This move further highlights the new formations of strategic alliances in the Middle East. It is sure to infuriate and humiliate Turkey, which has been bursting with pride over its new “conquest” of Hagia Sophia, which was first built in 537 as a Christian cathedral. The reconversion of this Christian jewel into a mosque grieved and angered Christians worldwide. Muslims screamed “Allahu akbar” as it officially became a Mosque. The Middle East Monitor reported that “Turkey may have reclaimed the leadership of Sunni Islam from Saudi Arabia” as “Erdogan reasserts Turkey’s status as a regional power.”
68% of Greeks are dissatisfied with the global response to Turkey, and want to see the EU levy sanctions against Turkey. This move by Syria, with help from Russia, as announced by The Moscow Times, is a slap in the face to Turkey.
“Syrian government to build replica of Hagia Sophia,” by Sean Joyner, Archinect News, Jul 30, 2020:
According to Duvar English, the Syrian government has announced that it will build a replica of Instanbul’s [sic] Hagia Sophia after the Turkish government recently converted it into a mosque. Moscow will provide funding for the project “to show the importance of ‘peaceful dialogue’ between faiths.” Built in 537, the Hagia Sophia is a classic example of Byzantine architecture and was then the largest interior space in the world. The structure is a UNESCO World Heritage Site….