This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53366307
The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Hagia Sophia: Iconic Istanbul museum 'could return to mosque' | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A Turkish court has annulled the museum status of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, a world-famous cultural site, enabling it to be converted into a mosque. | A Turkish court has annulled the museum status of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, a world-famous cultural site, enabling it to be converted into a mosque. |
| It is a controversial move, as 1,500-year-old Hagia Sophia was founded as a cathedral. Later the Ottomans made it a mosque. In 1934 it became a museum. | It is a controversial move, as 1,500-year-old Hagia Sophia was founded as a cathedral. Later the Ottomans made it a mosque. In 1934 it became a museum. |
| It is a Unesco World Heritage site. Unesco earlier urged Turkey not to change its status without discussion. | It is a Unesco World Heritage site. Unesco earlier urged Turkey not to change its status without discussion. |
| Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for the change. | Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for the change. |
| 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. | |
| 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. |