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Istanbul:
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan introduced Friday that the Hagia Sophia, one of many architectural wonders of the world, can be reopened for Muslim worship, sparking fury within the Christian neighborhood and neighbouring Greece.
His declaration got here after a prime Turkish court docket revoked the sixth-century Byzantine monument’s standing as a museum, clearing the best way for it to be turned again right into a mosque.
The UNESCO World Heritage web site in historic Istanbul, a magnet for vacationers worldwide, was first constructed as a cathedral within the Christian Byzantine Empire however was transformed right into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453.
The Council of State, Turkey’s highest administrative court docket, unanimously cancelled a 1934 cupboard resolution to show it right into a museum and mentioned Hagia Sophia was registered as a mosque in its property deeds.
The landmark ruling may inflame tensions not simply with the West and Turkey’s historic foe Greece but in addition Russia, with which Erdogan has cast an more and more shut partnership lately.
‘Millions of Christians not heard’
Greece swiftly branded the transfer by Muslim-majority Turkey an “open provocation to the civilised world”.
“The nationalism displayed by Erdogan… takes his country back six centuries,” Culture Minister Lina Mendoni mentioned in an announcement.
The Russian Orthodox Church was equally scathing.
“The concern of millions of Christians were not heard,” Church spokesman Vladimir Legoida advised Interfax information company.
The resolution “shows that all pleas regarding the need to handle the situation extremely delicately were ignored,” he mentioned.
UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay mentioned she “deeply regrets” the choice made with out prior dialogue with the UN’s cultural company.
The transfer was additionally condemned by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, which mentioned it was an “unequivocal politicisation” of the monument.
Hagia Sophia, which stands reverse the spectacular Sultanahmet Mosque — typically known as the Blue Mosque, has been a museum since 1935 and open to believers of all faiths.
Transforming it from a mosque was a key reform beneath the brand new republic born out of the ashes of the Ottoman Empire.
Sharing a presidential decree which named Hagia Sophia as a “mosque”, Erdogan introduced its administration can be handed over to Turkey’s non secular affairs directorate generally known as Diyanet.
“May we be blessed,” he commented. The decree was printed on the official gazette.
Erdogan has lately positioned nice emphasis on the battles which resulted within the defeat of Byzantium by the Ottomans, with lavish celebrations held yearly to mark the conquest.
Muslim clerics have sometimes recited prayers within the museum on key anniversaries or non secular holidays.
“The decision is intended to score points with Erdogan’s pious and nationalist constituents,” mentioned Anthony Skinner of the chance evaluation agency Verisk Maplecroft.
“Hagia Sophia is arguably the most conspicuous symbol of Turkey’s Ottoman past — one which Erdogan is leveraging to strengthen his base while snubbing domestic and foreign rivals,” he advised AFP.
‘Chains damaged’
A couple of hundred Turks carrying Turkish flags gathered exterior Hagia Sophia shouting “Chains broken, Hagia Sophia reopened”.
Police heightened safety measures across the constructing, based on AFP journalists.
“It’s been a dream since we were kids,” mentioned Erdal Gencler, an Istanbul resident.
“(Hagia Sophia) finds its true purpose again. We are very excited, proud, and hopeful that there will be beautiful services here,” he added.
Fatma, a girl with tearful eyes, mentioned: “Of course I am crying. (Hagia Sophia) belongs to us.”
Ahead of the court docket resolution, Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul shared an image of Hagia Sophia on his official Twitter account, with a message: “Have a good Friday.”
Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, Erdogan’s son-in-law, tweeted that Hagia Sophia can be reopened to Muslim worship “sooner or later”, referring to a quote from Turkish poet Necip Fazil Kisakurek.
The Council of State had on July 2 debated the case introduced by a Turkish group — the Association for the Protection of Historic Monuments and the Environment, which demanded Hagia Sophia be reopened for Muslim prayers.
Since 2005, there have been a number of makes an attempt to vary the constructing’s standing. In 2018, the Constitutional Court rejected one utility.
Despite occasional protests exterior the location by Islamic teams, Turkish authorities had till now saved the constructing as a museum.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
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