Thread by @MylonasMakis

A few days ago, I visited #HagiaSophia for the first time since #Erdogan's decision to convert it into a mosque. I was ready to be disappointed but unfortunately, the reality was much worse than my expectations. A thread and some photos of mine 🧵(1/9)

To start with, the reality in the ground is so bad that it the debate about Hagia Sophia being a mosque or a museum sounds fully irrelevant. What's at stake is the very existence of Hagia Sophia. The place is currently CROWDED. Like ABSOLUTELY CROWDED (2/9)

As a museum, you had to buy a ticket, wait in the queue etc. As a mosque, Hagia Sophia is accessible for free to everyone -which is not necessarily a bad idea. BUT you still need to control the flow of the visitors. This is not a modern concert hall, this is an UNESCO site (3/9).

The issue has been raised multiple times, first and foremost, from the vibrant community of the art historians and archeologists of #Turkey. For more, check the recent report by @PinarTremblay al-monitor.com/originals/2022… + an article by @DuvarEnglish duvarenglish.com/ancient-water-… (4/9)

Again, I don't want to enter in the merits of "museum or mosque" but I would like to highlight that I have been to many mosques around the world, including some impressive ones in Turkey. However, I don't recall any mosque being so disrespected and so "abused" by visitors (5/9)

Right now, Hagia Sophia doesn't look like a mosque, doesn't look like a respected place of worship. It looks more like some type of a trophy, one that has to be shown to as much people as possible, even by force, even if the damage for the whole building is irreversible (6/9)

I am super well aware that for many, these tweets of mine, will be read through the lens of "Greek/Greek Orthodox guy complaining", especially now that things are getting again tense in the #EastMed (7/9). Unfortunately for the fanatics, this is not the case.

I speak on my capacity as a world citizen, as someone that through the years never miss a chance to include Turkey in his travelling plans and who regularly argues that #Istanbul is probably the most attractive city in the world -and doesn't accept no as an answer (8/9)

#HagiaSophia is in danger, a great part of Turkey's super rich cultural heritage is in danger. Something has to be done before it's too late for one of the world's finest monuments (9/9).