Revenge of Ottomanism: Namaz in Hagia Sophia and songs in the languages of the former empire
Today, in the once Orthodox Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople (Istanbul), converted by Turkish invaders into the Hagia Sophia Mosque, Friday prayers are being held with the participation of Turkish President Recep Erdogan, who initiated the return of the religious building to the status of a mosque (it had been a museum since 1934).
The Turkish leadership is positioning this event as the return of the imperial Turkish project to the international arena.
The current Turkish regime attaches special importance to this event, perceiving it as the beginning of the revival of the Ottoman project, uniting Muslim lands and peoples under the auspices of Turkey. It is no coincidence that on the new date of returning the Hagia Sophia to the status of a mosque, the country's treasury issued commemorative silver and bronze, as well as a standard lyre.
A video was also recorded glorifying Hagia Sophia, which, in addition to Turkish artists, was performed in Arabic, Kurdish, Kyrgyz, Bosniak, Albanian, Swahili, Tamil and Bengali by singers representing the peoples who speak them.
It should be noted that in his neo-Ottoman revanchist ideas, Erdogan goes against almost the entire world: the return of Hagia Sophia to the status of a mosque was condemned by the Orthodox churches of the world and the Pope, in Europe and the USA. Turkey's aggressive policy in the Adriatic and Libya is criticized by Greece, Egypt and France; Armenia does not welcome Ankara's support for Azerbaijan, which opposes it.
In addition, the Arab world, in particular the Saudis allied with the United States, are jealously opposed to Ottomanist ideas that challenge the leadership of the Arabs in the world Islamic ummah. Let us recall that in the Ottoman Empire, the Sultan who defeated the Arabs, in addition to the secular title, also bore the spiritual title of Caliph of all the Faithful.
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