UN Calls on Turkey to Make Hagia Sophia an “Intercultural Space”
UN human rights experts explained on Friday, July 31, that Turkey's conversion of the significant World Heritage Site "could reflect a supremacist view of...
Greek EU Minister Schinas Expresses Anger Over Muslim Prayers in Hagia Sophia
"Turkey must finally decide what its broader geopolitical goal will be," said Margaritis Schinas, the European Commission's vice-president and Commissioner for the promotion of...
Erdogan Invites World Leaders to Friday’s Muslim Prayer Service at Hagia Sophia
According to information published in the Turkish daily newspaper Hurriyet today, government officials there have sent out invitations to a number of officials to...
Italian, Israeli Groups Protest Hagia Sophia Conversion to Mosque
Italian and Israeli groups protested on Monday the decision by Turkey to turn the Hagia Sophia museum to a mosque.
Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside...
Nobel Prize-Winning Novelist Orhan Pamuk: Turkey No Longer Secular
Orhan Pamuk, Turkey’s Nobel prize-winning author, has criticized the Turkish government’s decision to convert Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia into a mosque.
“There are millions of...
Hagia Sophia to Open for Muslim Worship on July 24
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that after completing all preparations, Hagia Sophia will open for worship on July 24.
In an address...
The Call to Muslim Prayer Resounds from Hagia Sophia
Minutes after President Erdogan signed the decree turning Hagia Sophia into a Mosque, a crowd of Muslims gathered for a prayer at the UNESCO...
Turkish Decision on Hagia Sophia Coming on Friday
Two Turkish officials stated on Thursday that it is likely that a Turkish court will give its approval for the reconversion of the former...
Turkish Court Postpones Decision on Status of Hagia Sophia
The Turkish Council of State - the country's highest administrative body - delayed a decision on whether the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople can be...
Erdogan Pushes to Allow Islamic Prayer Inside Hagia Sophia
The controversial issue of once again performing Islamic prayers inside Hagia Sophia this July was discussed during a recent High Advisory Board meeting of...