A Russian lawmaker says his country will help Syria build a replica of the Hagia Sophia after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan designated it as a mosque.
Vitaly Milonov, a conservative Russian lawmaker, told state-run RIA Novosti news agency earlier this month that the mock-up of the UNESCO World Heritage Site is planned to be built in the Syrian province of Hama to show “peaceful dialogue” between religions. Russia is a powerful ally of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and has helped Assad’s government in its brutal crackdown of opposition.
“Syria, unlike Turkey, is a country that clearly shows the possibility of peaceful and positive interfaith dialogue,” Milonov said earlier this month. “President Bashar al Assad would never transfer a cathedral from one denomination to another.”
Construction on the faux Hagia Sophia is expected to take place in the majority-Greek Orthodox city of Al-Suqaylabiyah. The plan was reportedly the work of pro-regime militia leader Nabeul Abdullah, who received approval from the bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church in Hama.
“I think that all of Russia will want to help. This will truly be a landmark event for all Orthodox people; I am sure that every Orthodox Christian wants his name to be inscribed in at least a stone or brick of the new Hagia Sophia,” Milonov said.
Assad has been under intense scrutiny by the United States and Europe for his actions during Syria’s civil war, which has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands. Assad’s government has used chemical weapons against civilians on multiple occasions. The U.S. has sanctioned a number of Syrian figures, including most recently Hafez Assad, the 18-year-old son of Bashar Assad.
Erdogan’s move earlier this month to convert the Hagia Sophia into a mosque came after Turkey’s highest administrative court annulled a 1934 decision to turn the iconic structure into a museum. The museum became operational in 1935 and had attracted some 3.7 million visitors each year.
