Catholics have questioned the distorted version of the history of Istanbul’s ancient Cathedral Hagia Sophia being taught in schools in communist-ruled Kerala state in southern India.
Fr Jacob G Palakkappilly, spokesman of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC), said “it is quite disturbing to note that students in Class Seven were being taught a false history of one of the world’s greatest Byzantine monuments originally built as a church.”
The Hagia Sophia was built in the 6th century and is also known as the Church of the Holy or Divine Wisdom, and in subsequent centuries became a mosque, a museum, and a mosque again two years ago.
The textbook for Class Seven in Kerala has a lesson under the title, “Europe in the path of trans-formation,” which described the ancient cathedral as a “historical monument” but hid the fact that it was originally a Christian church that was turned into a mosque, the priest told on July 20. “When you teach history, you need to explain who, what, when, where, and how”
Government officials said it was an old lesson that needed to be updated. But Christian leaders said it amounted to wiping out a crucial part of history involving the contributions of Christians in building the historical cathedral.
“Why did the government safely bury its Christian connection,” asked Father Palackkapilly.