Hagia Sophia - Constantinople : The future ORTHODOX cathedral after 600 years of turkish occupation

http://www.orthodoxphotos.com/history.shtml

Hagia Sophia (Άγια Σοφία in Greek), the Church of Holy Wisdom, known variously as Sancta Sophia in Latin, is an ancient cathedral of the Church of Constantinople located in modern-day Istanbul, Turkey. It was converted to a mosque by the Turks and is now used as a museum. It is universally acknowledged as one of the great buildings of the world and a reference point in history of architecture. (The church is sometimes mistakenly called "Saint Sophia," as though it were named for a saint called Sophia.)

http://www.esphigmenou.com/

The first great church on the site was built by Constantius II, the son of Constantine the Great, but was burned down during the Nika riots of 532. The building was rebuilt in its present form between 532 and 537 under the personal supervision of emperor Justinian the Great. It is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture. Of great artistic value was its decorated interior with mosaics and marble pillars and coverings. The temple itself was so richly and artistically decorated that Justinian is believed to have said Νενίκηκά σε Σολομών: "Solomon, I have surpassed you!"

The architects of the church were Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles, professors of geometry at the University of Constantinople. Justinian's basilica was at once the culminating architectural achievement of late antiquity and the first masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. Its influence, both architecturally and liturgically, was widespread and enduring in the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Muslim worlds alike.

For over 900 years the Hagia Sophia was the seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople and a principal setting for imperial ceremonies. It was converted to a mosque at the Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks under Sultan Mehmet II in 1453. Since Islam considers the depiction of the human form to be blasphemous— that is, it is iconoclastic—Hagia Sophia's iconographic mosaics were covered with plaster. For almost 500 years the principal mosque of Istanbul, Ayasofya, served as model for many of the Ottoman mosques of Constantinople such as the Shehzade Mosque, the Suleiman Mosque, and the Rustem Pasha Mosque.

In 1934, under Turkish president Kemal Atatürk, Hagia Sofia was secularized and turned into the Ayasofya Museum. Nevertheless, the mosaics remained largely plastered over, and the building was allowed to decay. A 1993 UNESCO mission to Turkey noted falling plaster, dirty marble facings, broken windows, decorative paintings damaged by moisture, and ill-maintained lead roofing. Cleaning, roofing and restoration have since been undertaken.

Although Turkey, and Istanbul in particular, are more secular than most Muslim countries, the status of Hagia Sophia remains a sensitive subject. The Islamic calligraphic displays suspended from the main dome remain in place. The mosaics are being gradually uncovered, including some visible from the ground floor.




AGAINST Ecumenism
http://www.orthodox.net/articles/against-ecumenism.html



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ESPHIGMENOU Monastery, from Holy mount Athos is still under severe persecution, for refusing ECUMENISM, but continue their daily prayer services.



Items under EMBARGO:

All food deliveries.
Medical Supplies.
Physician's visits prohibited (monastery has diabetic monks and heart patients).
Fuel for heating, cooking etc.




http://www.esphigmenou.com/

The fathers of Esphigmenou struggle against the heresy of ecumenism which states that there is no one church which possesses the Truth. The Orthodox Church believes, as the monks of Esphigmenou Monastery believe, that the Church has never lost the Truth or its unity. The Nicene Creed states the Orthodox Church's dogmatic basis, "I believe in one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. I believe in one baptism." Ecumenism rejects these fundamental truths of the church by teaching that there are many churches and many baptisms.


The beliefs of ecumenism and the beliefs of Orthodoxy are mutually exclusive. You can either believe in the Creed or you can believe in ecumenism, not both. By embracing ecumenism Patriarch Bartholomew has embraced a belief in conflict with the teachings of the Orthodox Church.


"Our battle is for truth and the true orthodox way of life, which the patriarch is attempting to silence." Abbot Methodios, AP/CNN.

http://www.esphigmenou.com/




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[koringn]

i cry when i see her under the hands of those dogs....

orthodoxy will have her back soon the time of the dogs will be over.

[vladimyr9]

Visit it on Youtube!

[vladimyr9]

Greek Orthodox Christian Byzantine Music in AgSophia

[vladimyr9]

I invite you to watch Kabarnos chanting in Hagia Sophia on youtube. His chanting will move your hearts to prayer and Love for God that we all need in this fragmented world of ours. May I share another website with you that I trust you will love equally as much as do I. ancientfaithradio. Just click on the windows media player and hear the voice of Orthodoxy from the entire world , along with commentaries , podcasts ... It is available 24/7 for anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear.

[vladimyr9]

Turks and Muslims have no respect for anyone's Holy Places. If they did they would return them to their rightful believers. They painted over all the Frescoes , gutted the Greatest and Mother Church of All Christendom. Some day , God willing, every Muslim will bow down before the Christian God and ask forgiveness for what they have perpetrated against not only Orthodox Christians, but Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, not to mention their own people. God forgive them for they know not what they do.

[vladimyr9]

@TheAntoninusPius

Our Christian God is a Loving, Merciful, All forgiving, Compassionate and Empathetic God who came to offer Salvation for All of Mankind. This is not the God of Islam. I challenge you to read your history before making such an erroneous comment.

[vladimyr9]

@TheAntoninusPius

Do not insult the Orthodox Faith by placing it in the same light as Islam. Islam is the most Barbaric Religion of all time. Read the book " The Sword of the Prophet" by Serge Trifkovic and you will be shocked by what you read. He exposes Islam for what it is and its false prophet for who he really was. At least Judaism gave us the Old Testament. But the Messiah has come in the person of Jesus Christ the God Man , who neither the Jews accept nor Muslims prophess.

[jx8j]

@xxTurquiaxx i think since it was made to be a christian church its should be like tha without having a war over CONSTANTINOPLE im just saying thats my opinion on things

[killnow80]

wow vre... look how bad the turks treated the church... i feel so bad... The church should be orthodox again the way it was...

[Patrick59467]

I am Roman Catholic but I pray often for the return of Hagia Sophia to the Greek Orthodox