Tag: hagia sophia
Macedonia 27.07.20 | 15:08

Archbishop Stefan condemns the conversion of Hagia Sophia

Archbishop Stefan, the head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, condemned the decision by Turkey to convert the Hagia Sophia cathedral into a mosque again. We share the concern of all Chistendom at the decision to change the status of the temple dedicated to God’s Wisdom – Hagia – Sophia,...
Balkans 25.07.20 | 15:29

Turkey and Greece row over reconversion of Hagia Sophia to mosque

Turkey and Greece criticized each other on Saturday after the first Muslim prayers were held at Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia since its reconversion to a mosque. The Foreign Ministry in Ankara condemned Athens for its “hostility towards Islam and Turkey.” It rebuked Greece’s government and parliament...
Balkans 24.07.20 | 11:45

Hagia Sophia opens for Muslim prayers after 86 years as a museum

The Hagia Sophia opened for Muslim prayers on Friday for the first time in 86 years after the Istanbul museum was reconverted into a mosque by a controversial presidential decree. The azan resounded calling Muslim worshippers to prayer, as hundreds of faithful crowded outside the former 6th-century Byzantine...
Balkans 14.07.20 | 20:46

Turkey allows visitors to Hagia Sophia outside prayers, icons remain

Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia will open to visitors outside Muslim prayers, and Christian symbols and mosaics can remain in the building, Turkey’s religious authority Diyanet said on Tuesday. Christian icons at the UNESCO World Heritage site could be covered by curtains or obscured using lighting,...
Balkans 14.07.20 | 11:44

Greek Government joins patriarch Bartholomew in his push over Hagia Sophia

The Greek Government joined the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in his opposition to the Turkish decision to repurpose the Hagia Sophia cathedral into a mosque. The cathedral was declared a museum by the Turkish authorities in the 1930-ies, but now under President Erdogan it is again turned into a mosque. Greek...
Balkans 11.07.20 | 09:21

Erdogan signs decree to reopen Hagia Sophia for Islamic prayers

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signed a decree ordering Istanbul’s landmark Hagia Sophia be handed over to the country’s religious authority and reopened for Islamic prayers. Erdogan shared the decree on Twitter on Friday with the caption “congratulations” just over an hour after...
Balkans 28.03.19 | 11:18

Greeks hope that UNESCO will stop Erdogan’s plan to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque

Greek media report that UNESCO officials have asked the Turkish Government to give up on the announced idea to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently criticized the 1935 decision to turn Hagia Sophia into a museum. The massive 6th century A.D. cathedral was the...
Balkans 25.03.19 | 10:58

Erdogan says he may convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the Hagia Sophia could be turned into a mosque again, after more than 80 years as a museum. That is not unlikely. We might even change its name to Ayasofya Mosque. That is not a strange proposal. As you know the mosque was converted to a museum in...

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