Stand up for Hagia Sophia: Sign the petition!

Say NO to converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque

There's a real movement in Turkey to convert the historic Hagia Sophia into a mosque. A commission in Turkish parliament is considering an application by citizens to turn the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul into a mosque, a bill has been introduced in parliament to restore Hagia Sophia to a "symbol of the Conquest of Istanbul" and last November, Turkey's deputy prime minister promised that the building would be "smiling" again as a mosque soon.1 

This is unacceptable. 

Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica which served as the seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. When the Ottomans conquered Constantinople, it was converted into a mosque but was eventually opened as a museum on February 1, 1935.
Please sign this petition to send a message to UNESCO, which has declared Hagia Sophia part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, that Hagia Sophia should remain open and accessible to all. 

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This petition has a goal of 20000 signatures
1-25 of 30335 signatures
Number Date Name Location Add an optional comment.
30335 3 weeks ago Michael Dunaway , US If anything, it should be given back to the Christians. why do muslims steal everything?
30334 1 month ago Anonymous AU
30333 1 month ago Anonymous , US Let's turn it back into a curch !!!
30332 3 months ago Anonymous RO The church of God, it is belonging to the orthodox people
30331 3 months ago jill fox , US This building belongs to the world and has been supported and cared for by the world. It is just wrong to take it away! The Turkish Republic was established as a secular state by Kemal Mustafa Atatu...
30330 4 months ago Anonymous IE Tradition is important. Return this building to it's original owners.
30329 6 months ago Joseph Sefchick , US Please return it to it's proper owners and open it up again as an Orthodox Cathedral.
30328 6 months ago Jenny Wade GB
30327 6 months ago Paula Locante , US
30326 7 months ago Daniel Lamanuzzi , US As a gesture of goodwill, this should be done as peacefully as possible. War is riddled with great losses and successes, and just like the Great Empires of the former United Kingdom, or France, or S
I think anyone with an internet connection knows that Mehmed conquered Constantinople and changed the name to Istanbul, and that fact should not be left out of the history books - in fact, it would make an even better story for our future generations when they know the full truth of the conquering, the conversion, and then the PEACEFUL return to TRULY set the example for our children that we no longer have to spill blood over the theological symbols that mean SO much to our individual religions.. that Muslims and Christians were able to settle this peacefully between themselves.

I know that Christians everywhere would involve themselves financially if it meant the physically safe return of the Hagia Sophia to a museum/Church - it is the former HEART of that ENTIRE religion!

Imagine if Christians/Jews had conquered or perhaps hypothetically someday WILL conquer Mecca and convert the area around their Qibla (what the pray to - their "Direction") into a CHURCH or a SYNAGOGUE, and then REFUSE to return it simply because it\'s "a symbol of the Conquest of Mecca"? I\'m assuming Muslims wouldn\'t dig on that too much, but this is the kind of pettiness of the human ego - an eye for an eye. Let\'s be peaceful, instead.

Please return the Hagia Sophia.'); return false;">...
30325 8 months ago Anonymous AU
30324 10 months ago Anonymous , DO Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica which served as the seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. When the Ottomans conquered Constantinople, it was converted into a mosque but ...
30323 11 months ago Richard Mansfield , US If anything, return it to the church from which it was stolen!
30322 11 months ago Anonymous AU
30321 12 months ago Lucian Popescu RO This would be a second rape of Hagia Sophia
30320 1 year ago Maksim Kruglov , US Please stop Turkey from converting Christian Temples into mosque
30319 1 year ago Lok Chi Pang HK The Hagia Sophia is a CHURCH and will always remain so in the hearts of all believers of the one and only true faith of Jesus Christ
30318 1 year ago Anonymous GB Return this ancient site back to the church to be a place of Christian worship.
30317 1 year ago Φωτεινή Καμπάνη , GR Dont stop
30316 1 year ago Anonymous , US This is the most important church in the world.
30315 1 year ago Hunter Granzin , US The Hagia Sophia was constructed as a cathedral, and should be restored as the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, but at least keep it as a museum bearing witness to its rich his...
30314 1 year ago Tessa Frazier , US This site should be open to admirers of all religions!!! It should be a museum. Please do not destroy the beautiful history captured in Hagia Sophia!
30313 1 year ago Michael Chua , US The Hagia Sophia should not be converted to a mosque! The Christians were the people that BUILT it and prayed for centuries. I would say to make it back to a Christian Church or just let it stay as ...
30312 1 year ago Aidan Marmion LT If it has to be converted to a place of worship then it should become a christian church.
30311 1 year ago Frédéric PORLIER FR
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