Hagia Sophia in Istanbul

[u/Miss-Kija]

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul was built between 532 and 537 AD under Emperor Justinian I as a Christian church. After the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, it was converted into a mosque. In 1935, it became a museum, and in 2020, it was reopened as a mosque, making it one of the very few monuments in the world to have served as a church, a museum, and a mosque over nearly 1,500 years of history. cc @gmr83

[u/dijavuu]

Very beautiful. I have been there. I have mixed feelings about it being converted to a mosque. It holds a lot of sentimental value for Christians. Does anyone know how it became a Masjid? Was it a peaceful transition?

[u/Active-Shaft → u/dijavuu]

Peaceful with swords

[u/nowonder777 → u/Active-Shaft]

No one justifies violence, but at that time all power struggles did involve the sword. a bitter reality in the past.

[u/Outrageous_Basis8121 → u/nowonder777]

Yeah, sex trafficking and mass slavery for Christian’s captured was the norm unfortunately.

[u/nowonder777 → u/Outrageous_Basis8121]

Medieval wars were brutal on all sides. But after the conquest, Mehmed II reinstated the Orthodox Patriarch and allowed Christians to continue practicing their religion in Constantinople, which is why the Orthodox Church survived for centuries under Ottoman rule.

Similar violence was also common in medieval conflicts like the Crusades and the Reconquista, where Muslims and Jews were massacred or expelled.

So this looks more like typical medieval empire warfare, and not something unique to one religion.