Hagia Sophia is Better as a Mosque, Says Greek Priest
Greek Orthodox priest Evangelos Papanikolaou praised the Ottomans for looking after Hagia Sophia and says it is better to be restored to a mosque than to remain a museum.
Greek Orthodox priest Evangelos Papanikolaou, the priest at Analipseos Church in Rafina near Athens, praised the Ottomans for looking after Hagia Sophia and says it is better to be restored to a mosque than to remain a museum (source). Transcript:
Wherever the Turks were, they were always better. It is shameful for us but it is true. There was better monasticism in Crete. Turks didn’t shut a single monastery down in Crete. But in Greece, with the order of Othonas* many monasteries and churches were shut down. The holy relics of the saints have taken from its silver coffers and turned into money for government. Besides, when the Turks reigned over, people were living their religion with ease. That’s why people say “we would rather see Turkish Turban instead of Latin hat/mitre.” If it is up to me, neither of them should be seen. But if I had to choose one, I’d prefer Turk instead of Latin. How, about the Hagia Sophia event that you are very sorry. Thank God. Now tell me, how many half-naked tourists were entering Hagia Sophia for 24 hours? Countless! With miniskirts that show underwear. Am I lying? Because it was a museum. And all those tourists were entering without caring and respect. Now you must take your shoes off to enter. Isn’t that respect? Going half-naked? No. You will enter with a long dress and a hijab scarf. Maybe we should see this as an improvement, not a curse. Now they say they are sorry for Hagia Sophia. If it wasn’t for the Turks, the Hagia Sophia would have collapsed long ago. Who would have guarded such a big structure? Turks did.
Besides being a mosque, Hagia Sophia is also among Turkey’s top tourism destinations and will remain open for domestic and foreign visitors.
*Notes: Otto of Greece was declared king of Greece in 1832. He was a Roman Catholic and refused to accept Orthodoxy, and was viewed as a heretic by many pious Greeks.
