Letter to the Greek City Times

Dear Sir or Sirs,

My name is Theodore G. Karakostas. I am writing to you in response to your interesting piece last week on UNESCO and Hagia Sophia. UNESCO now claims to be active on the matter of Hagia Sophia even though it is now an official Mosque. I am a Greek American writer and the author of three books on Helleno-Byzantine history and Orthodoxy. Back in 2013, I began to contact UNESCO’s New York office through email and phone calls regarding Hagia Sophia. The Turkish designs on the Great Church go back as far as 2013.

It was in 2013 that the Turks converted the Hagia Sophia of Trebizond another Church-Museum of great spiritual and historic significance. It was apparent that this was a test case for the future conversion of THE Hagia Sophia. There were reports at the time that Turkey would convert Justinian’s Church at the time. UNESCO assured me they would respond to my inquiries. They never did but I persisted. As I persisted one of their New York associates hung up the phone on me but I persisted all the same.

In 2014 in Athens, I visited the UNESCO representative office to express my concerns there about Hagia Sophia. By that time the Church-Museum of Hagia Sophia in Iznik (the former Nicea) had been converted into a Mosque. I told the man at the office that these former Churches had been converted and he assured me all evidence to the contrary that these former Churches were not being used as Mosques. Some time after that, the Hagia Sophia of Edirne (the former Adrianople) was converted into a Mosque.

In March 2015  while on a visit to Paris I stopped by UNESCO’s headquarters where I met with the UNESCO Chief of Europe and North America. I told her about the various news sources that reported Turkish politicians openly calling for the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a Mosque. Furthermore, Turks openly gathered in front of Hagia Sophia to hold prayers. Despite this, the UNESCO chief tried to assure me that UNESCO had spoken with Turkish officials and had given their assurances that Hagia Sophia would not be converted into a Mosque. 

I continued to protest and refuted an assertion she had made about Hagia Sophia being designed for the world. I told her that Hagia Sophia was the result of Emperor Justinian’s vision who is a Greek Orthodox Saint. I told her Hagia Sophia was a product of the Gospel and Orthodox theology. I also pointed out to her that there were three parties interested in Hagia Sophia. The Greek Orthodox, the Turks, and cultural-academic organizations such as UNESCO. I firmly told her that only the Greeks who have been denied Hagia Sophia were actively fighting for the Great Church. 

I pointed out to this woman that Turkey historically applies pressure to various governments and other institutions. I asked her if UNESCO had been subject to pressure from the Turkish government she answered that she does not answer “political” questions. I also asked her if UNESCO was doing anything about the cultural monuments of Cyprus and she again answered that she does not answer “political” questions. Before concluding my session I told her flat out that one hundred years ago Anatolia was filled with Greek and Armenian Christians who are all gone now because nobody protested against Turkey then either. 

In 2016, the Turks began using Hagia Sophia for Islamic prayers during the month of Ramadan. UNESCO was not heard from. Then came the 2016 Coup in Turkey where Erdogan subsequently consolidated his power. By 2020 Erdogan was ready to convert Hagia Sophia into a Mosque and proceeded to do so. It was only then that UNESCO sent a meaningless letter to the Turkish government protesting.

 UNESCO had seven years to rise to the occasion to protect Hagia Sophia and failed to do so. Had they protested the conversion of the other Hagia Sophia Church-Museums they might have averted the subsequent conversion of Saint Justinian’s Church. Seven years of apathy and indifference. I myself alerted them to the dangers facing Hagia Sophia as mentioned  above. I do not wish to disparage any activities they undertake in the immediate future regarding Hagia Sophia, but the fact of the matter is they ignored the dangers and warning signs for seven years. 

 Had they acted to take the initiative much earlier they might very well have averted the conversion of Saint Justinian’s Church.
 

Theodore G. Karakostas 

Author