Director-General UNESCO
July 6, 2016
To: Irina Bokova
Director-General
UNESCO Paris
Dear Mrs. Bokova,
Having been made aware that UNESCO will be meeting in Istanbul between July 10 and 20, we appeal to you directly to raise with the authorities the issue regarding the status of the World Heritage site of Hagia Sophia. As is well known, the Turkish authorities intend to gradually convert Hagia Sophia from a museum into a Mosque. We believe UNESCO has a responsibility to protest these intentions of the Turkish government.
As has been widely publicized, Hagia Sophia has been used for the performance of Islamic prayers since the beginning of Ramadan.Furthermore, since July 1, Hagia Sophia has been used for the first time since 1931 as a call to prayer. Over the past two years, large crowds have frequently gathered outside Hagia Sophia to perform their prayers. UNESCO officials have denied any sort of intentions by the Turkish authorities to transform Hagia Sophia into a Mosque despite the mounting evidence since 2013, including public statements made by Turkish officials.
We wish to remind you that Hagia Sophia was established as a Cathedral of the Greek Orthodox Church during the sixth century and was used as such until 1453, when the Ottoman Empire conquered Constantinople. Hagia Sophia must be protected not only for historic reasons, but also because it is a holy site for Orthodox Christians. As a World Heritage Site, Hagia Sophia must be protected by UNESCO. It should be noted that Turkey has already converted three former Church-Museums named Hagia Sophia into Mosques. It has been fairly obvious based upon these trends what Turkey’s plans for Hagia Sophia have been, not withstanding UNESCO’s denial.
Therefore, since UNESCO will be convening in Turkey in the coming days, we ask from the organization to put a protest forward to oppose any further use of Hagia Sophia for purposes that threaten its present status as a Museum.
Thank You,
International Hellenic Association
Dear Mrs. Bokova,
UNESCO must excercise all its power to maintain the present status of HAGIA Sophia as a museum.
Otherwise, the institution of UNESCO World Heritage Sites has not any meaning.
Capt. Evangelos Rigos
Member of IHA Executive Council
Hagia Sophia is a Museum under the protection of UNESCO and should never be converted to a Mosque.
Martha Sinis
Docent at the Walters Art Museum
Baltimore, Maryland
U.S.A.
Dear Mrs. Bokova,
It is the duty of the organization that you serve to protect the status of Agia Sofia. The upcoming meeting of UNESCO in Turkey is a great opportunity for you to state your organization’s position loud and clear.
Thank you,
Vassiliki Aroniadou-Anderjaska, Ph.D.
Hagia Sophia has been designated as a world heritage site by UNESCO. UNESCO must publicly oppose Turkish efforts to change the status of Hagia Sophia. Otherwise, no important monument
anywhere will be safe.
Theodore G. Karakostas
Author
Converting a world heritage site to a functional religeous facility places the artifacts in great danger for further degradation. A few hundred meters away from Agia Sophia is the great blue mosque, built to match the proportions and grandeur of the ancient church. In light of the proximity of this alternative muslim religeous place, the persistance of the Turkish government to convert Agia Sophia into a functional mosque is even more incomprehensible.
We all look up to your orgnization to ensure that World Heritage sites such as the 1500 year old monument are effectively curated and protected from arbitrary decisions that can place it in great risk – particularly in light of the fact that UNESCO has already funded its restoration and protection in the past.
Sincerely
S. J. Pantazopoulou
Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
York University, Canada
Dear Mrs. Bokova,
UNESCO should exercise all its influenceto prevent the conversion of this great Christian Cathedral church into a muslim mosque by the present government of Turkey
Stavros A. Anagnostopoulos
Professor Emeritus, University of Patras
Chief Editor, Earthquakes and Structures
26500, Patras, GREECE
Dear Mrs. Bokova,
I, as all Orthodox people in the world, expect that UNESCO will definitely support the protection of the status of Agia Sophia and oppose to Turkish efforts to convert It to a Mosque. Otherwise, all of us the Orthodox Christians will loose the our greatest holy site and UNESCO will loose entirely its power and privilege.
Panayotis C. Yannopoulos, PhD.
Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
University of Patras, Greece
Dear Ms. Bokova,
UNESCO should exercise all its influenceto prevent the conversion of this great Christian Cathedral church into a muslim mosque by the present government of Turkey
Π Νάσκου-Περράκη
Καθηγήτρια Διεθνούς Δικαίου
Dear Ms. Bokova,
Please stand up for the cultural status of Hagia Sophia. This monument of World Heritage is a symbol of the Christian faith through the centuries. It needs protection and curating and not conversion to become a mosque as the Turkish regime plans. UNESCO must excersice its duty and power to protect it from such eventuality and the forthcoming conference in Turkey will be the best forum to do so.
Sincerely .
Thomais Kakouli-Duarte, PhD
Research Leader EnviroCORE | Lecturer in Biosciences
Department of Science and Health
Institute of Technology Carlow
Kilkenny Road, Carlow
IRELAND
and
President of the Parish Council and Trustee of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation in Dublin, IRELAND
Dear Ms. Bokova
Please stand up and defend the cultural status of Hagia Sophia. This monument is a symbol of the Christian faith through the centuries and constitutes a common heritage of Humanity. It needs protection and curating and not conversion to become a mosque as the Turkish regime plans.
As a Greek Cypriot, I’m completely disappointed by the UNESCO unwillingness and inability to basically protect the Christian Churches throughout the territory controlled by the Turkish regime, from Turkey itself to the Occupied area of Cyprus. While ALL mosques in the free Cyprus area are completely protected and retained in their original status, on the contrary most of the Churches in the occupied part of Cyprus are either turned into Mosques, or destroyed and in all cases all byzantine era icons are stolen. From my personal experience, a Byzantine Church “Panagia Tochniou” near my occupied village Mandresin the district of of Famagusta used to be re-conditioned by UNESCO before 1974. However, after the 1974 Turkish invasion it was left unprotected, everything stolen or destroyed, even the mosaics from the walls. Another, part of Humanity’s common heritage was left to be destroyed by barbarians.
Please, stop this destruction, it’s our duty to the forthcoming generations, irrespective of religion or Ethnic descended.
It’s time to stand up and protect Hagia Sophia, a major part of the Humanity’s heritage.
Sincerely,
George Kyriacou,
Professor at Democritus University of Thrace.
Dear Mrs. Bokova,
UNESCO should exercise all its influence to prevent Agia Sophia from becoming a muslim mosque. Agia Sophia is a great Christian Cathedral church, a symbol of Christian faith and, at the same time, a great monument of Byzantine art and history. The conversion of this World Heritage site into a mosque is an attempt to deprive the monument from its qualities and turn it into an instrument for political and religious purposes. We hope that you will do everything in your power to protect Agia Sophia.
Sincerely,
Agapi Dalkou, PhD
Greek Language Teacher
Model Junior High School of Evangeliki
Dear Mrs. Bokova
UNESCO should exercise its influence in preventing the conversion of Agia Sophia to a mosque. There are many mosques in the neighborhood of Agia Sophia to serve the needs of those with Muslim faith. Agia Sophia is a historical monument, the symbol of Christian faith with fantastic mosaics that need to be preserved and protected for the benefit of humanity and future generations. Its conversion to a mosque will be an insult to people with Christian faith and will create a rift between Christians and Muslims that is totally unnecessary but also dangerous. I am asking you to pay attention to this important sensitive issue of keeping Agia Sophia as museum something that many progressive Muslims also support.
Ioannou Petros, Professor, Fellow IEEE, IFAC, IET Electrical Engineering Systems University of Southern California Director Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies Associate Director for Research METRANS Director of Financial Engineering Masters Program USA
Dear Mrs. Bokova,
As a Greek Cypriot I also like to bring to your attention the destruction of over 500 churches in the occupied part of Cyprus. Many including the church in my village are converted to mosques, others to stables, taverns, many destroyed. While Turks living in Europe enjoy freedom of religion, having their own mosques without anyone taking over and destroying or converting them to something else Turkey is practicing a completely different policy that brings the country back to dark ages. The conversion of Agia Sophia to a mosque is an attempt that belongs to past times and has no place in the 21st century. I hope you put pressure on Turkey to respect religious places the same way it expects other countries to respect the religion it favors.
Ioannou Petros, Professor, Fellow IEEE, IFAC, IET Electrical Engineering Systems University of Southern California Director Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies Associate Director for Research METRANS Director of Financial Engineering Masters Program USA
Dear Mrs. Bokova,
UNESCO should exercise all its influence to preserve the current status of Agia Sophia as a museum and to prevent the conversion of this historic Christian Cathedral church into yet another mosque by the present government of Turkey, as happened with countless other churches. We all look up to your organization to ensure that World Heritage sites such as this1500 year old monument are guarded against political or ideological decisions of the moment.
Triantafillou, Georgia, Ph.D., Professor of Mathematics, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA.
Dear Mrs, Bokova,
We look up to UNESCO to ensure that World Heritage sites such as Agia Sofia, the 1500 year old great religious monument, are effectively and efficiently protected from arbitrary decisions that can place them at great risk.
Yours sincerely
K.L. Katsifarakis
Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Dear Mrs. Bokova,
One of the primary responsibilities of the UNESCO organization is to protect the status of monuments of great cultural and historical importance to the civilized world. Agia Sophia is such a monument. The world knows well that Agia Sophia’s character has been, an Orthodox Christian church of enormous importance to all Orthodox Christians for more than a thousand years even-though it has been converted into a mosque during its Ottoman occupation.
Although the proper status of Agia Sophia would be a Christian Orthodox Church under the care of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the newly founded secular state of Turkey had declared the monument a museum, a status that at least partially preserves its character.
Even-though the well being of the monument falls under the direct responsibility of the Turkish government and UNESCO may not be able to dictate the way of treating this monument, UNESCO is still responsible to make an effort in protecting its cultural and historical character via all means at its disposal.
It will be a disaster of great proportions and unforeseen consequences to allow the conversion of the great Christian Church of Agia Sophia into a mosque without any protest and condemnation. We as Orthodox Christians and academics urge your organization to use all means available to urge the Turkish authorities to at least preserve the current status of the monument and point out to them the danger of ignoring the existing sensitivities attached to a monument of such a great importance to Christianity and to the civilized world in general.
Nikolaos Kodogianidis, Ph.D.
Former professor of Mathematics, Jacksonville University
Electrical Engineer, Fred Wilson & Associates
Jacksonville, FL, USA
Dear Mrs. Bokova,
Please do everything that you can do to preserve the status of Hagia Sophia as a world heritage monument. Hagia Sophia represents the concept of Christian Orthodoxy throughout time and as such it must be protected from the intentions of the Turkish officials to convert it into a mosque.
Professor Nina Gatzoulis
Humanities, Classics and Italian
University of New Hampshire
USA
AIGION, GREECE, 11.07.2016
Lady Mrs, Bokova,
Please, accept my request as a Greek Citizen! The monument of AGIA SOFIA belongs to the whole Word, belongs to human Society! World Heritage sites such as Agia Sofia, the 1500 year old great religious monument, are effectively and efficiently protected from arbitrary decisions that can place them at great risk. Please, protect the Civilisation! Protect the Monuments!
Best regards
AMVROSIOS G. LENIS
+ Metropolitan of Kalavryta and Aigilaeia, Greece
Meletopoulon, 44
GR-251 00 AIGION, GREECE
Fax. +30 26910 21634
E-mail: mkkaig@gmail.com
Dear Mrs. Bokova,
As Director-General of UNESCO, please do your duty: Respecting Religion, protect the status of Agia Sofia as a Christian Cathedral.
Sincerely,
Naoum Bacalis, Ph.D.
Physics Researcher
National Hellenic Research Foundation
Athens, Greece
Dear Mrs. Bokova,
Haghia Sophia is a historical monument of a civilization that benefited the Turks , inspired the Turkish culture, and was copied to create a magnificent mosque. It is a testament to the civility of the Turkish leaders to allow it to remain a museum out of respect for its symbolism, and also out of respect for the foreign visitors who would pay to see a museum.