The conversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque is for Erdogan and Ali Erbas a symbol of Islam’s triumph over secularism, just as its conversion to a museum in 1935 was a symbol of secularism’s triumph over Islam, and its original conversion to a mosque in 1453 was a symbol of Islam’s triumph over Christianity. Note also that Erdogan says that Hagia Sophia has been returned to “its original identity.” Its nearly thousand years as a cathedral before it was a mosque don’t count. That’s just jahiliyya, the society of unbelievers, which in Islamic theology is worthless trash.
“Hagia Sophia to be Turned into a Center of Knowledge About Islam,” translated by John Sanidopoulos, Orthodoxy and World Religions, October 7, 2020:
The President of Religious Affairs in Turkey, Imam Ali Erbas, presented his plans last weekend and those of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding Hagia Sophia, which he promotes as a Symbol of Conquest and the Sovereignty of Islam. At the same time, the Turkish President describes the decision on Hagia Sophia as “a harbinger of a new era in world politics.”
“After 86 years of longing, we have experienced the happiness of returning Hagia Sophia to its original identity,” Erdogan told the Clerics….
“The goal is for all our mosques and especially Hagia Sophia to become centers of knowledge about Islam, as before,” [Erbas] added.