«Η
τουρκική απόφαση για την Αγιά Σοφιά
δείχνει αγραμματοσύνη
και μπορεί να βλάψει
μόνο τα δικά της συμφέροντα»,
του J. Haldon,
προέδρου της Διεθνούς Επιτροπής Βυζαντινών Σπουδών
As President of the International Association of Byzantine Studies and
on behalf of all members of the Association as well as the wider scholarly
community I write to condemn in the strongest terms the recent decision of the
Turkish Council of State and of the President of the Turkish Republic, Recep
Tayyip Erdoğan, to return the Ayasofya Museum to its former status of a mosque.
This action, along with a number of similar actions undertaken by the Turkish
government in respect of Byzantine religious buildings in several cities, and
for motives based entirely on political opportunism, is deeply to be regretted.
It directly contravenes UNESCO regulations to which the Turkish Republic has
long been committed in respect of the management and conservation of cultural
heritage. It unnecessarily inflames public opinion both within and outside
Turkey, damaging Turkey’s international standing as well as its well-earned
reputation for respecting historical cultures. It directly impacts the ability
of both Turkish and non-Turkish scholars to study important artifacts that form
an integral aspect of Turkey’s past and have made a significant contribution to
its present. It also damages Turkish scholarship and research in both the
humanities as well as the natural sciences in a way that is likely to have direct
consequences for Turkish participation in international scientific enquiry for
some years to come.
Turkey is home to many historical cultures, each of which plays its part
in its modern identity, each of which contributes to the multi-faceted and
dynamic culture of Turkey and the Turkish people. It is important, therefore,
to value each of these elements for their own sake and to be willing to
recognize their varying contributions to the whole. This is a strength, not a
weakness – variety is a crucial ingredient in any lively and dynamic culture.
ΠΕΡΙΣΣΟΤΕΡΑ για την ΑΓΙΑ ΣΟΦΙΑ, ΕΔΩ.
From early Anatolian cultures and the Hittites down to the Hellenistic
kingdoms, the Roman and Byzantine empires, the Seljuks and Ottomans, all have
left traces and made contributions to the landscape, cultures and civilisations
of Turkey. Damaging one damages all. Changing the status of the Hagia Sophia is
a retrograde step that will hinder a clear vision and better understanding of
Turkey’s past, something obviously appreciated and understood by Mustafa Kemal
Atatürk, but which is sadly lost on the current political leadership. If we
have learned anything from the experiences of the last eight decades since the
conclusion of the Second World War, it is that attempting to expunge or rewrite
the past by manipulating the historical record has always proved both
short-lived and counter-productive. It harms the society and culture upon which
it is imposed, and it can take generations to overcome, with all the negative
consequences attached to such a process.
The Turkish government and its leadership should take notice of the
international reaction to their short-sighted and ignorant gesture. Their
actions can only harm their own interests and those of the people they aspire
to represent.
John F. Haldon
President, International Association of Byzantine Studies
History Department, Princeton
University
ΠΗΓΗ: International Association of
Byzantine Studies, July 13th 2020. ΑΡΧΕΙΟΝ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΟΥ, 14.7.2020.
ΛΕΞΕΙΣ: ΑΓΙΑ ΣΟΦΙΑ
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