Christianity’s waning relevance in modern Europe is well documented. But even as church pews remain empty, there is an odd twist unfolding in Cologne, a city rich in Catholic history, where a new mosque is being built amidst the whiff of an ancient conspiracy theory.
The details are these. The architect of a near-completed mosque was fired by his client, the Turkish Islamic association DITIB. One of the reasons given was that he had hidden Christian symbols in the building – little crosses, for example, or “Chi-Rho” (XP), the Greek monogram for Christ.
And what was the first reaction of the local press? It sided with the architect. As the supposed symbols couldn’t be found on the plans, the accusations were deemed groundless and any suggestion of conspiracy brushed aside.
But let’s take another look at those plans. Look at the way the prayer room faces East, officially of course because that’s where Mecca is – but isn’t Jerusalem and the Tomb of Christ there too? And how about that cupola, doesn’t it sort of resemble two stylized fish? Fish – secret symbols of the first Christians. If DITIB sees it that way, some say, the whole building may have to come down and construction begin anew.
And who could blame the Christians, really, if this really is some kind of conspiracy? After all, Cologne’s famous gothic cathedral represents a major success story for secret Muslim societies. It contains relics of the Three Kings, who after all were from the East, and all those representations of Mary, who happens to be one of the main female figures in the Koran. Is history repeating itself? Just like some fear will happen with the mosque, construction on the cathedral was halted because of the hidden Islamic symbols. And it was some 300 years before it resumed.