A h8 Turkish court has ruled that Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia became a mosque.
The Basilica of Hagia Sophia built 1500 years as an Orthodox Christian cathedral under the Byzantine Empire.
It became a mosque in 1453 after the Ottomans conquered Constantinople and replaced the city’s call to Istanbul.
The last court ruling reversed the government’s 193 resolution in a museum.
The resolution sparked outrage in Greece and Russia, home to millions of Orthodox Christians.
The World Council of Churches called on the Turkish president to contradict the decision.
At the Vatican, Pope Francis expressed his dismay: “My brain is with Istanbul. I’m Hagia Sophia, and I’m so sorry.”
The Hagia Sophia is a UNESCO World Heritage site visited by millions of tourists a year, but UNESCO now plans to revise its status.
President Erdogan said that deciding the design point is Turkey’s sovereign right: “Like all our other mosques, the gates of Hagia Sophia may be open to all inhabitants, foreigners, Muslims and non-Muslims,” Erdogan said. “As the average legacy of humanity, Hagia Sophia will continue to embrace itself in the most sincere and exclusive way, with her new status.”
The first sentences are scheduled for July 24.
This video produced and edited through Hassan Ghani of Al Jazeera NewsFeed.
Source: Al Jazeera
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