How Turkey's Hagia Sophia, once a cathedral, became Waqf property

How Turkey's Hagia Sophia, once a cathedral, became Waqf property

The Hagia Sophia is at the centre of Turkey's Byzantine, Ottoman and secular history. How did the sixth-century cathedral become a Waqf property, get converted to a museum, and again a mosque? Tracing the history of the Hagia Sophia amid the Waqf Bill debate in India.

Church converted into a Mosque: How Turkey's Waqf usurped Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia, one of the world’s most remarkable architectural marvels, has endured a dramatic trajectory, shifting identities from a Byzantine cathedral to an Ottoman mosque, a secular museum, and back to a mosque in 2020. However, behind this transformation lies the force of Waqf legislation and an Islamist agenda that has sought to reshape history under the guise of legal technicalities and religious supremacy. Byzantine Glory and Christian H…

The beginning of waqf in India can be traced to the arrival of Islam in the 12th century and the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate in the 13th century. Historian Gregory C. Kozlowski writes in his book "Muslim Endowments and Society in British India" that the first waqf in India was made in the last years of the 12th century.

What is Waqf, How Many Waqf Properties Exist in India, and What Will Happen If This Law is Passed?

The term "Waqf" originates from the Arabic word "waqafa," meaning "to stop" or "to dedicate." Waqf properties are assets donated for religious or charitable purposes in Islam, and once designated as Waqf, they cannot be sold or repurposed.