who ruled Morocco and Andalus, and was in the process of restoration was underway.
In 1995, Morocco inscribed the Great Mosque on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
On Saturday, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) announced its full solidarity with the Kingdom and its readiness to cooperate with the competent Moroccan authorities in the face of the damage caused by the earthquake.
The organization said in a statement, "We are ready to provide all the support and support required by the situation in the areas of our competence, especially with regard to the restoration and maintenance of monuments that have been damaged in some historic cities."
Historic Wall of Marrakech
Footage broadcast by activists also showed parts of the historic Marrakesh Wall damaged, with parts falling as a result of the earthquake.
The videos documented the fall of parts of the silo of the mosque Kharboush in the square of Jemaa al-Fna, as the scenes showed the damage of large areas of the city of Marrakech, whose economy depends mainly on tourism activity and traditional industry, and has many old buildings that are intended for visitors, and listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
For his part, the economist Badr Zaher Azraq expects that the earthquake of Hauz will have a significant impact on the tourist infrastructure in Marrakech, and although it was not at the epicenter of the earthquake, some walls, mosques and silos collapsed in the archaeological areas.
Azraq said in an interview with Al Jazeera Net that the destroyed areas inside Marrakech will return to the previous as soon as possible, especially as the city is undergoing major repair work for weeks to receive the meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund scheduled for 9-15 October, noting that these works will extend to include what was destroyed by the earthquake.
Not far from Marrakech, there were reports of damage to historical sites in the province of Ouarzazate, the city of Agadir and the province of Azilal.
Restoration Support
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) immediately announced its intention to support the Moroccan authorities in the restoration and reconstruction of those destroyed monuments.
She said in a tweet yesterday that a mission from the organization has gone to Marrakech, to help identify the damage and start work on repairing and restoring it.
Through the platforms, the Tweeters expressed their sadness, for the destruction of an important part of the history of that region, which lived for hundreds of years, as a witness to the ancient history of the city, since its construction by the Almoravids.
History specialist Makki Dahbi commented in a post on Facebook, "Marrakech and the whole of the region of Haouz is the depth of Morocco and its great history, Marrakech built by Youssef Ben Tashfein, Emir of the Almoravid state, and until last night the mosque of Tinmel was still a witness to the greatness of the Monotheistic Empire.
In the southwest, the Wall of Taroudant stored the glories of Morocco and told the prayers of the sultans of Morocco who had spent their time on horseback. "
He added: "In these stricken areas today, you smell the fragrance of history and feel the depth of Morocco's cultural, scientific and religious, and in the absence of everyone and in a few seconds the earth shook to bury hundreds of people and buried with it a precious part of the history of glories, and a small part of the original Moroccan architectural memory."
The Mauritanian media Mohammed Haidara commented in a tweet, "The affected cities are the depth of Morocco and its great history, Marrakech, built by the Almoravids, and where the Muslim prince Youssef Ben Tashfein lies, next to it Tinmel, where the call of Ibn Tomert, and Taroudant, the oldest and oldest cities of Morocco, and its wall the third greatest archaeological wall in the world, what was buried not only human bodies, but a history of glory.“ Civilization and a great people of patience. ”
The earthquake in parts of Morocco left extensive destruction in towns and villages in the kingdom, with scenes of rubble and cracks in homes and streets as rescue teams searched for possible survivors.
Despite the damage to the archaeological sites, the loss of life is still the main concern of the population in the affected areas, and after the healing of human wounds, it will be time to lose the stone.
Source: Al Jazeera + Agencies

Since 2019, the coronavirus pandemic has deeply impacted global travel, making visits to places like Istanbul, Ephesus, and Athens rare dreams for many.

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Reminiscences / Pilgrimage in Turkey and Greece
Since 2019, the new coronavirus has swept the world, and travel has become a dream. In 2023, we received a notice from Su Zongchang ’ s guide, “Turkey and Greece Pilgrimage Tour 10 / 25 – 11 / 6 ”. We have been eager to visit the ancient city of Istanbul, Ephesus, Saint Paul ’ s missionary, Mary, and Athens. I want to go, 27 of us from all over the United States, Taiwan, Shanghai, meet in Istanbul.
Waking up in the middle of the night in a dream, wow! I am in a thousand years old lime cave castle in Cappadocia, Turkey.
All of a sudden I heard a distant voice, a Muslim ’ s morning prayer, reading the Bible five times a day.
After we had breakfast on the top floor, we joined Father Huang from Taiwan in the outdoor balcony next to us to hold a mass, above which is a blue sky and white clouds, opposite to various strange and strange limestone formed after the eruption of a volcano, and at the moment, the national flag of Turkey's "moon and stars" is floating...
Cave church preserves frescoes of Jesus' life
We visited many caves, all in the Middle Ages because of the belief that Jesus is God, and experienced the harsh persecution of Muslims.
They all hid in the cave, which kept the complete frescoes of the life of Jesus, fully equipped, with simple altars and so on.
Seeing these cave churches reminds me of the Thousand Buddhas Cave in Dunhuang, which has been refined and inspired to leave a valuable cultural heritage for mankind.
Turkey, with its many volcanoes, is also a hot spring country.
In the Pamukkale open-air hot spring area, water rises from the top of the mountain and below the ground, filling every aspect of the white terraces, creating a strange "White Cotton Castle".
In the morning on a hot air balloon, you can see the thousands of rock peaks that are red by the sunrise. It is also the most famous, loved or strange natural landscape in Turkey.
Located on the Aegean coast, Ephesus was an important political, religious, cultural and commercial metropolis during the Roman Empire.
Visit the great library, shrines and noble mansions, and even the "brothel" ads on the streets.
And where is the brothel? In the secret passage of the library.
There is a public toilet next to the large bath, so you can sit in rows and relax while chatting. Although there are broken walls everywhere, you can imagine the bustling and bustling of the year.
A map of Turkey is displayed on the bus.
The guide and the priest explained to us all the way "Do you know where Paul was born? How did he become an important figure in the church?"
A glimpse into the spread of Christianity in Paul's life
Paul founded the church in Ephesus for three years, transforming the polytheistic Greeks and Romans into monotheistic Christians.
Saul of Tarsus, born in Tarsus, Turkey, persecuted the early church.
Around the age of 30, Paul ’ s life took a big turn on the road to Damascus.
When Paul was trying to arrest the believers who were hiding in the city, a great light shone upon him. He fell off his horse and heard a voice say to him, “Paul, Paul, why are you persecuting me? ”“ Who are you? ” “I am Jesus whom you persecute. ”
People brought him into Damascus.
After three days, Jesus sent for the healing of his eyes, and filled them with the Holy Spirit, and immediately baptized them.
Since then, the Lord Jesus began to preach among the Gentiles through Paul, who had Roman citizenship and was protected by the law, which was very beneficial to the spread of Paul ’ s faith.
Through his preaching and letters, he eventually spread Christianity to almost every important region on the eastern Mediterranean.
In the end, he gave up his life completely and was beheaded and martyred at the Roman execution site.
God ’ s plan is miraculous.
On the first day of the flight, it was dark when I got on the coach and drove to the hotel.
Suddenly someone in the back of me asked, "Did you write a book about English Miles?"
I asked in surprise, “Yeah! How did you know? ” she said she saw it on World Weekly.
Thank you to World Weekly for publishing the introduction of the book “Three Generations: The British Thousand Miles Family and Me ” on February 21, 2021.
The book was not sold in the bookstore, and of course there were no advertisements.
Thank you to Chairman Wang Huayan of the Yingqili Foundation for making an electronic version of the Yingqili Memorial Website.https: / / ying.forex.ntu.edu.tw for posting the entire book with photos.
The Pilgrimage of Love Begins
My pilgrimage to the Holy Land began under the overflow of God, English miles and love.
He is an old man, and although I grew up beside him, I often wonder why his faith is so pious. I know that he and his father, the capital of Yingshen, were knighted by the Pope.
Is it because I went to Europe to study with Father Lei Ming-yuan at the age of 12, or is it the influence of my family? Remembering the recent famous academician Professor Cheng Peikai ’ s cloud lecture “Film Arts and Humanities Care ”, when asked after the meeting, I asked him whether Yingqili ’ s life is worth moving onto the screen? Thanks to Professor Zheng ’ s reminder, I suddenly realized that Paul and Yingqian are many of the same places:
Paul and English have both been in prison.
Paul has been in prison many times.
The first time Philippi was captured and released in Macedonia.
(ACTS Acts 16: 16-40)
When Paul was in the prison of Philip, about midnight, there was a sudden earthquake, and even the foundation of the prison was shaken, and all the doors were opened at once, and Paul ’ s chains were unlocked. When the guards awoke, seeing that the prison doors were all open, they thought that the prisoners had fled, and drew their swords to commit suicide.
"Do not hurt yourself," cried Paul, "we are all here."
The guards came and ran in the lantern and fell down in front of Paul in horror: “Sir, what am I supposed to be saved? ”
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved. ”
In the morning, the Chief Executive wants to release them, and Paul says, “We are Romans, and we have been publicly flogged before we have been convicted, and now we are secretly driven out.
When the chief heard that they were Romans, he was frightened and asked them to leave the city as soon as possible.
Ying Qianli was 25 years old and became one of the central defenders of Beiping Fu University. The Lugou Bridge Incident caused various universities to retreat, but Fu Da was still singing because of the German background of the sacrament meeting.
The United Kingdom is still working under the leadership of the United Kingdom.
At that time, his comrades urged him to leave Peking early, but he refused to leave and was arrested twice.
Tormented by brutal torture in a Japanese prison, his pious and steadfast faith has led him to sacrifice himself to enlighten others.
From the death penalty, to life imprisonment, to victory in the war.
The Japanese knew that Yingchile (007) this war criminal could not stay long, so they allowed his mother and son Ying Wak-shing to visit him in prison, only to hear the sound of a distant iron chain, and when they saw Yingchile, they were shocked, but he only shook his hand and said calmly, “It is all in anticipation, it is all in anticipation. ” by the grace of God."
How many students wanted to write for him the memoirs of the underground work that year, he refused, and he was always so humble.
I am not surprised that almost no one in Taiwan's master students knows Yingqili, let alone that he was one of the founders of Fu University.
How many storms and torrential rains England has experienced in his life, he has no regrets, and he has quietly accepted them.
Paul and English have excellent rhetorical and linguistic skills, and are ambassadors of cross-cultural communication.
Paul was a well-educated Jew, fluent in Greek and Hebrew, a learned Pharisee who brought the gospel from Asia to Europe.
Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul preached the gospel of Jesus Christ in his letters with exquisite language.
The entire New Testament is largely his contribution.
Paul's theological ideas laid the foundation for the future theology of Christianity.
If I could speak the tongues of all men, and speak the language of angels, but if I had no love, I would be a gong or a cymbal.
(1 Corinthians 13: 1)
The last flight of President Chiang Kai-shek to Taiwan was in 1949.
Also on the same plane were renowned professors such as Peking University, Tsinghua ’ s Hu Shih, Mao Zishui, and Qian Siliang, all of whom silently left their hometown to create history. In 1950, when Yingqili took over the Department of Foreign Languages at NTU from the Japanese, the teachers were poor and the economy was tight.
At that time, when the Jesuit priest in mainland China was deported to Taiwan, the Jesuit priests were the strongest in the Catholic Church with knowledge and teaching.
In those days, it was not easy for foreign priests to enter Taiwan ’ s educational community, especially NTU.
Yingqili can be said to be a wise eye hero, and many Jesuit priests and Benedictine American nuns have been hired to teach foreign languages.
In this way, it also opened the door for the church to enter the educational community in Taiwan.
God has spread the seed of faith in Taiwan through thousands of miles of England.
Because Fu Jen University in Beijing had merged with Beijing Normal University, Yingqili was reinstated in Taiwan for Fu Jen University, leading Fu Jen alumni to write to the Holy See, and bowing to exhaustion.
After the successful restoration of Taiwan's Fu University in Taiwan, Cardinal Yu Bin was the first president, and Ying Qian Li was hired as the first vice president, but due to illness, he resigned from the vice president and became a consultant one year later.
In the 1950s, Yingqili wrote English textbooks, grammar books and English-Chinese dictionaries for English teaching, and translated many famous British books.
It can be said that it opened the first stage of formal English education in modern Taiwan.
He also wrote the Mass Sacrifice Examination, and translated the Bible with Zhang Xiuya, a senior student at Beijing Fu University, and so on, making an indelible contribution to the creation of Sino-Western cultural exchanges.
3. Both Paul and English live happily and contentedly in sickness and poverty.
Paul was afflicted by illness, probably primarily his epilepsy.
When Paul was in need all his life, he supported himself by making tents and church donations, but he was content and happy.
Paul is like a sad man, but always rejoices; like the poor, but enriches many; like having nothing, but everything.
(2 Corinthians 6: 10)
When I was in high school, my uncle had a stomach problem, vomited two pots of blood overnight, and rushed to NTU Hospital.
After examination, it was found that most of the stomach had been ulcerated, and surgery was not necessary.
During this period of time, I went to the hospital every day after school to see him, I felt that he was very poor, those with family members, a little sick, the family around the knee, serving soup medicine, and his elderly, English aunt and seven children, no one can be around, but they never complain.
The hospital finally decided to operate on him and cut off two-thirds of his stomach.
This long-term hospitalization, the medical costs are huge, at that time did not implement a sound "public education medical insurance" system, what to do? The news came to old President Chiang Gong, who immediately sent his son, Mr. Ching-kuo, to the hospital to see him, and took care that the public should pay the medical expenses.
Uncle Ying learned of the old President's intention, on the one hand, infinite gratitude, while thinking that this practice is unconstitutional, and this example will bring more trouble for the old President in the future.
So he gave thanks and gave thanks.
Finally, it was the Central Party Department, the Ministry of Education, NTU colleagues and students, and Fu University alumni, who gathered a large number to solve the problem of medical expenses.
Uncle English's view of money is this: "Money this thing, born or not to bring, death or not to bring, but to use properly, with its proper use, only have value, otherwise, even if there are tens of millions of wealth, what is the benefit?
"Bad money, but good friendship".
He is a righteous man, and he is a righteous man.
4. Paul and Ying Chien-li are very different in marriage, love, and family, but they both live "holy" and "witness" in the dust of "vulgarity".
For the sake of the gospel of Christ, Paul stands alone.
When she was 20 years old, she was studying at the University of London, and suddenly received a telegram from her home: "My mother is seriously ill, and she is returning quickly."
The tickets were hurried back.
After returning home, I realized that it was the order of my father and mother to marry Miss Tsai Bao-chen, who had been betrothed to her parents since childhood.
After his marriage, he returned to England to complete his studies.
How many children did they have? Nine.
After the first two died of lung disease, they adopted two more orphans. After 1948, Ying Chi-li was alone in Taiwan, suffering from infirmity and illness in a Japanese prison.
How many people advised him to get married again, he said, "My wife is alive, I can't get married." 20 years of no news, the family is separated from each other, each side of the world, taste the world's ups and downs, the world is hot.
They both hold the letter, the hope, the love.
In them, we see the most precious things of this eager society — loyalty and perseverance.
It is indeed a fountain of confusion.
Both Paul and English think the same about death.
At the end of his life, St. Paul said, “I have finished this good battle; I have come to the end of this race; I have kept this faith. ” (2 Timothy 4: 7)
One of England ’ s favorite poems about death is Robert Louis Stevenson ’ s Requiem:
Under that wide starry sky,
Dig a hole and let me sleep.
Life is full of love and regret,
So I left peacefully.
Write a few lines of verse:
He was lying where he always wanted to be,
The sailors who had gone out to sea had now returned home.
The hunters in the mountains have returned.
Under the wide and starry sky,
Dig the grave and let me lie.
Glad did I live and gladly die,
And I laid me down with a will.
This be the verse you grave for me:
Here he lies where he longed to be;
Home is the sailor, home from sea,
And the hunter home from the hill.
He spent his entire life in a clean, humble way of fame and fortune, teaching and learning, nurturing talent, and bowing to the bows and bows.
Now the good fight has been fought, and the way to run has been exhausted, and the faith has been kept.
Let go of the cross of life and enjoy a long rest.
Cusades visits the residence of Our Lady of old age
Next stop, we go to Kusadasi, not far from Ephesus, to see where the Virgin lives in her old age.
Before Jesus died on the cross, he entrusted his mother to St. John ’ s care.
St. John took the Virgin Mary from the desert to Ephesus, Turkey, where she spent her last years hiding. The small marble room, only the foundation is original, contains a statue of the Virgin holding Jesus, and there is a spiritual spring outside.
It did not occur to them that the Mother of God was not only a Catholic but also a saint of Islam, because they believed that Jesus was a prophet and that his mother was equally revered.
I remember one year, when I was in junior high school, Uncle Ying Qianli was at NTU to experiment on Lin Xitou Mountain to get sick.
A day to climb the mountain, climb to the top of the mountain, see the sun shining above, the blue sky like a wash, the forest below a sea, the waves came to the bottom of the eye.
I was immersed in this feeling when Uncle Ying suddenly asked me to kneel down and recite a passage of the Notre Dame:
Hail Mary, full of the Blessed One, the Lord and the Elohim, the Blessed One, the Praise of the Virgin, the Mother of God, the Blessed One, the Blessed One, the Blessed One, the Blessed One, the Blessed One, the Blessed One, the Blessed One, the Blessed One, the Blessed One.
Then he said to me with all kinds of emotion, "There are always unpleasant things in life. When you encounter pain in the future, if you think of the happiness and the degree of pain today, it will be a little less, and it will be easier to accept." I did not understand at that time, but this sentence has led me to many life lows.
Visit the birthplace of the Aegean Sea
For the next three days we wandered into the beauty of the Aegean Sea.
Not only are there plenty of Chinese food on the cruise, but it ’ s also a surprise to find a Chinese menu.
One day at the dinner table, a visitor from mainland China, when he saw my gray-haired old lady, asked me what kind of tour I was on? In China, elderly people must be accompanied by relatives before they are allowed to travel.
Some people answered, "We are a faith group of love, we support each other, there is no age limit."
No, sometimes the pilgrims are sick and ask God for healing.
Greece is an Orthodox country, and basically every village has a church.
Athens is the capital of Greece.
We visited the Parthenon on the Mount of Argos, built in 447 BC in a Doric colonnade and known as one of the seven wonders of ancient architecture, as a residence for the goddess Athena.
There are endless myths, Homer's epic poems, tragic grudges and sorrows.
Below is the island of Patmos, where St. John wrote the last book of the New Testament, the Book of Revelation.
On the main peak of Patmose Island stands a monastery like a medieval castle.
There is a cave near the monastery, which is said to be the place where St. John received the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
There was a stone in the cave, which split in three directions, the mystery of the Trinity.
The cave is dark and small, and it is said that the Book of Revelation was written here by Saint John.
He also wrote the story of Jesus' life as the Gospel of John.
Jesus ’ favorite disciple lived to be over 100 years old.
I looked out from the tower, the whole island was in sight, the sea was sparkling, the cruise ship was breaking through the blue sea and sky, it was really enlightening "tied up in the people's land, and there were no cars and horses."
How can I ask you?
Far from it. "
It ’ s a great place to write and repair.
Istanbul Catholicism, Islamic Coexistence
At the end of the day, we finally returned to Istanbul.
Napoleon said that if the whole earth were a country, Istanbul would be its capital.
It is a crossroads of Eurasian civilization.
It was once the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.
In 313 AD, Constantine the Great recognized the legitimacy of the Christian faith; in 380 AD, Theodosius I declared Christianity the state religion, and the capital city was Constantinople, which is now Istanbul.
In terms of religion, from Greek polytheism to monotheistic Christianity, and from Christianity to Aramaic Islam.
After the rise of Islam, the Middle East country became the Muslim world. Although the Catholic church in Istanbul was converted into a mosque, it was a combination of Catholic culture and the Arabic word for Islam.
Hagia Sophia, with its large dome and six minarets, is a good example of how religious cultures can gradually tolerate and live peacefully with each other.
The first church we visited in Istanbul was the Church of St. Anthony of Padua.
I like St. Anthony the most because I always drop things and thank him for helping me find them.
Recently I heard that Santa Claus (St. Nicholas) also has his church and cemetery in Antalya, Turkey.
There are many fascinating places in Turkey, this sightseeing is too rushed, not enough to see, when will you come again?
Uncle English, Greek mythology stories, golden apples, carpenter butchery, etc., were not all the stories I loved to hear from you when I was a child?
Thank you for accompanying me in the sky on this pilgrimage across the long river of thousands of years of history, and with you, I hope that the shoots of faith can be rooted, harvested and blended in my mediocre life. You know? The world has changed, and now everyone has a chance in their hands, and if there are any questions asked Google can solve for you.
Your son, Ying Ruocheng, and your grandson, Ying Da, will automatically jump out. Your most uneasy little daughter, Ying Ruohan, was the first Chinese student to receive a doctorate in physics from Boston College after I picked her up in 1980.
He is now retired and living in New York City.
Today, I can more understand what is the life time of your sunset, although you can turn depression into beauty, and niu, I have always felt very indebted, did not send you the last journey.
On December 31, 2023, I was at home, and the TV was streaming Auld Lang Syne, “Friendship Is Long ”, which you taught me to sing.
The past is in the eyes, but can forget.
Turkish Prisons in Japan
The last one.
I had to install a charging pile at home...
The next one.
Is this a good time to buy a house this year?
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Cappadocia's ancient lime cave castles echo with the calls to prayer, reflecting Turkey's blending of Christian and Islamic history.

Hot air balloon flights at sunrise reveal its unique geography, while on tours, guides discuss the life and journeys of Saint Paul, his connection to places like Ephesus, his missionary path, and his frequent imprisonments.

Biblical history, such as Paul's transformation on the road to Damascus and his belief in salvation through Jesus, is a common theme, accompanied by reflections on life, death, faith, and rest.

Travelers are often surprised to learn that Mary, mother of Jesus, is honored in both Christianity and Islam, pointing to shared reverence across religions.

The journey through Turkey includes visiting mountains, the beauty of the Aegean Sea, and sites like the cave where Saint John is said to have written the Book of Revelation.

Istanbul, formerly the capital of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, showcases its multi-layered history through landmarks like the Church of St. Anthony of Padua and remnants of the Byzantine city wall.

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Travel / Istanbul preserves the imperial glory
Istanbul, formerly known as Constantinople, is one of the bustling international metropolises. It is the economic, cultural and transportation center of Turkey, as well as a world-famous tourist destination. It was also the capital of the ancient Three Great Powers – the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire.
Ten years ago, I stood on the black coast of Batumi, a famous city in Georgia ’ s Black Sea. The azure sea showed before me, the sea breeze gently blowing in my face, and I looked fondly at the other side of the sea, the misty Istanbul, dreaming about when I could go to the other side.
Finally, on the Golden Week of the Spring Festival the year before last, I took a flight north to Turkey after a trip to Egypt with my wife and daughter.
Before the plane landed, I saw the earth in the air, the green Mamoras Sea and the curved Bosphorus Strait, three Eurasian land bridges on the strait clearly visible.
The plane flew north over the Black Sea, fluttered a beautiful arc, turned around and landed at Ataturk Airport, and I finally set foot in Istanbul, which has been my dream for 10 years.
Snow White Cotton Fort is a hot spring.
The next morning we flew to a cotton fort in the interior of Turkey.
The Bosphorus, Mamorah and Dardanelles straits are the dividing lines of Eurasia, dividing not only Turkey into two, but also the Istanbul metropolitan area. The Cotton Fortress is located in Asia, which is why we came to Asia from Europe.
When the plane landed at the airport south of Denizli, the sun was just rising on the Anatolian mountains, and the earth was painted with pale gold. The Cotton Castle is the site of the ancient Roman city of Hilápolis, a snow-white limestone formed by volcanic eruptions, and the rock formation of numerous hot springs.
Because of the rich hot spring resources in the area, the ancient Roman and Greek nobles used this as a healing place, and built the prosperous city of Hierapolis here in 190 BC.
At 9: 00 a.m., we entered the Cotton Fort, and in front of us was the snow-white limestone of the entire ring-shaped hillside, layered and crystal-clear, like cotton.
At this moment, the light sun is shining on the snow-white limestone, and the pale blue hot spring is rippling, and the water surface is reflected.
We took off our shoes and walked on the rocks wearing socks, some hurt feet and cool, the hot spring through the gully rushing down, the little girl soaked her feet in the hot spring, and was very happy.
2000 Old Town Theatre intact
Walking uphill through the Cotton-Fort area is the ruins of the city of Hirápolis, including the ancient cemetery, large baths, markets, arches, amphitheatres, the Temple of Apollo and ancient hot springs, which are scattered on the hillside from north to south.
When I sit in the amphitheater, I am not shocked by the majesty in front of me! The theater more than 2000 years ago is basically intact, and the entire theater is divided into 18 areas, which is easy for the audience to enter and exit; it is said that the theater can accommodate 15,000 people, looking up from the bottom, and the highest row of people seems to be in the sky.
As I sat in the top row, I could look beyond the stage and see countless sites such as the Temple of Apollo, which stands at the bottom of the hillside. Through the years, it has become more and more quaint, elegant and fragmentary in the sunlight.
Further up, we walked into the ruins of the ancient Roman market.
There is a large circular square in the middle of the market, and the tall Romanesque door tower is like an eight-petal lotus flower around the square.
I wandered through the market, shuttling between the doors, imagining the happy bustle of the crowd and the hustle and bustle of shopping in those years, and now all this prosperity is gone, leaving only the lonely ruins in front of me, abandoned on the desolate slope.
The whole afternoon lingered in the ruins, not by the sigh of a thousand years, white clouds and pale dogs.
We flew back to Istanbul that night, and when the plane landed at Ataturk, we were back in Europe from Asia.
Istanbul has a Mediterranean climate, and we are greeted by an endless, all-day rain.
We took the bus past the ancient city wall for miles and got off to Sultan Ahmed Square.
Looking up, you can see the towering square pillars, 32 meters high, which were built by the ancient Roman emperor Constantine VII in the 10th century in memory of his grandfather.
The column was originally filled with gold-plated bronze reliefs, but was later ransacked by the Crusaders and only the core pillars remain.
In front of the square pillars stands an ancient Egyptian obelisk, reflecting on the wet square floor.
This monument was originally built by the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III. It was erected in the temple of Luxor Kanak, which was purchased by Theodosius the Great from Egypt in 390 AD.
There is also a famous monument between the two pillars, the bronze snake pillar.
These three relics are like an open-air museum, adding to the splendor of the square, showing a sense of ancient history and glory.
The square itself is also an ancient Roman site, originally a huge arena that was expanded after the relocation of the Roman Empire; according to historical records, the arena is next to the palace to the east, completely modeled after the Roman Colosseum, but 40 meters longer.
The racetrack is paved with sand and can accommodate eight horse-drawn carriages, and the surrounding stands can accommodate tens of thousands of people to watch the race, and the Roman emperor can see the scene in the arena from the palace.
In 330 AD, the Roman emperor Constantine I moved the capital to this place and named it New Rome, which was soon renamed Constantinople.
The walls of Constantinople, built by Constantine I, extend westward from the north to the south.
Both north and south of the city are facing the sea, so the height of the two walls is only 12 to 15 meters, and the entire city is located on the hills behind the wall. From the sea, the merchant ships from afar can see the majestic buildings such as the palace, the arena and the Hagia Sophia.
The western end of the city was later rebuilt with a third wall, the 4.3 km long wall of Constantine.
Saint Sophia Cathedral Inclusion 2 Religions
In 395 AD, the Roman Empire split into Eastern and Western Rome, and Constantinople became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire).
In the 5th century AD, the Byzantine emperor Theodosius II added the Theodosian wall to the west of the city wall built by Constantine, which doubled the area of the city. The enlarged wall of Constantinople was 21.5 kilometers long, of which the wall facing the Sea of Mamorah was 8 kilometers long, the side of the Golden Horn was 7 kilometers long, and the side of the land was 6.5 kilometers long.
This land wall design is incomparably complex, from the outside to the inside and in turn for the outer wall, the moat, the moat inner wall, the steep slope wall, the outer wall, the inner wall, the inner wall; the outer wall and the inner wall stand more than 300 towers, corner buildings and bunkers, forming a strong support system.
Constantinople faces the sea on three sides, plus the western land city defense system, bronze walls and iron walls, so that the city became a "barbarian" city.
The old city wall that we saw along the way is a remnant of the Byzantine Empire.
In the 6th century AD, a great generation of monarchs emerged in the empire, Justinian I.
He went on to conquer the West, and recovered a large part of the western lands lost by the Roman Empire. The weather of the revival of the Roman Empire was very good, and the Byzantine Empire entered its peak.
The city of Constantinople also entered the glorious period, most of the buildings are in the ancient Roman style, the main buildings include the above-mentioned walls, gates, palaces, squares, arches, public baths, cisterns and churches.
To the north of Augustus Square is the majestic Hagia Sophia.
This is the most glorious legacy Justinian has left in the history of architecture. Built between 532 and 537, this church became the center of Byzantine religion and Eastern Orthodoxy and became a symbol of the empire.
The Cathedral of St. Sophia uses the shape of a Greek cross on the plane, creating a huge dome in the space, but no pillars support the interior; the dome is 55 meters above the ground, and it was the largest church in the world until the completion of St. Peter ’ s Cathedral in the 17th century.
In 1453, the Ottoman Empire captured Constantinople, and the Eastern Roman Empire fell, and the Empire moved its capital there and renamed it Istanbul.
Sultan Mehmed II converted the cathedral into a mosque and added an Islamic minaret, and over the next 500 years it became one of the most important places of worship for Muslims.
After World War I, Turkey ’ s founding father, Kemal, converted it into a museum in 1934 and gradually became a famous tourist attraction.
Last year, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced the conversion of the Cathedral of St. Sophia into a mosque. On July 24 of the same year, he attended a Muslim service at the Cathedral of St. Sophia, the first religious event held in the church after nearly 90 years.
Entering the Cathedral of St. Sophia, visitors are amazed by the tall, domed dome and the exquisite Byzantine frescoes on the dome, especially the statue of the Virgin and Child on the top of the altar.
We walk through the spiral passage paved with medieval stone blocks to the second floor of the church gallery, which can be closer to and carefully admire the various corners of the church. In particular, we can see the wall of the gallery with many murals of Christian stories.
Overlooking the entire hall, you can feel the grand space design of the hall.
100,000 tons of underground water
Another architectural gem left behind by Justinian is the "Groundwater Palace".
Constantinople was built solid, but the rulers of the empire were still worried, and built a secret underground reservoir and brought water from the forests near the Black Sea, which could store up to 100,000 tons.
If the city is besieged during the war, it serves as a strategic reserve for the entire city to drink for a month; during the Song and Dance Period, it provides water storage for the palace and other palaces.
The reservoir is 140 meters long and 70 meters wide, with 336 Corinthian stone columns 9 meters high, supporting a huge brick vault with exquisite relief, and it is also called an underground palace.
There are two places in the park that are worth looking at.
One place is a weeping column, the underground humidity is large, specially designed a column, and the water drops flow down the column, as if someone is crying.
The other is a column supported by two inverted Medusa heads, decorated with figures from Greek mythology.
This revealed that the Byzantine Empire was passionate about Greek civilization, and its influence was everywhere.
Blue Mosque 6 Minaret Tower Rare
The next day we took the subway to Istanbul University Station, then took the light rail to Sultan Ahmet Square, passing through the square to visit the Blue Mosque.
The original name of the mosque is Sultan Ahmet Mosque, because the walls are all decorated with Iznik blue and white tiles, so it is also known as the Blue Mosque, which is a landmark of Istanbul.
The first thing we see is the mosque ’ s six long and towering minarets, full of lightness and spirit, and looking far away like the city in the sky.
The Blue Mosque is the largest domed building in Istanbul, with more than 30 domes rising up to the 41-meter diameter central dome.
Take off your shoes and enter the mosque, look up at a huge dome, and the sun shines through the stained glass of 260 small windows.
The four columns supporting the large dome are clearly chiseled, and the blue gold word Arabic on the column head and the black gold word Arabic on the column body are as beautiful as the pattern.
The shrine is an important part of the interior of the Blue Mosque, made of carved marble. Beside the shrine, there is a beautiful mission altar, and scholars stand on the altar to preach on Fridays at noon and religious festivals.
The Blue Mosque, an artistic masterpiece of the Ottoman Empire, took seven years to build and became an icon of the empire ’ s heyday.
It is said that the Ottoman Sultan asked the architects to build the minaret into gold, and the Turkish pronunciation of "gold" and "six" is very similar, so it became the only mosque in the world with six tall towers, and thus one of the ten wonders of the world.
Out of the Blue Mosque, gaze across the square, and you can see the minaret towering above the clouds, which is the “Mosque ” of St. Sophia, which we visited yesterday and features both Christian and Islamic architecture.
The two mosques are opposite each other and form a beautiful landscape in Istanbul.
We walked through the square and walked to Topkapi Palace.
The palace is the first officially built palace after the Ottoman Empire entered Istanbul. It has a strong Ottoman style royal architecture characteristics, mysterious and elegant.
The Old Palace is a former place of national ceremonies and royal entertainment, from the construction of the Topkapi Palace by the Conqueror Mehmed II in 1465 until 1853, nearly 400 years ago, it was the place where Sultans worked and lived.
There is a main entrance in the middle of a tall wall, which only the sultan could enter and exit, and it was called the "Gate of the Emperor". Through the main entrance, you enter the first courtyard and follow the courtyard path, and you can see a sacred peace church built in the Byzantine period on your left hand.
Continue forward to the welcome gate, which is a city gate with an octagonal tower on the left and right, like a castle gate.
When you look up at the door, you can see the Qur ’ an engraved on the door.
Pass security and walk into the second courtyard, looking at a large area of grass and flower beds.
Passing through the Gate of Happiness is the Venerable Room in the Third Courtyard, where the sultans and the Grand Vizier (equivalent to the Prime Minister) and generals met four days a week. Passing through the Third Courtyard and entering the Fourth Courtyard, it is the Baghdatin, with its interior walls decorated with Iznik tiles and shells.
At the edge of the platform is a small gold-topped pavilion, Ifthaya, from which you can see the Golden Horn Bay and the new urban area across from it.
We visited the four courtyards in turn, then turned back to the entrance to the harem of the second courtyard, and then visited the residence of the four wives of the sultan, the queen ’ s room, and the sultan ’ s bathroom.
We were dazzled by the golden splendour of the harem, the many rooms covered with fine tiles and the beautifully decorated scenes of life.
In front of the harem there is a quadrangular column building called the "Tower of Justice", which has been used to monitor the city and defend against external enemies, and is also a large landscape.
There is also an open-air restaurant with great views inside the palace. Here you can see the Bosphorus Strait, Eurasia Bridge, Istanbul ’ s new city district and the world ’ s smallest sea, the Mamora Sea.
At noon, the sun is still hiding behind the clouds, the light is not strong, the sea is full of green waves, and the silver bridge across the Eurasian continent in the distance, it is really pleasing to see.
Once out of the palace, we took the light rail through the bustling business district to the Galata Bridge, where we boarded a boat from the Golden Horn pier to explore the Bosphorus Strait.
The sky was clear, the sky was blue and white, the waves were flowing, and the boats were weaving.
Thousands of seagulls soar around the cruise ship, and the moving pictures of historical buildings, mosques, Galata Towers, and villas built on the mountains are displayed in turn, forming an absolutely beautiful exhibition of sea-view paintings.
When we crossed the first Eurasia land bridge, we came to the second Eurasia land bridge, and saw a fortified castle on the left bank, which attracted my attention, and regretted that we could not abandon the boat to go ashore to visit.
After an hour and a half of excursion, we disembarked and boarded the bridge, and looked at the city area on the north shore of the Golden Horn from the Galata Bridge.
Darkness falls on the ground, night falls, looking back at the old area on the right bank, by the mountains and the water, stars point, experience in the eyes, the lights of Suleiman Mosque live on the top of the mountain, suspended above thousands of households.
The New Palace witnesses the Westernization of Osman
On the third day, the weather changed.
My wife and daughter were tired and stayed at the hotel to rest. I went out alone. Take the subway to Taksim Square station, walk around Taksim Gezi Park, walk up or down the steep road, and after more than ten minutes to the sea, you can see the Dolmabach Mosque with a blue dome and a milky white wall. The road, facing the Dolmabachet clock tower.
Through the bell tower is the Dolmabache Palace.
Built in the middle of the 19th century, it is the last palace of the Ottoman Empire. Also known as the "New Palace", it is built in the style of the Baroque and neoclassical European palace. It is located on the coast of the European part of the Bosphorus. The building stretches 600 meters along the Strait, and the interior wall is covered with gold leaf, and the main body is made of white marble and Egyptian alabaster. And...
The palace has two main parts, namely the ceremonial palace, the harem and the concubine court, with 285 rooms, 43 halls and 6 Turkish baths.
Both inside and outside the palace are extremely luxurious and luxurious.
Among the most noteworthy attractions are the crystal staircase pillars in the ceremonial palace, as well as the large and spacious Imperial Hall, which has 56 columns and 4.5 tons of giant crystal chandeliers, and the golden throne of Sudan.
Compared with the old palace, the new palace is more elegant and luxurious, but less of the mysterious elegance of the Oriental palace, extremely European and modern, the degree of luxury is far more than the Meichun Palace in Vienna and most of the European palaces, and Versailles in France.
The courtyard of the new palace is larger than the four courtyards of the old palace, and the layout is also European style. There are fountains, statues, lawns, etc., especially the grand doors facing the Bosphorus Strait, which are beautifully decorated.
During World War I, the Ottoman Empire joined the Allies, and with the defeat of the Allies, the Ottoman Empire split, and the Sultanate was abolished two years later.
In this crisis, Kemal defeated the invaders and the military intervention of the European powers, saved Turkey, became the founder of the Turkish Republic, and the Ottoman Empire was destroyed. Kemal ruled for more than ten years, achieving great success, making Turkey secularized, Westernized, and modernized, becoming the model and standard of secularization of the Islamic state.
From the New Palace Tea House, I walked back to Taksim Square from the original road.
The square is the main transportation hub of Istanbul and the meeting place of the Turkish people for major meetings and processions.
In the center of the square stands a circular monument of independence to commemorate Kemal. Bronze reliefs show the father of the country ’ s glory.
Every year, thousands of Turks offer flowers to their Father of the Nation to express their admiration and gratitude.
Go southwest from Taksim Square to the north entrance of Independence Avenue.
This 4-kilometer pedestrian street, with many boutiques, music shops, cinemas, libraries, cafes, bars and restaurants, is a leisure avenue for Turks to shop and play, and is therefore known as Istanbul ’ s “Champs Elysees ”.
I wandered south from the north entrance to fully appreciate the Turkish way of life.
Local women have deep eyes and high noses, elegant temperament, and rarely have a headscarf, let alone a veil, revealing the inclusiveness and openness of the city.
The Turkish look is not very different from the Uighurs in Xinjiang, and it feels very friendly to deal with them.
There are many small streets on both sides of the street.
Look at the small streets on both sides, are downhill paths or stairs, leading to highways or community buildings, I found that Independence Street was originally built on a ridge.
As I walked, I looked at the buildings on both sides of the street, many of which were old buildings with long history or mottled ruins. There were government departments, consulates, various churches, etc. It can be said that this area occupied an important position in the political, economic and cultural life of the Ottoman Empire, and now it has become a paradise for ordinary people to relax, shop and entertain.
St. Anthony ’ s Church, Istanbul ’ s largest Roman Catholic church, is hidden behind an ordinary old neighborhood.
The entrance is not very eye-catching, easy to miss, I also accidentally saw the two red brick towers are different, with curiosity only to find that there is no hole in the sky.
As I walked along the street, there were art shows and begging, and on this street, foreign tourists could experience the secular life of the local Turks and fully experience the freedom, openness, romance and vitality of modern Istanbul.
Fort Rumeli World Military Miracle
The Bosphorus Strait, also known as the Istanbul Strait, is also known as the "Turkish Strait" (also known as the Black Sea Strait), along with the Mamora Sea and the Dardanelles Strait.
On the fourth day, my friend, Mr. Chung, accompanied us on a tour of the Black Sea Scenic Area, which allowed us to see both the Black Sea exit of the Bosphorus Strait and the entire Strait as we headed north along the coastal highway.
The weather is sunny, driving up the mountain road, and the scenery is spectacular when it comes to the sea canyon.
About half an hour later we drove to the cliffs of the sea and we finally saw the Black Sea.
When we got out of the car, we stood on a cliff, and the wind was fierce, stirring the waves.
In front is an endless sea, on the left is the jagged coastline, and on the right is the Bosphorus Strait exit, narrow like a stream, a rainbow bridge across both sides of the strait, is the third Eurasian land bridge just built in recent years.
There is a stone brick wall on the edge of the cliff, forming a strong wall.
There is a tunnel on the cliff leading to the military fortifications under the city wall. There are four underground tunnels for the army to hide or transport.
Nearby, there is also an artillery castle, built on a cliff, between the two towers built a curved wall barrier, the wall also opened dozens of guns facing the Black Sea, can be mounted dozens of cannons.
These two military fortifications, clear and dark, constitute a complete defense system and hold the first line of defense in the strait.
There is a small fishing village near the bridge under the cliff, dozens of residential buildings are built along the road, red tile and white wall, high and low, there is a small mosque is particularly eye-catching, and the minaret tower is unique.
Near the artillery castle, the small fishing village is like a paradise.
At that time, many fortifications were built on both sides of the Ottoman coastal fjord, and several lines of defense were built at each level to closely defend Istanbul.
One of the most complete preservation is the Fort Merry that we will visit in the afternoon.
From the Black Sea exit of the strait, we follow the original coastal mountain road to the south of the second Eurasian continental bridge, such as the Fort Merry is built on the European shore of the strait.
This is the narrowest point of the strait, only 750 meters wide.
The Anatolian Fortress was built on the coast of Asia.
The two fortifications echo in the distance, holding the throat of the strait, forming a tight and complete defense system.
When I set foot on Rumeli Fortress, I suddenly realized that this is the castle we saw on the sightseeing boat the day before yesterday!
For example, Merry Fortress covers an area of 30,000 square meters, mainly composed of three tower-shaped fortresses, the castle is connected by the city wall into a roughly quadrilateral group of fortresses, and there are many small towers similar to the main tower between the three main fortresses.
It was built by Mehmed II the Conqueror in only four months in 1452, before the conquest of Constantinople, and became a miracle in world military history.
The fort is built according to the mountain situation, high and low, magnificent and full of spirit, it is the most beautiful fort in the existing military buildings in the world.
When we climb the steps from the foothills, climb the highest main tower fort, look back, the straits like green streamers, the second continental bridge is like a long rainbow lying wave, and the Turkish red flag on the circular fort under the mountain is fierce and fierce, forming a permanent map of the river and mountains.
At the end of our visit to Fort Merry, Mr. Chung drove us to Ataturk Airport. Istanbul, the soulful city of Istanbul, goodbye!
Expect another day to meet again!
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The city straddles two continents, with the old city protected by ancient walls and surrounded by the sea.

Hagia Sophia, central to this history, was converted from a Byzantine cathedral into a mosque by Sultan Mehmed II after the Ottoman conquest, and served as a major place of Muslim worship for over 500 years.

How did the role of Hagia Sophia change following the Ottoman conquest?

Hagia Sophia became a central Islamic religious site for centuries

Sultan Mehmed II converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque,

What was the original historical and cultural significance of Hagia Sophia in the Byzantine Empire?

Served as the central church of Byzantine Christianity,

Modern political tensions surfaced during the Turkish presidential elections, with President Erdoğan facing challenges after losing major cities, yet maintaining influence through controversies like the reconversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

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Content: Earthquakes and rampant inflation: Why did Erdogan win again?
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Source: Hong Kong 01
Author: Liu Yanting
On May 28, Turkey held the second round of the presidential election.
Although Turkey's Supreme Electoral Council is not expected to announce the official results until June 1, according to preliminary election statistics, with 99.59% of the votes cast, the incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has 51.91% of the votes, defeating his opponent Kemal Kılçdaroğlu with 48.09% of the votes. Determine the rate of re-election.
This election has caused global concern.
First, people are curious about whether there will be a regime change in Turkey, changing its fierce cross-border diplomatic style.
Looking back over the past two years, since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2022, Turkey has repeatedly played a fierce swing beyond the size of medium-sized countries, including facilitating the Russian-Ukrainian foreign ministers' talks in March 2022, blocking Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO in May, and announcing the "green light" in June, leading Russia to sign the Black Sea Food Agreement in July, and negotiating energy cooperation with Russia at the CICA summit in October. For the first time since the start of the war, senior officials have talked about launching a new round of military action in Syria, implying that it may threaten Russia ’ s and Iran ’ s geopolitical interests.
In between, the outside world is surprised by Erdoğan ’ s active actions, and also uncertain about Turkey ’ s opportunistic diplomatic style.
Second, Erdogan suffered two major shocks before the election, causing the outside world to generally not optimistic about his re-election, one is in 2022 for months to break through 80% of the serious inflation, the second is the earthquake disaster.
Among them, Turkey ’ s high inflation is the sequela of the 2018 economic crisis. The deep reason is that Turkey ’ s long-term economic overheating and political interest rate cuts have caused a linked financial storm after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates in Turkey. He lost power in big cities such as Istanbul and Ankara.
And the earthquake will also affect voters' support for Erdogan.
On February 6, 2023, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake occurred in southeastern Turkey, killing nearly 50,000 people, and economic losses are even more incalculable.
After the disaster Erdoğan once faced criticism, public opinion criticized its failure to improve the phenomenon of uneven development and urban poverty, resulting in old buildings with low earthquake resistance being vulnerable to a strong earthquake, and fragile buildings are often difficult to get away from the collusion of officials and businessmen, cutting corners, the ruling Erdoğan and the positive development party are to blame.
However, from the results of this election, although the gap between the two people is less than 5%, but Krechidaloğlu is finally a step away from the door, showing that whether it is high inflation or an earthquake, can not prevent Erdogan from being re-elected.
In addition to the lack of integration of Turkish opposition forces, Erdogan ’ s success in mobilizing the new situation of “Turkey ’ s rise ” is also key.
The opposition is not well integrated.
First of all, although the polls of the Republican People's Party (CHP) party leader Krechidar Oulu once exceeded Erdoğan ’ s, making many foreign media boldly predict that Turkey will soon change, but focusing on the current state of Turkish politics, Erdoğan ’ s positive party is the strongest force, and the opposition ’ s long-term mountainous and independent government has not only offset the integration efforts to challenge Erdoğan, but also to some extent.
Looking at the interaction of Turkish opposition parties in recent years, there have been obvious signs of integration until the 2017 constitutional referendum.
At that time, Erdoğan greatly expanded the presidential power and removed the obstacles to re-election in the system, causing a collective panic among the opposition forces. The four major opposition parties, the Republican People's Party (İYü), the Good Party (İYü), the Happiness Party (SP) and the Democratic Party (DP), jointly formed the "State Union" (Millet İttifakı), advocating the restoration of the parliamentary system and abolition of the executive presidential system, hoping to curb the positive party and Erdoğan. Together with the Democratic and Progressive Party (DEVA), they formed the "Six Party Round Table" (Altılı Masa), which is seeking to jointly launch a presidential candidate representing the opposition forces and compete with Erdogan in 2023.
After all, Erdogan was the president at the time, with political resources such as the media and the judiciary, enough to crack down on various opposition forces, such as Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul from the Republican People ’ s Party, who was originally highly polled and regarded as a star of tomorrow enough to end Erdoğan ’ s 20 years in power, was sentenced to more than two years in prison in December 2022 for “suspected insult to the Supreme Electoral Council. ” He lost the right to run for president.
After Imam Oulu was forced out, the "six-party round table" did not immediately integrate new candidates, but entangled in ideological scuffles, political spoils distribution, until March 2023, it was determined to nominate CHP party leader Krechidar Oulu, but this nomination was initially not supported by the good party, the latter also threatened to withdraw from the "six-party round table".
After many days of consultations and political exchanges, Krechdarolu agreed to have Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş and Imam Oulu as vice presidents, and the good party agreed to stay at the "six-party round table" and support the nomination of Krechdarolu for election.
In fact, from the point of view of the composition of the structure, the only ideology that can unite the "six-party round table" is against Erdogan.
Because the Republican People's Party with the most seats is the centre-left pro-European secularism party, the Happiness Party is a Eurosceptic conservative party with Islamism, the Democratic Party is a centre-right nationalist party, the Democratic and Progressive Party is a centre-right pro-European party, the Future Party is a right-wing pro-European party, and the Good Party is a centre-right nationalist party.
In short, the parties have a combination of ideologies that straddle Islamism and secularism, and basically if Erdoğan and the AKP had not been in power for too long, the parties would have no incentive to integrate.
However, even if it is reluctantly integrated, the "six-party round table" is still divided, otherwise it will not be until two months before the election to determine the nomination of candidates; and after the confirmation of the presidential candidate, the "six-party round table" broke out in a new civil war on the list of parliamentary candidates, all parties want to strive for more security seats distribution, resulting in the continued difficulty of the list.
All these things are quite chilling in the eyes of Turkish voters: Erdoğan may have a monopoly on power and love the position of power, but the opposition forces are also only interested in the division of territory and political division of spoils, and have no intention of changing Turkey's development predicament.
Under the balance of the two, or some voters who are tired of Erdoğan, after going through a thousand turns of heart, they chose to continue to vote for the positive party and Erdoğan, instead of supporting the opposition forces whose governing ability is unknown and whose positions are mixed, resulting in the eventual defeat of Krechdar Olu by a small margin.
How Erdoğan mobilised the "rise of Turkey"
In addition to the weak integration of opposition forces and the failure to gather enough political energy, Erdoğan and the Positive Development Party are still able to gather support and call for votes under the impact of high inflation and earthquake disasters, which is also the key to the defeat of Krechdar Olu.
According to the results of the poll, voters in large cities whose wealth has been severely eroded by high inflation supported Krechdarolu in the election, including the top three cities of Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Adana, the fifth largest city; however, Bursa, the sixth largest city of Gaziantep, and the seventh largest city of Konya. (Konya) is still supporting Erdoğan, and Gaziantep is still the hardest hit area of the 2023 earthquake, but voters still vote for the current president who has been denounced by public opinion, and it is clear that Erdoğan still has a certain degree of political energy.
Looking at this source of energy, it is obvious that it is not all the economic achievements that have been downhill.
Looking back at Erdoğan ’ s path to power, he experienced high economic growth in Turkey during his term of office, which can escort him to power.
From 2008 to 2013, developed markets such as the United States, Europe and Japan adopted a number of rounds of quantitative easing policies, international "hot money" poured into emerging markets including Turkey, stimulating the latter's economic growth. Erdogan took advantage of the momentum to promote easy credit, ask the central bank to continue to cut interest rates, and promote large-scale infrastructure projects. On the altar alone, no one can resist.
However, after the US Federal Reserve released a possible interest rate hike in 2013, foreign investment was greatly withdrawn, and emerging market currencies, including the lira, began to depreciate, and Turkey ’ s economic growth continued to slow down. And...
In the process of coping with the crisis, Erdoğan obviously wants to sacrifice prices and preserve economic growth, so he used extreme economic means and insisted on cutting interest rates in the face of high inflation.
The result, while maintaining economic growth to a certain extent, has led to a sharp depreciation of the lira, soaring prices, a near collapse of the bond market, and widespread protests in major cities such as Istanbul.
But looking at Erdoğan ’ s political actions in the past 10 years, it can be seen that he has begun to actively mobilize public support in the military, historical traditions, and diplomatic fields of major powers to fill the “Turkish rise ” narrative under the slowdown in economic growth and make up for his political loss.
As far as the diplomatic tradition after the Cold War is concerned, Turkey is an intermediate power anchored in the Western world and, with its strategic position across Eurasia, moves among different groups of countries.
However, after the outbreak of the Arab Spring in 2010, the outside world saw a more "eastern" and "military power" Turkey: on the Egyptian issue, its support for the Muslim Brotherhood, its involvement in the local political situation; on the battlefield of Syria and Libya, it has successively sent troops to intervene in the civil war there since 2016, and successfully achieved certain results. In the Gulf field, Turkey and Iran have maintained close interaction with Qatar, to a certain extent, prompting the 2017 Qatar severance storm, but because Turkey and Iran insisted on not retreating, the final storm ended with Saudi concessions in 2021, and Turkey successfully maintained its political achievements in the Gulf.
Of course, Turkey's foreign military operations are not all fruitful results.
Taking the Syrian battlefield as an example, Turkey launched four military operations against Syria: the Euphrates Shield from 2016 to 2017, the Olive Branch in 2018, the Peace Spring in 2019 and the Spring Shield in 2020.
Since the "olive branch" operation, the Turkish army has not only attacked the Kurdish forces, but also exchanged fire with the Syrian government forces supported by the Russian side, causing strong dissatisfaction in Moscow.
After many unsuccessful coordination, the Russian army was brazenly engaged with Turkey in 2020, resulting in the scribbled end of the "spring shield", and Turkey can only be forced to obey the Russian-led order in northern Syria.
However, under the propaganda of the Erdogan government, Turkey is not clearly aware that Turkey lost to Russia, but to see the Turkish army fighting in northern Syria in order to fight terrorism, which is very encouraging for nationalists and patriotic people.
In addition, in the historical tradition, Erdogan ’ s most classic action is to announce in July 2020 the abolition of the 1934 cabinet decree, the end of the 86 years of Hagia Sophia ’ s museum years, and the restoration of its mosque status.
Although this has caused many Western countries to criticize, but Erdoğan is not without the basis of public opinion, because in the 2015 capture of Junstenburg memorial ceremony, many Turks have held morning prayers in the museum square, in 2018, the Turkish Islamic Association is publicly applied to hold worship in the museum, although it was finally rejected, but has attracted a lot of public support.
Therefore, Erdogan's decision to "liberate St. Sophia" is aimed at the Islamic resurgence in Turkey in recent years, hoping to draw the support of anti-Kemalist voters.
And in the great power diplomatic field, Turkey's action is not to be said, in addition to the neighboring Central Asia and the Middle East, the Russian-Ukrainian war under various violent swings across Eurasia, are Erdogan's excellent election materials.
Taking the March 2022 Russian-Ukrainian Foreign Minister ’ s talks in Turkey and the landing of the Black Sea Food Agreement in July as an example, Turkish state media vigorously promoted Erdogan ’ s “peacemaker ” role; as for blocking Finland and Sweden from joining NATO, Turkish state media used Erdogan ’ s“ defense of national interests ”, “no fear of offending the West ” and“ combating Kurdish terrorism ”.
Of course, under the burden of economic decline and governance for many years, the narrative situation of mobilizing military, historical traditions and great power diplomacy can play a role in Erdoğan ’ s election, which can only be determined by the election results.
Judging from the results of 51.91% to 48.09%, although the above actions did not create a brilliant victory, they were enough to defeat the opposition forces and guarantee Erdogan another five-year term, which obviously still has some effect.
However, Turkey ’ s high economic growth has ended, and how to buffer Turkey ’ s economic storm and find new solutions outside of “Erdoğan ’ s economics ” are difficult issues that cannot be solved in the short term.
After the election, Erdoğan ’ s challenge continued.
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Critics view this reconversion as a politicized move, asserting that it reflects religious undertones, impacts Turkey’s secular image, and generates international concern due to Hagia Sophia’s UNESCO World Heritage status as both a symbol of Christian and Islamic heritage.

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

Travelers cross the Bosphorus, visit Topkapi and the palaces of the Ottomans, admire gardens like Gülhane Park, and observe the ongoing legacy of empires through architecture and daily life.

Sites such as the Anatolian Fortress, orchards on routes to ruins like Troy, and UNESCO-listed wonders like Pamukkale (the "Cotton Castle") highlight Turkey’s vast and diverse history.

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Content: Dungeons in Turkey: World Wonders with Two Thousand Years of History
• Gina Truman
(by Geena Truman)
More than 85 meters below Cappadocia ’ s famous “fairy chimney ”, there is a huge underground city that has been in use for thousands of years.
As I trekked through the Love Valley in Cappadocia, a fierce gust of wind blew the loose dirt into the air.
The pink and yellow slopes give a deep red color to the rolling landscape, and the chimney rock formations are now far away.
The weather was dry, hot, windy and suffocating.
Thousands of years ago, this unstable volcanic environment naturally carved the spire around me into the cone shape of a mushroom top, and now attracts millions of tourists to the central region of Turkey for hiking or hot air balloons.
But beneath the crumbling surface of Cappadocia, an equally huge miracle has been hidden for centuries; it is an underground city that can hide as many as 20,000 inhabitants for months at a time.
The ancient city of Elengubu, today known as Derinkuyu, is buried more than 85 meters below the surface, including 18 layers of tunnels.
It is the largest excavated underground city in the world and has been in use almost for thousands of years, from the Phrygian to the Persians to the Byzantine Christians.
In the 1920s, when the Greeks of Cappadocia faced defeat in the Greco-Turkish War, they finally abandoned it and suddenly fled to Greece en masse.
Not only do the cavernous rooms stretch for hundreds of miles, the area is thought to have found more than 200 small, independent underground cities that may be connected to these tunnels, forming a vast underground network.
According to my guide Suleman, Delinkuyu was not “rediscovered ” by an unknown local until 1963 because his chickens kept getting lost.
When renovating the home, these fowl disappear into a small crack created during the renovation process and never appear again.
After further investigation and excavation, the Turks revealed a dark passage.
It was the first of more than 600 private residential entrances to the underground city of Därinkuyu.
The excavation began immediately, and an intricate underground shelter, dry grain warehouse, cattle barn, school, winery, and even a church were discovered.
The entire civilization is safely hidden underground.
The cave city was quickly unearthed by thousands of Turkey ’ s least secluded tourists, and in 1985 the area was listed on the Unesco World Heritage List.
The exact date of the city ’ s construction is still disputed, but the Anabasis, written by Xenophon of Athens around 370 BC, appears to be the oldest written work associated with Delincoux.
In the book, he mentions the Cappadocia region or the nearby Anatolians, who lived in houses excavated underground, rather than the more popular cliff-kiln caves famous in the area.
Andrea DeGiorgi, an associate professor of classical studies at Florida State University, said Cappadocia is uniquely suited to this kind of underground building because of the lack of moisture in the soil, its rocks are malleable and easy to mold.
“The topography of the area is conducive to excavating underground space, ” she said.
She also explained that local tuff or limestone soils are easy to carve with simple tools such as shovels and pickaxes.
The same pyroclastic material naturally forms a fairy-tale chimney and a penis-like tip that protrudes out of the ground.
But exactly who created Delinkuyu remains a mystery.
In an article on regional cave architecture, Mediterranean cave expert A Bertini notes that the Hittites, often the founders of these vast underground cave networks, “may have excavated the first few layers of the rock when they were attacked by the Phrygians around 1200 BC. ”
The discovery of Heti artifacts in Delinkuyu further confirms this hypothesis.
However, most of the city was probably built by the Phrygians, highly skilled architects of the Iron Age with the ability to build complex underground facilities.
“The Phrygian were one of the most famous early empires of Anatolia, ” Dejoge explains.
Around the end of the first millennium BC, they developed in western Anatolia and loved to form rocks into monuments and create striking rock-cut facades. While elusive, their kingdom expanded to much of western and central Anatolia, including the Delinkuyu region.
Originally, Delinkuyu may have been used to store goods, but its main use was a temporary haven to fend off foreign invaders, and Cappadocia saw an ever-changing ruling empire throughout the century.
“The succession of empires and their influence on the Anatolian landscape explains the underground shelters like Delinkuyu, ” Dejoge explains.
“However, at the time of the (seventh century) Islamic attacks (the Christian-dominated Byzantine Empire), these dwellings were fully utilized. ” When the Phrygian, Persians, and Seljuks all lived in the area and expanded into the underground city in the following centuries, the population of Drinkuyu reached its peak during the Byzantine era, with nearly 20,000 inhabitants living underground.
Today, for just 60 Turkish Lira (£2.8), you can experience the brutal reality of underground life.
As I entered the moldy narrow tunnel, the soot that had been lit by torches for centuries blackened the walls, and an unfamiliar feeling of claustrophobia began to strike.
However, the ingenuity of the various empires that Dejogi expanded soon became apparent.
Intentionally narrow, short corridors force visitors to bend and line up in labyrinthine corridors and residences – clearly unsuitable for intruders.
In the dim light, a half-ton round boulder blocks the door between the 18 floors and can only be moved from the inside.
The small, round hole in the center of these bulky doors allows residents to pierce intruders while protecting the perimeter.
“Life underground can be very difficult, ” my guide Sulman added.
“Residents release their hands in sealed pots, light their flashlights, and dispose of the bodies in the (designated) area. ”
Each layer of the city is carefully designed for a specific purpose. Livestock are kept in the closest to the surface of the horse to produce stings to reduce the smell and toxic gases of cattle, and provide a warm layer of living insulation for the cold months.
The inner floors of the city include residences, basements, schools, and meeting spaces.
The second floor is a traditional Byzantine church school with a unique barrel-shaped dome ceiling and an adjoining study room.
According to Dejogi, “The evidence for wine brewing is based on the existence of wine cellars, vats and binaural jars (tall, two-handled, narrow-necked jars) used to suppress it. ” These special rooms indicate that the inhabitants of Därinkuyu were prepared to live underground for months.
But what is most impressive is a sophisticated ventilation system that is well protected to provide fresh air and clean water for the entire city.
In fact, it is thought that the early construction of Delinkuyu revolved around these two basic elements. More than 50 ventilation wells were distributed throughout the city to avoid a potentially deadly attack on the air supply.
These ventilation wells allow natural flow between many of the city ’ s residences and corridors.
Ventilation wells are dug more than 55 meters deep, and residents can easily cut from below in the event of an attack.
Although the architecture of Dellinkuyu is indeed ingenious, it is not the only underground city in Cappadocia. Dellinkuyu, with an area of 445 square kilometers, is only the largest of the 200 cities underground in the Anatolian Plains.
More than 40 of these small cities are located three or more floors below the surface.
Many cities are connected to Dailinku by well-dug tunnels, some of which are up to 9 kilometers long.
All of these underground cities are equipped with emergency escape routes in case residents need to return to the ground immediately.
But all of Cappadocia ’ s underground secrets have yet to be unearthed. In 2014, a newly discovered and possibly larger underground city was unearthed in the Nevsehir region.
When the Greeks of Cappadocia evacuated, the story of Dellinkuyu ’ s life ended in 1923.
More than 2,000 years after the city might have been born, Delinkuyu was abandoned for the last time.
Its existence was almost forgotten by the modern world, until some misguided chickens brought the underground city back to light.
Read the original article on BBC Travel

Throughout, the enduring synthesis of civilizations in Turkey fosters both admiration and debates about the stewardship of its sacred and historic sites.