Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signed a decree converting Hagia Sophia in Istanbul – founded as a cathedral – into a mosque.
Earlier Turkey’s top administrative court annulled the museum status of the world-famous cultural site.
Founded 1,500 years-ago as a cathedral, the Ottomans made Hagia Sophia a mosque. But in 1934 it became a museum.
It is a Unesco World Heritage site. Unesco urged Turkey not to change its status without discussion.
Islamists in Turkey have long called for it to be converted to a mosque, but secular opposition members have opposed the move. The proposal has prompted criticism, from religious and political leaders worldwide.
The head of the Eastern Orthodox Church has condemned the proposal, as has Greece – home to many millions of Orthodox followers.
Mr Erdogan’s decree hands control of the Ayasofya Mosque, as it is known in Turkish, to Turkey’s religious directorate, to reopen it for worship.
Modern Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk approved Hagia Sophia’s status as a museum in 1934, and since then it has been a symbol of secularism, open to all faiths.
But the Council of State, Turkey’s top administrative court, said in its ruling on Friday: “It was concluded that the settlement deed allocated it as a mosque and its use outside this character is not possible legally”.
“The cabinet decision in 1934 that ended its use as a mosque and defined it as a museum did not comply with laws,” it said.
The Russian Orthodox Church immediately expressed regret that the Turkish court did not take its concerns into account when ruling on Hagia Sophia, Tass news agency reported.
It said the decision could lead to even greater divisions.
(c) BBC
“The Russian Orthodox Church immediately expressed regret that the Turkish court did not take its concerns into account when ruling on Hagia Sophia, Tass news agency reported.”
Looks like the Turkish/Russian love affair is over, but why should Turkey take Russian concerns into account? Turkey turn a Turkish building into a Turkish mosque. Muscovy should heed their own warnings, and keep out of the internal affairs of another country.
Big victory for the Muslims to occupy an ancient Christian shrine and piss on history itself.
Yeah, but it’s been a mosque before Muscovy crawled out of the swamp.
Absolutely. The Moskali have no connection to it at all as far as I know, unless they are claiming Kyivan Rus heritage again.
Be interesting to see Russian reaction if Turkey said Crimea is historically ours.
That’s an interesting point because they could. I thought Ukraine would get more support from the Turks for the Tartars too.
Erdogan plays on both sides, he’s not to be trusted an inch.
Could be good news for Ukraine defenders if these two fascist shithole powers are at each other’s throats maybe?
If Russia tried anything against Turkey, they would find access to the Black Sea cut off. That would be beneficial to Ukraine, Georgia and NATO countries.
What does this measure tell us? That a trash country substantiated its trash status.
Whatever the Turks do, the Hagia Sofia is a church.