# Hagia Sophia Controversy: Impact on Tourism and Diplomatic Responses

## Executive Summary
This report addresses the controversy surrounding Turkish President Erdogan's 2020 reconversion of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque, focusing on its potential impact on tourism businesses and providing guidance on how to diplomatically discuss this sensitive topic with Western tourists who may be upset by the conversion.

## Background of the Hagia Sophia

The Hagia Sophia, Istanbul's most identifiable monument, has a complex history spanning nearly 1,500 years:

- Originally built as a Byzantine cathedral in the 6th century
- Converted to a mosque following the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453
- Transformed into a museum in 1935 under Turkey's secular founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
- Served as a museum and UNESCO World Heritage Site for 85 years
- Reconverted to a mosque by presidential decree in July 2020

This pattern of transformation from church to mosque to museum and back to mosque also occurred with other significant religious sites in Turkey, including the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora and the Hagia Sophia Museum in Iznik.

## Criticism Regarding Religious Undertones

The reconversion has drawn significant criticism on religious and cultural grounds:

1.

**Erosion of Secular Legacy**: The decision reversed Atatürk's foundational policy of separating religion and state, which had established Turkey as a modern secular republic.

Atatürk had specifically confined religious leaders to mosques and promoted Western-style secularism.

**Diminishment of Multicultural Heritage**: Critics view the conversion as an erasure of Turkey's multicultural history.

The Hagia Sophia had symbolized a shared heritage that transcended religious divisions, attracting visitors of all faiths as a museum.

**Religious Exclusion**: The conversion from a museum to a mosque has raised concerns about access for non-Muslims.

While the Turkish government has stated the site will remain open to tourists, there are questions about how this will be managed during prayer times and whether all visitors will feel equally welcome.

**Impact on Christian Heritage**: The site's significance to Orthodox Christianity has been particularly highlighted, as it was the premier cathedral of the Byzantine Empire for nearly 900 years.

## Criticism as a Political Move by Erdogan

Many observers view the reconversion as a politically motivated decision rather than a purely religious one:

1.

**Domestic Political Strategy**: According to analysts, President Erdogan, facing internal challenges including economic difficulties and declining political prospects, used the reconversion to shore up support among his Islamo-nationalist base.

**Nationalist and Neo-Ottoman Agenda**: The decision aligns with Erdogan's broader political project of reviving Ottoman glory and asserting a more prominent role for Turkey on the world stage.

Critics have characterized this as an attempt to build a "world sultanate" and revive what they describe as "Ottoman misrule.

"

3.

**Distraction from Internal Issues**: The reconversion served as a powerful nationalist symbol that diverted public attention from economic problems and other domestic challenges.

**Weaponization of Religion**: Critics accuse Erdogan of systematically using religion as a political tool, reversing decades of secular policy and gradually bringing back the marriage of religion and state.

This approach has included funding religious schools abroad and encouraging Muslim communities in Europe to maintain separateness rather than assimilate.

## Potential Impact on Tourism Business

As a tour guide in Istanbul, you may experience several impacts on your business:

1.

**Shift in Tourist Demographics**: There may be a decrease in Western tourists who are upset by the conversion, potentially offset by an increase in visitors from Muslim countries who are drawn to the newly restored mosque.

**Changes in Visitor Experience**: The experience of visiting Hagia Sophia has fundamentally changed.

Tourists can no longer view the site purely as a historical monument but must navigate it as an active place of worship, with potential restrictions during prayer times and different expectations regarding behavior and dress.

**Increased Need for Diplomatic Guidance**: Tourists, particularly from Western countries, will likely have questions and concerns about the conversion, requiring tour guides to provide balanced, informative responses that acknowledge different perspectives.

**Broader Perception of Turkey**: The controversy may affect some tourists' overall perception of Turkey and its commitment to preserving its multicultural heritage, potentially influencing their decision to visit.

## Diplomatic Responses to Tourist Concerns

When addressing questions from tourists who may be upset about the conversion, consider the following approaches:

1.

**Acknowledge the Complexity**: Begin by acknowledging the site's complex history and the multiple perspectives surrounding the conversion.

This demonstrates respect for different viewpoints.

**Provide Historical Context**: Explain the full 1,500-year history of the building, emphasizing that it has served different religious and cultural functions throughout its existence.

**Explain the Current Situation**: Clearly describe how the site operates now as both a mosque and a tourist attraction, including any practical information visitors need to know (dress code, visiting hours, prayer times, etc.

**Avoid Political Commentary**: Refrain from expressing personal political opinions about Erdogan or the Turkish government.

Instead, focus on the historical, cultural, and architectural significance of the site.

**Highlight Universal Values**: Emphasize aspects of the Hagia Sophia that transcend religious and political divisions—its architectural brilliance, its historical importance, and its ability to inspire wonder regardless of one's background.

**Offer Alternative Perspectives**: Suggest that visitors consider multiple viewpoints: those who see the conversion as a restoration of religious freedom, those who view it as a loss of shared heritage, and those who see it as part of the natural evolution of living historical sites.

**Redirect to Positive Aspects**: When appropriate, guide the conversation toward the remarkable preservation of the site, the ongoing restoration work, and the opportunity to witness a living piece of history.

## Conclusion

The reconversion of the Hagia Sophia represents a significant moment in Turkey's modern history, reflecting broader tensions between secular and religious identities, as well as domestic and international perceptions.

As a tour guide, your role is not to take sides in this controversy but to provide visitors with the context and information they need to appreciate the site's significance while navigating the changes respectfully.

By preparing thoughtful, balanced responses and focusing on the Hagia Sophia's universal historical and architectural importance, you can continue to provide valuable experiences to tourists while addressing their concerns diplomatically.

The site's ability to inspire wonder and reflection transcends its current function, and your guidance can help visitors appreciate its enduring significance regardless of their personal views on the conversion.

# Hagia Sophia Controversy: Impact on Tourism and Diplomatic Responses

## Executive Summary
This report addresses the controversy surrounding Turkish President Erdogan's 2020 reconversion of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque, focusing on its potential impact on tourism businesses and providing guidance on how to diplomatically discuss this sensitive topic with Western tourists who may be upset by the conversion.

Title:

Content: NEWS

Turkey trying to ‘fabricate a reality’ with ‘illegal’ Libya deal

Ankara is trying to “fabricate a reality around something that is illegal” and is “ignoring the international context,” Greek government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou said on Tuesday, a day after Turkey signed a preliminary agreement with Libya for oil and natural gas exploration on Libyan soil and in the country’s maritime exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

“This is not the first time that Turkey appears to be ignoring the international context and trying to create precedents. However, no matter however often it tries to fabricate a reality with fiction and lies, it does not mean that this reality will be accepted and embraced by others. In this case, Turkey is trying to fabricate a reality around something that is illegal, and this has been acknowledged, accepted and agreed by all the major international players and international organizations,” Oikonomou told state broadcaster ERT.

“Our country will react as it has a right to under international law,” he said of the deal, which defines Libya’s EEZ as that agreed upon by Turkey and the Tripoli-based government in a highly contested memorandum signed in November 2019 and denounced by Greece and Egypt, the two countries standing between Libya and Turkey.

“Don’t forget that we have sovereign rights in the area. We have an EEZ [agreement] with Egypt. What Turkey is trying to do violates the sovereign rights of other countries too and it will certainly not be approved by the international community. It will not be allowed by our country, nor by our allies,” Oikonomou said.

Asked, meanwhile, whether Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis would meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of an informal European Union summit in Prague on Thursday, Oikonomou said that Athens would “consider” the possibility, if Ankara requested it.

“Mr Erdogan has verbally assaulted this country and the Greek government, even the prime minister himself, asking Greeks not to vote for him… So, if the Turkish side reconsiders and pursues some kind of discussion, the Greek side will consider it and will, in my opinion, give a positive answer,” he said.

“The Greek prime minister has never avoided or expressed his opposition to dialogue, to a discussion with very clear positions, very clear red lines,” he added.

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## Background of the Hagia Sophia

The Hagia Sophia, Istanbul's most identifiable monument, has a complex history spanning nearly 1,500 years:

- Originally built as a Byzantine cathedral in the 6th century
- Converted to a mosque following the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453
- Transformed into a museum in 1935 under Turkey's secular founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
- Served as a museum and UNESCO World Heritage Site for 85 years
- Reconverted to a mosque by presidential decree in July 2020

This pattern of transformation from church to mosque to museum and back to mosque also occurred with other significant religious sites in Turkey, including the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora and the Hagia Sophia Museum in Iznik.

Title:

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

Sultan Mehmed II converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque,

Hagia Sophia became a central Islamic religious site for centuries

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?

## Criticism Regarding Religious Undertones

The reconversion has drawn significant criticism on religious and cultural grounds:

1.

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

**Erosion of Secular Legacy**: The decision reversed Atatürk's foundational policy of separating religion and state, which had established Turkey as a modern secular republic.

Title:

Content: Erdogan on the World Political Stage, or An Arsonist Posing as a Fireman

127
0

The 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly this past week became a forum to address some global issues plaguing the population of the planet. The main topics, of course, were the Covid pandemic and global warming.

The assembly witnessed the generosity of the US in providing 500 million doses of the Covid vaccine to the developing world and the commitment of the major nations to tend urgently to the dangers of ecological disasters. Even a reticent China pledged to defund coal-operated industries.

The session also provided an opportunity for President Joseph Biden to present a new US direction, shifting from “relentless wars” to “relentless diplomacy.” That statement needs to be seen and analyzed within the context of Foggy Bottom’s containment policy of Russia and challenge to China’s global dominance through soft power.

What interests the Armenians most are the conduct and rhetoric of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Mr. Erdogan’s demeanor and body language exuded one single message to the world community: Turkey has become a world player and has to be treated as such.

Before delving into the regional conflicts, where the Turkish president wore the mantle of peacemaker, Mr. Erdogan addressed two major issues: the inefficacy of the UN Security Council and Islamophobia raging in the West.

In recent years, the UN Security Council has become one of the major foci of Mr. Erdogan. He particularly resents the fact that five major permanent members (the US, the UK, France, Russia and China) retain veto power over vital global issues. He maintains that five members are too few to resolve all problems facing the UN and he believes that the time has come for countries like Turkey to join the elite, very much like his contention that Turkey’s international clout warrants it to join the nuclear club.

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When Mr. Erdogan criticized the West for harboring Islamophobia, he did not realize that the issue could have a boomerang effect. Indeed, the policies and actions of leaders in the Muslim world such as Mr. Erdogan, who weaponize religion and use it as a political tool to meet their ambitions of building a world sultanate, contribute to the generation of Islamophobia. The irony is that Mr. Erdogan’s Turkey uses state-of-the-art weaponry to revive the dark days of Ottoman misrule over former subject nations, many of them inhabited primarily by Muslims, and to harken back to a glorious history of power.

Mr. Erdogan’s AK Party, when it came to power in 2003, reversed Ataturk’s policy of the division of state and religion. The founder of the modern Republic of Turkey had tried to emulate the Western democracies, confining the mullahs to the mosques and emancipating women by eliminating the veil.

Mr. Erdogan, by contrast, banked his political fortunes on the ignorance of fanatical masses and over the years has gradually brought back the marriage of religion and politics.

He was not satisfied by his actions at home and decided to export that policy overseas by funding madrassas in third-world countries to train a new generation of fanatical Islamic youth. He spread his message of hate in Europe as well, encouraging the Muslim citizens there to bask in their separateness and listen to extremist mullahs rather than try to assimilate. As if that were not enough, he asked Muslim families in Europe to bear five children each so as to increase their numbers rapidly, ready for political action when necessary. He also threatened to blow up Russia from within, politicizing and weaponizing Russia’s 25 million Muslim citizens.

Erdogan has refined the scourge of terrorism to build armies of mercenaries to destabilize many countries like Iraq, Syria, Libya and the region of the Caucasus. Therefore, when Mr. Erdogan resorts to using Islam as a political weapon, he should not be surprised that nations targeted by that threat resort to their defenses and one such defense, unfortunately, is the ugly face of Islamophobia.

The Muslim faith, like any other religion, deserves respect, but not its misinterpretation which enslaves women and practices beheadings, amputations and terrorism in other countries.

Christianity, in its turn, had its problems with extremism, weaponizing religion and franchising it in colonial outposts to conquer territories and torture people’s minds in the straightjacket of the Spanish Inquisition as well as the Crusades.

But with the advent of rule of law and democratic form of governance, the Christian world for the most part adopted the separation of church and state.

Erdogan’s party and government are very far from that. The moment Islam is divorced from his policies, his entire value system will collapse and this will dash his imperial dreams.

After exposing major issues troubling him for a long time, Mr. Erdogan began dispensing his cure for almost all the hotspots in the world; for the Cyprus issue, he admonished his Greek interlocutors and advised them to negotiate and work within the realm of international law, never mind that his occupation army has illegally divided that sovereign country into two entities. Once again, he exhorted the use of international law to settle controversies in the eastern Mediterranean while bullying his neighbors by exploring hydrocarbons in their littoral waters. He promised to eliminate terrorist groups in Syria, while the world has come to find out that Erdogan and his government have developed a lucrative business by training and sending into expeditions different Islamic groups. In fact, ISIS was funded and created by Turkey, until the US intervened and destroyed its infrastructure.

Mr. Erdogan called on the international community to restore Syria’s territorial integrity while keeping parts of Syrian territory under his rule. On the Jammu and Kashmir issue, he sided with Pakistan, a hub for terrorism, and a refuge for Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban criminals. Pakistan also is a partner in crime with Turkey and Azerbaijan in their aggression against Armenia. After listening to Erdogan’s remarks, India’s Minister of Exterior Subrahmanyam Jaishankar advised Erdogan “to learn to respect the sovereignty of independent nations.” In the case of Crimea, Erdogan refused to acknowledge the results of the elections in that peninsula. That was a two-pronged policy, with one prong intended to ingratiate himself to President Biden, who holds the same position, and the other to thumb his nose at President Putin, with whom he intends to meet soon in Sochi. Therefore, he plans to negotiate with the latter from the position of power. To further enhance that position, he has recently moved fresh forces into Syria.

Since the US has successfully muzzled the Arab world, Mr. Erdogan has emerged as the sole defender of the Palestinian cause. Although, here again, he soft-peddled history, not to ruffle feathers in Israel, as he did in the past, today, he is eager to mend fences to reach out to the US administration through Israel.

In the past, Mr. Erdogan used to accuse the Chinese government of committing genocide in the Xinjiang province against the Turkic Muslim Uyghurs. This time around, he treaded softly by advising China to solve the issue within the principles of its territorial integrity.

Karabakh was also on Mr. Erdogan’s agenda. Reversing the roles in that conflict, he blamed Armenia for having occupied Azerbaijan’s territory. No one was able to detect any “positive signals” toward Armenia, as mentioned recently by Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

After watching Mr. Erdogan performance at that world forum, turning the issues on their heads, one could only conclude the arsonist was posing as fireman.

Mr. Erdogan arrived in New York with great expectations. The composition of his delegation made clear all his intentions. His delegation included the head of the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Ersin Tatar, because he called on the world community to recognize that entity as a sovereign state. To give credence to his call, he has decided to allocate a section to it in the new 55-story “Turkish Home” or Turkevi Center building erected next to the UN headquarters. He also presided with great fanfare over the opening of that “House.”

Anticipation was great in Turkish political circles because Mr. Erdogan had hinted about a possible meeting with President Biden. That meeting could have counterbalanced Mr. Erdogan’s row with NATO allies, in insisting to retain S-400 missiles from Russia. Also that would justify Turkey’s slaughter of Syrian Kurds allied with the US. But President Biden had no time to meet with him. That summit, along with another meeting with the heads of corporate America would have boosted investments in Turkish economy. Like President Biden, the heads of major US companies shied away from meeting with Erdogan.

We should be reminded that Mr. Biden had called Erdogan an “autocrat” before his election and had called on America to help his opposition topple him.

Mr. Erdogan complained that he had worked well with all US presidents during his 19-year rule but, he added, “I can’t say that we started well with Mr. Biden.”

The coolness towards Mr. Erdogan and his actions around the world was manifest also in other signals; for example, the call by France and the US to resume negotiations on the Karabakh conflict, which Turkey and Azerbaijan assume has been resolved through the application of force.

Also, in the congratulatory message sent by President Biden to Prime Minister Pashinyan, on the 30th anniversary of Armenia’s independence, Mr. Biden did not need to take the extra step of reassuring Armenia that Washington will work towards the release of Armenian POWs from Azerbaijani prisons.

The only meeting which was held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly was between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Çavusoglu. That meeting lasted for one hour and dealt with the crises in Afghanistan, Syria and Karabakh.

In an article published in Al Monitor, Cengiz Çandar writes: “For Erdogan, his priority is to boost his dwindling image in Turkey. His survival until the elections in 2023, centenary of the foundation of Turkey, is the most pressing issue in his personal and political agenda. Thus, every step he takes and every statement he makes aims to advance that political agenda. His visit to New York was no exception in this regard. Yet, he did not achieve much despite the expectations of his team before the visit.”

It is very apparent that Mr. Erdogan’s policy of independent actions has backfired; his bid to join the European Union has failed and today the US is giving him the cold shoulder. His alienation from Europe and NATO may provide some comfort to the Kremlin but Mr. Erdogan cannot stretch his leash too far from Washington. As he returns home, he has too much to consider.

Mr. Çandor concludes his article with the following statement: “In terms of Erdogan’s image within Turkey, his New York performance seemingly failed to create much impact, neither positively nor negatively. However, what international observers should not miss is that the visit, once more, confirmed the over-broadening wedges between Turkey and the Western world.”

The reason Mr. Erdogan was able to get away with murder thus far was because he could manipulate opposing powers against each other. That flexibility seems to have hit a snag.

His pompous ceremony at the dedication of the “Turkish House” with a prayer by a mullah invited from Turkey and his tumultuous motorcades around Manhattan have amounted to very little, if anything, of concrete significance.

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

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

Atatürk had specifically confined religious leaders to mosques and promoted Western-style secularism.

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

Symbolized Turkey's secular reforms under Ataturk

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تركيا: إردوغان:

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**Diminishment of Multicultural Heritage**: Critics view the conversion as an erasure of Turkey's multicultural history.

The Hagia Sophia had symbolized a shared heritage that transcended religious divisions, attracting visitors of all faiths as a museum.

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

repositioned Hagia Sophia as a global cultural landmark.

made Hagia Sophia a major tourist attraction.

**Religious Exclusion**: The conversion from a museum to a mosque has raised concerns about access for non-Muslims.

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

While the Turkish government has stated the site will remain open to tourists, there are questions about how this will be managed during prayer times and whether all visitors will feel equally welcome.

Title:

Content: Turkestan is a spiritual cradle.
Experts from 20 countries of the world came to the south
34
Turkestan is the spiritual capital of the Turkic world, and for three days it has also become a center for the preservation of the world cultural heritage and tourism.
More than 400 people attended the International Conference, including more than 60 experts from 20 countries.
The topic of the plenary session was historical urban landscapes: the development of tourism and the preservation of objects.
Gulmira Akhberdieva, Head of Tourism Department of the Turkestan Region:
“We have a beautiful object, like the mausoleum of Khoja Akhmet Yasavi, which is included in the UNESCO list, and since we have one of the directions in tourism – it is pilgrimage tourism, zierat tours, it will be very important for us.
Today came a lot of foreign experts who will tell you how to use such objects in tourism.
Since Turkestan is proclaimed as the spiritual capital of the Turkic world, we should not forget this.
The result of the entire conference is the release of the Turkestan Declaration on Management and Sustainable Tourism of the Yasavi Mausoleum.
The second will be signed memorandums of cooperation.
There will also be interesting sessions.
The conference is divided into two parts.
The first is material heritage and the second is spiritual heritage. ”
Turkestan is one of the oldest cities not only in Kazakhstan, but also in Central Asia.
Originating in 490, it reached its heyday in the 12th century.
Surrounded by powerful fortress walls, Turkestan was the administrative center of Central Asian rulers from the dynasties of the Khorezmshahs, Mongols, Timurids, and Sheibanids.
In the 16th – 18th centuries, it was the capital of the Kazakh Khanate, located at the junction of nomadic and settled cultures, at the intersection of trade routes.
In this city there were majestic ceremonies of accession to the throne of the khans with the participation of representatives of other states.
The fame of the city spread all over the world.
To a large extent, this was facilitated by the name of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, a dervish, a preacher of Sufism, a poet who lived in this city.
Over the modest tomb of the saint, which became a place of pilgrimage, a three-time visit to which was equated with the Hajj to Mecca, by order of Amir Timur, a majestic mausoleum was erected.
Thus, Turkestan earned the glory of a Muslim shrine.
This unique architectural structure is included in the “UNESCO World Heritage List ”.
The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is an unsurpassed masterpiece of medieval architecture.
It is an amazing complex of palaces and temples of 30 different rooms and halls.
The outer diameter of the main dome is more than 40 m, the circumference is 130 m, the height of the minarets is 12 m. The elegance of the decor, the patterned vaults of the ceilings, the colored mosaic impress.
The monument has been restored in its original form and is protected by the state.
Everyone can admire the pearl of the Medieval East in the city of Turkestan.
“For me, Turkestan is a national shrine and a city of the highest spirituality, and I believe that we are very lucky that two great geniuses were born here.
These are Abu Nasyr Al-Farabi and Khoja Ahmet Yassawi.
Their knowledge of Arabic allowed, at a time like English today, to enter the global, global cultural system and to give those revelations that are relevant today.
The concept of honor, respect, and, I believe, every person who makes the way here is a road to himself, but it requires very strong disclosures, qualitative shifts of consciousness.
If we talk in terms of material values, then this complex has no equal.
These are magnificent shapes, clear geometry, mosaic, there was no such thing anywhere.
It is like a diamond, shines with all facets, and the top of all this is the spirituality of Yasavi ’ s heritage and the fact that we say that Turkestan has become the spiritual capital of the Turkic world, but I would like to expand it and not put it in this framework, but of all mankind.
Thor Heyerdahl did not believe in any boundaries.
He said that they exist only in the minds of some people and this place makes it clear that the boundaries are only in the head.
Today we are talking about three types of tourism: sacred, pilgrimage and religious.
Sometimes in travel agencies do not see a definition between them, but in fact here in Israel, for a person to work on pilgrimage tourism, he studies for 3 years and so that so many people come here and this is a marker and hope of our people.
When there are problems, and this place should give hope, and this hope should be supported by a subtle approach.
In the south, God gave everything.
Firstly, the western Tien Shan, Aksu-Dzhabagly, Sairam-Ugam State National Natural Park, Karatau, Otyrar, which the whole world knows, and all when it is combined, it is branding of the territory and together we give that it is here and nowhere, people of course understand, but there must be an exceptional service, because service is feelings.
The higher the service, the higher the feelings and each good journey makes the person and grateful to this place and respect for these people.
No one said better than Suleimenov that we wander towards ourselves, recognizing ourselves in others.
The whole philosophy of Yasavi, when he spoke, lift up the poor, raise up the ignorant.
This is more relevant than ever, and most importantly, he said that knowledge is a child of experience, he created an empirical school of knowledge that goes through knowledge and tourism - this is knowledge and great experience, "says Bakhyt Orazymbetova, a member of the UNESCO National Committee for Intangible Heritage.
“UNESCO is an organization that collects spiritual heritage, and Turkestan is the capital of the Turkic world and we artisans from all regions of Kazakhstan have also exhibited their handmade products in the ethnoaul.
It seems to me that our visit, the fair, is also timed to the event, but the main one is the UNESCO conference.
We are also ambassadors of our country ’ s culture.
Today it is very interesting to listen to speakers from different countries and the program is very rich, ” says Aigul Zhanserikova, President of the National Association “Kazakh Oner ”.
Today, Yasavi ’ s legacy is also known outside of Kazakhstan.
His works are not only a source of inspiration and spirituality for humanity, but also became the basis for the education of a whole generation of scientists.
In 2003, the mausoleum was included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.
Akim of Turkestan region Darkhan Satybaldy noted that the founder of the Turkic branch of Sufism is an important figure for the spirituality of the nation.
Akim of Turkestan region, Darkhan Satybaldy:
“Turkestan is the pride of our nation.
Head of State Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich during his visit to our region raised the issue of assigning Turkestan the status of the spiritual and historical capital of the country.
Relevant work is under way in this direction.
The new status of the city will undoubtedly give a new impetus to the further development of Turkestan.
Khoja Ahmet Yasawi, who is called the Great Teacher, has a special significance for the Turkic world.
He promoted virtue, unity, and work.
Khoja Akhmet Yasawi is a source of Kazakh spirituality, an outstanding representative of our culture and literature, one of the greatest geniuses of Islam.
I think that Yasavivedeniya as a science will develop rapidly.
The Yasavi Mausoleum in Turkestan is a masterpiece of architecture.
Such monuments are very rare in the world.
For our history, this mausoleum is very valuable.
These two values make Turkestan a unique place.
This heritage is the main historical significance of the holy city.
I hope that our researchers and scientists will successfully study the great historical heritage.
I am sure that the international conference will open new data on Turkestan. ”
Today, sacred objects are visited not only for religious purposes.
A growing number of tourists are interested in the historical and cultural component of traditional pilgrimage routes.
It is important to develop a strategy for managing tourist flows and the objects themselves in a timely manner in order to ensure the quality of services provided, the safety of tourists, as well as to preserve sacred and historical sites.
In this regard, an important component of the international initiative was the adoption of the Turkestan Declaration “Development of sustainable tourism at sites of sacred importance ”.
Zhanar Temirbekova, Rector of the International Kazakh-Turkish University named after Khoja Ahmed Yassawi:
“The most interesting thing about all this is how for thousands of years there was such a great interest in the personality of Yasavi and the mausoleum, how the city became a magnet for pilgrims, those who are looking for the truth and want to be approximate, clarified in this direction?
A Sufi scholar who lived a thousand years ago, how come his legacy is still relevant?
This all causes admiration, delight, and our city as a whole owes its greatness to this Sufi in whose honor the mausoleum was erected.
Now, as you know, the mausoleum is an object of protection of the world material heritage included in the UNESCO list.
Of course, when we talk about such important things, the question arises about tourism, what will be tourism in the city of Turkestan.
We know that there is a great example of cities like Bukhara, Samarkand, Istanbul, Israel.
Spiritual tourism is developed in these cities and today it will be interesting to listen to our colleagues from these cities, and we, of course, will need to develop our own roadmap for the development of this direction in Turkestan.
The city of Turkestan is sacred not only for all Kazakhstanis, but also for all Turkic-speaking peoples.
In general, our university, like all universities, which positions itself as an international university, pursues three missions: educational, scientific and development of society, and here is a huge work of our university to contribute to the development of the city and the Turkic-speaking world.
We invite many specialists to our university who could tell and share valuable experience. ”
Following the conference, memorandums were signed, in particular, the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Aziret Sultan ” of the Culture Committee of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the Center for Archaeology and Archaeological Excavations of Turin in East Asia, as well as the NJSC“ International University of Tourism and Hospitality ” with the International Institute of Central Asian Studies and the International Kazakh-Turkish University named after Yasavi with the Research Center of Islamic History, Art and Culture.
These agreements should strengthen mutual cooperation.

**Impact on Christian Heritage**: The site's significance to Orthodox Christianity has been particularly highlighted, as it was the premier cathedral of the Byzantine Empire for nearly 900 years.

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

Served as the central church of Byzantine Christianity,

## Criticism as a Political Move by Erdogan

Many observers view the reconversion as a politically motivated decision rather than a purely religious one:

1.

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If The Earthquake In Turkey Topples Erdogan Democratically, What Will He Do To Retain Power And What Happens To The Region: Israel, Saudi, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, Europe?

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The devastating earthquake in Southern Turkey (and Syria) on February 6 also severely damaged President Erdogan's prestige and his chances of retaining power in the upcoming May 14 elections. That is if he allows the popular vote to determine the outcome freely. Much of the world knows why he's in trouble despite his lock on the national media. Some 50,000 dead on both sides of the border thus far, millions displaced, 156,000 buildings destroyed - the horror compounded by the corruption, incompetence and vindictiveness of officialdom. The notorious earthquake tax which was levied to ensure safe construction, instead, disappeared into the pockets of government cronies. Cheaply constructed buildings pancaked along street after street in multiple towns and cities. Amnesty laws had allowed owners to pay fines to dodge the rules. The fines went up the corruption pyramid as customary in Erdoganistan. A terrific recent article on the situation by Turkiye expert Henry J. Barkey of the Council On Foreign Relations details the current scenario .

Barkey's article is titled “Erdogan Is In Danger”; he like many other commentators believes this could be the end for Turkey's strongman populist leader. And though Barkey mentions that Erdogan and his AK party might cheat in the May parliamentary/presidential elections, he doesn't explore the situation fully, especially the regional and geostrategic repercussions of internal troubles. That's what this column is about. Neither Erdo nor his party can afford to lose power. Losing power means ultimately losing control over information – they are likely to be lynched in their homes when the full scale of kleptocracy, some two decades worth, begins to leak out. The military won't protect them, sore as it still is about being persecuted down the years. So the regime will try to hold on to power by any means - which could result in a melt-down of civic order sooner rather than later. Certainly, Erdogan's leverage will be severely diluted. But he will find a way.

One problem is that, still, the opposition is arguably not ready for prime time. It has already scarcely survived a divisive crisis just days ago. The leaders of the two rival opposition parties did agree to unite finally but we shouldn't forget that Erdo built his sway by fracturing them incessantly, and we can expect a relentless blizzard of pseudo-scandals against them in the media. It won't work; the country won't stomach barefaced government manipulation with the devastation still so fresh. We've seen inklings of the mood: pro-government attempts at politicizing the salvage process ignited fury on the ground. Blocking relief from foreign groups, trying to monopolize the aid deliveries, blaming opposition municipalities – all got instant pushback. Meanwhile, the President's favorite international bogeys, the countries he likes to blame for all ills – US, Israel, Greece, Europe, Sweden (for supposedly harboring Kurdish 'terrorists') and the like, all sent hardworking relief teams and supplies before Ankara could get its own act together. No more weaponizing of xenophobia to distract from his failures.

What then will Erdo resort to? Various businessmen and building owners have been arrested. Expect him to redirect public anger, sacrifice a few oligarchs perhaps. It won’t suffice. He will try to rally the country around him as the only hope for order. Too late for that. He will flood the devastated areas with money – the Saudis have just deposited $5 billion in Turkey's central bank to signal their support (more about that later). He will certainly mess with voting infrastructure and ballot counts, as he's often done in Kurdish areas, by making election centers scarce and hard of access in opposition areas and man them exclusively with loyalists. The most affected provinces in Turkiye were hitherto largely pro-AKP. He can kiss farewell to those votes. In short, any finessing that results in victory for him or his AK party, however close, will engender outrage. Even if he 'wins', he will have lost. No, Erdogan's only option, if he's to avoid massive civil strife, is to continue ruling through some form of ultra-powerful shadowy back-seat-driving role.

Crazy as that sounds, it has precedent in the region. Just to the north, in the Republic of Georgia, an unelected eminence grise figure (Bidzina Ivanishvili) has run the country for ten years from behind the scenes. As Georgia's richest oligarch, with infinite access to funds and influence from Moscow, he has puppeteered the political process minutely, even by flooding voters with cash prior to elections. The capital, Tbilisi, and its parliament square is currently roiling with protest but to what effect? He can't exactly resign from a post he doesn't occupy. There's no legal or concrete recourse for the public. This is the kind of role Erdogan will aim for. He owns the economy through oligarchs. Ditto the media. His appointees dominate the police, judiciary and prisons. Plus the religious and educational institutions. The army is cowed and supine. What is there left that could trouble him? The people? Well, yes, but he will hang on to the bitter end.

In a 'managed democracy' like Turkey hitherto under Erdogan, as in Russia, Georgia, Hungary, Venezuela and elsewhere, cronyism works like a web where the component parts depend on each other to function at all. The police arrest popular opposition leaders, the judiciary arrests them, the media dutifully smears them. Everyone is implicated in each others' crimes. All bosses depend on Erdogan's patronage. Crony oligarchs amass zillions, depend on the leader's stability and favor, help fund him to retain power to employ officials, judges, broadcasters, university chancellors, banks, hospitals. The entire civil service is packed with loyalists. A new government will need to purge vast numbers of people, dispossess kleptocrat-managers, starting from the top down. In short, with Erdogan gone, Turkiye's institutions could suffer severe tremors, at least in the short term. L'etat c'est moi, as Louis XIV said. That bodes ill for domestic stability – and equally for continuity in regional relations.

Now, left to itself, Turkey can get through such upheavals as the loss of Erdogan at the helm. It has weathered such crises before, not least via transient military coups, but there's too much at stake strategically at this juncture for outside players merely to stand back and watch. A chaotic Turkey would threaten regional, even global, stability. A whiff of chaos, economic meltdown, capital flight, tourism collapse, and you can see real trouble ahead. Which is why the Saudis made such a substantial early deposit in the central bank as a stabilizing vote of confidence. And why they just acted to restore diplomatic relations with Iran. Yes with Iran. Imagine that. The Saudis. After all this time. What could prompt such a weird initiative suddenly? The prospect of meltdown in Turkey is surely one big reason. Why? Because Erdogan had united with Israel to fortify Azerbaijan as a northern distraction to Iran, thus helping the Saudi struggle against the mullahs. Soon he may not have the discretion to make such decisions.

A lot of foreign powers would like Erdogan to keep sway in some form, because they're invested in his policies. Israel too would like Turkey to keep supporting Azerbaijan militarily to distract Iran from the north. Europe likes Ankara's policies of absorbing Syrian refugees. Erdogan's forward diplomacy in Central Asia – military guarantees to the Uzbeks and Kazakhs - is displacing Moscow's hegemony. The US likes that. The Saudis, just yesterday enemies of Erdogan, today need his robust pro-Sunni belligerence to counteract Iran's Shiite empire building. All this could change if the regime changes in Turkey. Opposition leaders have made noises about reversing Erdo's past constitutional machinations – they aim to move power from the Presidency back to parliament. That means a return to process and internal haggling before any decision gets made. Which also means no more simple unilateral deal-making with one man.

Let us consider the effect on Russia and Ukraine. Ankara just decided to block the sanctions-busting passage of goods to Russia through Turkey. What took them so long and why now? Erdogan's past equivocations on sanctions allowed him to keep Putin semi-happy while, at the same time, provocatively supplying Ukraine with war-drones. It also meant huge amounts of dark funds in Turkish bank coffers and oligarch yachts in marinas around Bodrum spending money. Lots of Ruski tourists and draft-dodging emigres, up to 19,000 a day last summer on the Med coast. Windfall for Turkey's economy. You will notice that there's no resolution to freeze Russian accounts especially coming via other countries. But, in the run-up to elections, Erdogan wants to avoid hostile US actions on his sanctions-busting, anything that would shake the economy, like embargoes on guilty Turkish banks. So he has thrown a sop to Cerberus by closing the goods-transiting loophole, said to benefit Turkiye some $738 million a month or more.

This is what happens when kleptocracies achieve state capture. They're not good at weathering cataclysms; the resulting power transitions become highly explosive. For the Soviet Union it was Chernobyl. For Turkey, the earthquake's biggest aftershock may be regional and global.

PersuasionErdoğan Is In Danger

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

The decision aimed to rally anti-Kemalist voters.

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

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

The decision aimed to rally anti-Kemalist voters.

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

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

The decision aimed to rally anti-Kemalist voters.

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

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

The decision aimed to rally anti-Kemalist voters.

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

**Domestic Political Strategy**: According to analysts, President Erdogan, facing internal challenges including economic difficulties and declining political prospects, used the reconversion to shore up support among his Islamo-nationalist base.

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

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

The decision aimed to rally anti-Kemalist voters.

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

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

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

The decision aimed to rally anti-Kemalist voters.

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

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

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

The decision aimed to rally anti-Kemalist voters.

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

**Nationalist and Neo-Ottoman Agenda**: The decision aligns with Erdogan's broader political project of reviving Ottoman glory and asserting a more prominent role for Turkey on the world stage.

Critics have characterized this as an attempt to build a "world sultanate" and revive what they describe as "Ottoman misrule.

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

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

"

3.

**Distraction from Internal Issues**: The reconversion served as a powerful nationalist symbol that diverted public attention from economic problems and other domestic challenges.

**Weaponization of Religion**: Critics accuse Erdogan of systematically using religion as a political tool, reversing decades of secular policy and gradually bringing back the marriage of religion and state.

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

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

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

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

This approach has included funding religious schools abroad and encouraging Muslim communities in Europe to maintain separateness rather than assimilate.

## Potential Impact on Tourism Business

As a tour guide in Istanbul, you may experience several impacts on your business:

1.

**Shift in Tourist Demographics**: There may be a decrease in Western tourists who are upset by the conversion, potentially offset by an increase in visitors from Muslim countries who are drawn to the newly restored mosque.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

**Changes in Visitor Experience**: The experience of visiting Hagia Sophia has fundamentally changed.

Tourists can no longer view the site purely as a historical monument but must navigate it as an active place of worship, with potential restrictions during prayer times and different expectations regarding behavior and dress.

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

Sultan Mehmed II converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque,

Hagia Sophia became a central Islamic religious site for centuries

**Increased Need for Diplomatic Guidance**: Tourists, particularly from Western countries, will likely have questions and concerns about the conversion, requiring tour guides to provide balanced, informative responses that acknowledge different perspectives.

**Broader Perception of Turkey**: The controversy may affect some tourists' overall perception of Turkey and its commitment to preserving its multicultural heritage, potentially influencing their decision to visit.

## Diplomatic Responses to Tourist Concerns

When addressing questions from tourists who may be upset about the conversion, consider the following approaches:

1.

**Acknowledge the Complexity**: Begin by acknowledging the site's complex history and the multiple perspectives surrounding the conversion.

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

Consider both Muslim and Christian voices

This demonstrates respect for different viewpoints.

Title:

Content: Erdogan and Aliyev discussed situation in Gaza

The situation in Gaza was one of the topics of discussion at the meeting of the Presidents of Turkey and Azerbaijan, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ilham Aliyev, on June 10 in Ankara.

According to a statement from the Turkish Presidential administration, the parties "discussed the massacres committed by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip." Erdogan stressed that "the genocide committed by Israel in the Palestinian territories, especially in the Gaza Strip, threatens not only regional but also global security." The Turkish head of state emphasized that "the path to a sustainable Middle East settlement lies through the creation of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital." According to him, "in order to achieve this goal, the international community must put pressure on Israel." The sides also exchanged views on the progress of reconstruction work in the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation. Erdogan emphasized that Ankara is monitoring the process of withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping forces from the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. He expressed satisfaction with the decision of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan to establish an Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The Turkish leader also noted that the invitation of TRNC President Ersin Tatar to the summit of the Organization of Turkic States, which will be held in the Azerbaijani city of Shusha in July, will contribute to the settlement of the Cyprus problem. The Turkish President thanked his Azerbaijani counterpart for the invitation to COP29 in Baku. He assured that Turkey will provide full support to Azerbaijan in the process of preparing for the forum. In turn, the Azerbaijani side's message notes that Aliyev and Erdogan discussed issues of expanding energy, transport, economic, and trade ties between the two countries. In addition, issues of cooperation in the defense, military-industrial and other spheres were discussed. Beyond that, the expansion of the capabilities of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was particularly noted, and the importance of joint activities between the two countries on the development of the Middle Corridor was emphasized. The importance of further development of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and cooperation between the two fraternal countries and the importance of the upcoming informal OTS summit in Shusha was emphasized as well.

The sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues.--

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

Consider both Muslim and Christian voices

**Provide Historical Context**: Explain the full 1,500-year history of the building, emphasizing that it has served different religious and cultural functions throughout its existence.

Title:

Content: Hamas, in their desire to erase every trace of Jewish features in Gaza, erased the historical embossment in the mosque with the painting of the temple menora, shofar and the four species, as well as the inscription 'Hanania bar Jacob'. Their murderous attacks meant that all the pillars of the mosque are now destroyed.

During the war in Gaza, last week the great mosque in Gaza al-Masjid Ghazza al-Kabīr, also known as " al-Masjid al-ʿUmarī al-Kabīr ", "the Great Omari Mosque", was almost completely destroyed.

This is the oldest and largest mosque in Gaza in the old city of Gaza – and perhaps also one of the oldest in the world, which did not prevent Hamas from turning it, like other mosques in Gaza, into a weapons and explosives warehouse.

Photos published last week showed the mosque with its foundations cracked and the inner halls completely destroyed, while the spire remained intact. The IDF stated that the place was used by Hamas for terrorist activities, and terrorists and a tunnel shaft were found there.

This is not the first time that this mosque has been damaged or destroyed since its establishment. It is assumed that an ancient Philistine temple stood in this place, and a church was built in the 5th century, by the Byzantine Empire, on its ruins. At the same time, the ancient synagogue of Gaza was also built, the one that was on the seashore, whose mosaic floor was found 60 years ago with a detailed figure playing the harp and above it the Hebrew inscription “David”, and an inscription in Greek with the names of the Jewish donors of the mosaic.

After the Arab conquest of the Land of Israel in the 7th century by Caliph Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, the place became a mosque, and after Umar it was called " al-ʿUmarī Mosque". Its beauty was described in the 10th century by the Arab geographer Al-Maqdisi. The spire of the mosque collapsed for the first time in an earthquake exactly 990 years ago, on December 5, 1033, 11 of Tevet 4004, which destroyed large parts of Jerusalem, Ramla, Tiberias and Gaza.

In 1149, the Crusaders built a large church on the site, but it was mostly destroyed by the Ayyubid dynasty under the leadership of Saladin, the conqueror of Israel, in 1187. At the beginning of the 13th century, the Mamluks rebuilt a mosque on the site, which was destroyed by the Mongols under the leadership of Hulagu Khan in 1260. The Muslim residents of Gaza returned and built the mosque, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1294.

The Mamluk Sultan Hussam ad-Din Lajin rebuilt the prayer hall of the building in 1297 to 1299, and the Mamluks, who later ruled in Gaza, continued to renovate and expand the building. In the 16th century, the Great Mosque was renovated by the Ottomans, who built six more mosques in Gaza during that period. This is mentioned in the writings of 19th century travelers.

During the First World War the mosque was severely damaged by British army bombings. The British claimed that the destruction was caused by the explosion of ammunition that the Ottomans planted in the mosque. Hamas, it turns out, had good teachers – the Turks, long before Erdogan. The mosque was restored in 1925 by the Supreme Muslim Council, under the command of the former mayor of Gaza, Said al-Shawwa – the one who saved the Jews of Gaza with his own body, along with his two sons, during anti-Jewish riots.

The previous attack on the mosque occurred on August 2, 2014 when the IDF destroyed the mosque, during Operation Protective Edge.

And now to the Jewish connection. Until the 1980s, one of the pillars of the Great Mosque of Gaza displayed the inscription "Hanania Bar Yaakov" in Greek and Hebrew. Above it was engraved a lamp with a shofar on one side and an etrog on the other side.

Renowned French researcher Clermont Ganneau, who served as the French Consul of Jaffa in 1880-1882 and later as the Consul General in Jerusalem, was the one to discover these findings in 1870. During these years he frequently traveled around the country and made many very important discoveries.

It is estimated that the main synagogue of the Gaza community in the Roman period and in part of the Byzantine period - the period of the Mishna and the Talmud – stood in the place of the mosque. There was a fairly large Jewish community in Gaza at that time.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, second president of the State of Israel, extensively researched the Jewish history of the Land of Israel, including that of Gaza, and suggested in the book "She’ar Yishuv" that there was an ancient Jewish synagogue from the Roman or Byzantine era on this site. Another assumption is that the column was brought from the ancient synagogue in Gaza, which stood on the seashore. Ben Zvi disagreed with Clermont Ganneau’s conclusion, that the pillar was brought to Gaza from somewhere else, Caesarea or Alexandria, because there was no permanent Jewish community in Gaza during the Talmud period. Ben Zvi proved from the scriptures, mainly the Talmud, that there had been a Jewish community with a synagogue and a beit midrash in Gaza.

During the Crusader period, the Crusaders built the St. John's Cathedral on the site of the synagogue and used the synagogue's stones for a secondary use. In the process, they incorporated the pillar they found there with the name of the Jewish donor on it into the church. The contemporary mosque is actually the Crusader Cathedral with a few amendments introduced over the years.

The late history researcher of Gaza, Issachar Goldert, wrote in an article published by Ze'ev Galili in the Makor Rishon newspaper in 2009: "I had the privilege of being the last Jew and researcher to photograph this menorah before it was vandalized by the hooligans. As part of the research I conducted, starting in 1969, on the geographical history of Gaza, I naturally emphasized the Jewish history of this region ...". I frequently researched this mosque, and many Jewish travelers and others visited it. The fact that hundreds of Jews would often visit there did not bother any of the Gazan "al-Shabaabs."

“In 1975, extensive renovations were carried out in the mosque and many scaffoldings were erected. The Mufti of Gaza arranged for me to have special permission to take a close-up photograph of the menorah, as it was located in the upper third of the pillar - at a height of about 8 meters. A special scaffolding was set up near the pillar. Two IDF jeeps were placed at the two entrances of the mosque, from which they pulled cables for powerful flashlights powered by the vehicles' batteries. These illuminated the menorah.

"This photograph is the last one of the menorah. In February 1978 I visited the mosque twice. On the second time I was surprised to discover that the hooligans had once again erected a scaffolding in this mosque and had used chisels to completely deface the painting.

"Jewish art in Gaza flourished greatly during the Roman-Byzantine period. The column with this beautiful decoration has survived, undamaged, throughout all periods, as a special art form, from the days of the Mamluk reign to the Israeli period in Gaza (including under Egyptian rule in Gaza until 1967). It is such a pity that precisely in the current period the Gazan vandalism, out of total blind hatred, has completely destroyed the painting."

The Muslims, in their desire to erase every trace of Jewish existence in Gaza, erased the historical relief in the mosque, including the temple lamp, the purification of which we celebrate this week, on Hanukkah. Their murderous attack on Simchat Torah (October 7th) led to this – all the pillars of the mosque were destroyed on Hanukkah of 2004.

**Explain the Current Situation**: Clearly describe how the site operates now as both a mosque and a tourist attraction, including any practical information visitors need to know (dress code, visiting hours, prayer times, etc.

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.

**Avoid Political Commentary**: Refrain from expressing personal political opinions about Erdogan or the Turkish government.

Instead, focus on the historical, cultural, and architectural significance of the site.

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

repositioned Hagia Sophia as a global cultural landmark.

**Highlight Universal Values**: Emphasize aspects of the Hagia Sophia that transcend religious and political divisions—its architectural brilliance, its historical importance, and its ability to inspire wonder regardless of one's background.

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

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.

**Offer Alternative Perspectives**: Suggest that visitors consider multiple viewpoints: those who see the conversion as a restoration of religious freedom, those who view it as a loss of shared heritage, and those who see it as part of the natural evolution of living historical sites.

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

Consider both Muslim and Christian voices

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

It became a landmark of architectural innovation

**Redirect to Positive Aspects**: When appropriate, guide the conversation toward the remarkable preservation of the site, the ongoing restoration work, and the opportunity to witness a living piece of history.

## Conclusion

The reconversion of the Hagia Sophia represents a significant moment in Turkey's modern history, reflecting broader tensions between secular and religious identities, as well as domestic and international perceptions.

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

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

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

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

As a tour guide, your role is not to take sides in this controversy but to provide visitors with the context and information they need to appreciate the site's significance while navigating the changes respectfully.

By preparing thoughtful, balanced responses and focusing on the Hagia Sophia's universal historical and architectural importance, you can continue to provide valuable experiences to tourists while addressing their concerns diplomatically.

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

repositioned Hagia Sophia as a global cultural landmark.

The site's ability to inspire wonder and reflection transcends its current function, and your guidance can help visitors appreciate its enduring significance regardless of their personal views on the conversion.

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

repositioned Hagia Sophia as a global cultural landmark.


# The Hagia Sophia Controversy: Religious Symbolism and Political Calculations

## Introduction
The 2020 reconversion of Istanbul's iconic Hagia Sophia from a museum back into a mosque by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sparked significant international controversy.

As a social media influencer focusing on mosques worldwide, understanding this controversy provides valuable context for your Arab audience, given the site's profound historical significance and the complex political-religious dimensions involved.

## Historical Background

The Hagia Sophia has a remarkable history that spans multiple civilizations:

- Originally built as a Byzantine Christian cathedral in the 6th century
- Converted into a mosque following the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453
- Transformed into a museum in 1935 under Turkey's secular modernization efforts
- Remained one of Turkey's most visited tourist sites and a symbol of religious and cultural synthesis

## The 2020 Reconversion Decision

In July 2020, Erdogan's government revoked the Hagia Sophia's museum status and restored it as an active mosque.

This decision was part of a broader pattern, as Turkey also converted other former Byzantine churches that had been museums, such as the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora, back into mosques.

## Criticism Regarding Religious Undertones

### Erosion of Multicultural Heritage
Critics argue that the reconversion represents an erasure of Turkey's multicultural history.

The Hagia Sophia had served as a bridge between civilizations and religions, symbolizing a shared heritage rather than belonging exclusively to one faith.

### Impact on Religious Minorities
The decision has raised concerns among Turkey's religious minority communities.

Greek Orthodox, Armenian, and Jewish communities—represented by 167 minority foundations in Turkey—have expressed apprehension about the government's approach to non-Muslim places of worship.

Greek Orthodox leader Laki Vingas highlighted how legislative

# The Hagia Sophia Controversy: Religious Symbolism and Political Calculations

## Introduction
The 2020 reconversion of Istanbul's iconic Hagia Sophia from a museum back into a mosque by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sparked significant international controversy.

Title:

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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No--In 1934, Ataturk turned it into a museum, making it a major tourist attraction and secular symbol in Turkey.

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

Why did Erdogan restore Hagia Sophia as a mosque in 2020?

Because he wanted to end its 86-year museum status to return it to its original role as a mosque.

As a social media influencer focusing on mosques worldwide, understanding this controversy provides valuable context for your Arab audience, given the site's profound historical significance and the complex political-religious dimensions involved.

Title:

Content: Abu Trika comments on the burning of the Koran in Sweden
SPORTS
Copy Link https: / / www.rt.com / vlq9
Egyptian football star Mohamed Abou Trika said that the attack on Islam has become a "trend" following the burning of a copy of the Koran in Sweden.
The star of the Egyptian national team and the former Al-Ahli club wrote on his account on Twitter: "It is strange that this era has become fashionable to attack Islam and the Holy Prophet and burn the Holy Quran thinking that this will prevent or end Islam in their countries and the world."
He added: “God wants to put out the light of God with their mouths and God ’ s light is complete, even if they hate the unbelievers. ”
"Europe and the West want a non-fat Muslim like the mayor of London or the prime minister of Scotland.
The interaction of Muslims with their issues is an improvisational outburst that was not supported by the official decision centers in their countries, so the opponents increased boldness and attack.
Do we see this time a response from the decision-makers or, as usual, the people before them?
The boycott of French products is far from over. "
On Wednesday, the first day of Eid al-Adha, a Swedish extremist carried out a threat to desecrate the Koran and, under the protection of official authorities, to tear and burn the Koran outside the main mosque in the capital Stockholm.
Novosti reported that this extremist acted in front of about 200 Muslims, tearing pages of the Koran and wiping his shoes on it, then putting fat and bacon in the pages of the Koran and setting it on fire.
After this "shameful" act, Arab and international reactions to the incident followed in all Arab countries, especially Al-Azhar Mosque.
Al-Azhar condemned the incident and called on the governments of Islamic and Arab countries "to take serious and unified positions towards these violations, which cannot be accepted in any way."
Source: RT
Agree.
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## Historical Background

The Hagia Sophia has a remarkable history that spans multiple civilizations:

- Originally built as a Byzantine Christian cathedral in the 6th century
- Converted into a mosque following the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453
- Transformed into a museum in 1935 under Turkey's secular modernization efforts
- Remained one of Turkey's most visited tourist sites and a symbol of religious and cultural synthesis

## The 2020 Reconversion Decision

In July 2020, Erdogan's government revoked the Hagia Sophia's museum status and restored it as an active mosque.

How did Hagia Sophia become important for Muslims?

Sultan Mehmed II converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque,making it a key religious site for Muslims for centuries.

No--In 1934, Ataturk turned it into a museum, making it a major tourist attraction and secular symbol in Turkey.

When was Hagia Sophia built and under whose rule?

Why did Erdogan restore Hagia Sophia as a mosque in 2020?

Because he wanted to end its 86-year museum status to return it to its original role as a mosque.

This decision was part of a broader pattern, as Turkey also converted other former Byzantine churches that had been museums, such as the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora, back into mosques.

## Criticism Regarding Religious Undertones

### Erosion of Multicultural Heritage
Critics argue that the reconversion represents an erasure of Turkey's multicultural history.

The Hagia Sophia had served as a bridge between civilizations and religions, symbolizing a shared heritage rather than belonging exclusively to one faith.

No--In 1934, Ataturk turned it into a museum, making it a major tourist attraction and secular symbol in Turkey.

### Impact on Religious Minorities
The decision has raised concerns among Turkey's religious minority communities.

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

Greek Orthodox, Armenian, and Jewish communities—represented by 167 minority foundations in Turkey—have expressed apprehension about the government's approach to non-Muslim places of worship.

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

Greek Orthodox leader Laki Vingas highlighted how legislative