The reconversion of the Hagia Sophia

On July 24, 2020, Turkey’s top imam, Ali Erbas, carried a long sword up the stairs of what used to be the largest church in the world. This ceremonial gesture marked Islam’s “rich history in conquest” and re-opened this iconic cathedral for Muslim worship.

Paintings of Jesus and the Virgin Mary were covered by white curtains as Muslim worshipers and Turk…