Why didn't the Ottoman Turks destroy the Hagia Sofia that was built by infidels?
Leopoldo Fernandez Suarez · Why would they do that? Such a magnificent building could have been, and indeed was, repurposed, preserving its beauty and significance. Moreover, Christians and Jews were granted protection under Ottoman law, which was a reasonable policy as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are all closely connected. Abrahamic religions - Wikipedia Orthodox Christians in particular, formed the largest non-Muslim community within the empire at the time of Constantinople’s fall in 1453. Destroying Hagia Sophia would have been a hassle and a waste of money. Mehmed the Conqueror was a wise man and a strategic (sunni) muslim ruler. Conversely, similar transformations occurred under Christian rule, the Mosque of Córdoba and the Great Mosque of Seville were both converted into Roman Catholic cathedrals in 1236 and 1248, respectively. These three architectural marvels, conceived for divine worship, stand as testaments of humankind géni...