Spatial manifestation of Turkey’s de-Europeanization: Prayer in Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia has been one of the most symbolic monuments all over the world for centuries. The conversion of its use as a basilica, church, mosque and museum constituted the layers of its multi-dimensional identity. Its spatial configuration and imaginations on its symbolic meanings determining the supremacy of a religion or a state over another displays its character which is beyond an architectural monument. Throughout the history, the reign over Hagia Sophia symbolized the power and supremacy so that the use of this space has altered according to the political concerns. This paper argues that the transformation of Turkey’s position within the Europeanization process is also reflected in the spatial transformation of Hagia Sophia with the decision of converting it to a mosque (again) in July 2020. Turkey’s deviation from its Europeanization journey and taking the route of de-Europeanization is revealed in this decision of conversion. In this sense, as a political decision, Turkey overtly highlighted its ‘otherness’ in the European eyes and widened the normative distance. Such political decisions in line with de-Europeanization process of the country are also reflected in authoritarian policies of the government. The paper contends that conversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque by the decision of Turkish President is one of the manifestations of the detachment from and even the reversal of the Europeanization process. This detachment coupled with the rising authoritarianism of the government in the country also shaped the public opinion; in other words, there has been a wide public support for Hagia Sophia’s conversion into a mosque. The hegemonic power of the state which also determines the ideas of the people by consent formation, accelerated de-Europeanization process with public support. This paper analyzes the de-Europeanization process in parallel with rising authoritarianism of Turkish government from the lenses of spatial transformation of Hagia Sophia and contends that the decision of conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque is a symbolic manifestation of reversal of the Europeanization process as well as the authoritarian upheld in the country. The paper utilizes the Europeanization theories and the de-Europeanization literature in line with rise of authoritarianism in Central and Eastern European countries, as well as in Turkey.